The Story
It began when I saw a friend recovering from a fracture. She had a list of exercises on paper but no guidance, no feedback, and constant doubt. Watching her struggle made me realize how many people face the same uncertainty in recovery. That moment sparked the idea for Kyntra. We started with neck and shoulder conditioning, since these are some of the most common issues caused by posture and daily strain. From there, I worked with specialists, designed the experience, and turned it into a solution that makes recovery guided, interactive, and confidence-building.
Problem
Recurring neck and shoulder conditioning injuries — such as stiffness, strain, and tension — often result from poor posture, muscle imbalances, or improper form during daily activities or workouts.
To recover and prevent flare-ups, people are advised to perform regular rehab or mobility exercises, but:
Therapy sessions are costly and often booked for months
At-home exercises are often done incorrectly without supervision
No real-time feedback leads to risky self-recovery, turning minor issues into long-term problems
Research
80%
People had experienced minor injuries like neck strain, shoulder stiffness, or upper back pain
60%
Skipped exercises due to cost, long wait times, or lack of motivation
40%
Using YouTube or other apps weren’t confident if they are doing exercises the right way
1-6+ months
Public physiotherapy/Kinseology wait times in Canada
$75 - $150
Private sessions are too costly
Solution
Kyntra is a mobile app designed for non-emergency injuries, providing individuals with real-time exercise feedback, a guided video library, AI analysis, and suggestions for nearby therapists to support safe and effective home recovery.
Key feature // 1
Conditioning program Assistance
Users begin by selecting the affected body part and answering a few quick questions about their pain level, frequency, and progress. Based on this input, Kyntra generates a plan with guided exercises. Each exercise can be opened in real time, with both audio and visual feedback on posture and form to ensure safety and correctness. A built-in dashboard helps users track their progress over time, giving them confidence and clarity throughout their recovery journey.
Key feature // 2
Guided Video Library
Kyntra offers a guided video library filled with short, easy-to-follow exercises. Each video demonstrates proper form with clear visual and voice instructions, making it simple for users to stay consistent. The library empowers users to practice anytime, anywhere, while maintaining confidence in their movements.
Key feature // 3
Chat & Clinic locator
Kyntra bridges the gap between self-guided recovery and professional care with its smart chat system. The in-app chat is designed to answer only recovery-related questions, providing users with encouragement, guidance, and motivation throughout their journey. If a user reports a pain level higher than 5, Kyntra immediately suggests a list of physiotherapists or kinesiologists, ensuring they get professional help when needed. This approach combines the convenience of digital support with the safety and expertise of clinical care.
Results
Prototype Testing Boosts Confidence & Clinician Interest
By inviting the same users from our initial survey to test the Kyntra prototype, we gained valuable early feedback. Participants reported stronger confidence in their exercises, while physiotherapists highlighted its potential as a support tool to track patient progress between sessions.
92%
Users found the guided flow and feedback concepts clear and easy to follow, even in prototype stage
78%
Participants said they would feel more confident practicing at home with real-time guidance features
Experts Validation
Physiothetapists Validated Kyntra as a support tool not a replacement for therapy and saw value in better monitoring patient progress
Gillian Corbo
MPT, MSc, BKin | Physiotherapist, Instructor Department of Kinesiology, Langara
" Kyntra offers a unique solution for home exercise programs by using advanced tracking features to monitor patient performance. It provides feedback when exercises are performed incorrectly, addressing one of the biggest challenges in home exercise prescription for physiotherapists.”
Takeaways
Working on Kyntra showed me how real-life pain points can turn into meaningful design solutions. Seeing my friend struggle through her post-injury conditioning made the problem feel personal, and talking to other users confirmed that this gap is bigger than I thought. I discovered how much I enjoy the research phase not just collecting data, but having real conversations with people, listening to their stories, and uncovering what they actually need. Hearing feedback like “This would have helped me” made all the effort worth it. I also learned that motivation is as important as accuracy in recovery the best features can fall flat if users don’t feel supported to stick with them. And sometimes it’s the small improvements that make the biggest difference. Looking back, Kyntra reminded me why I love product design: solving real problems, creating experiences that matter, and iterating until it feels right. There’s still room to grow from expanding the exercise library to adding more gamification and I’m excited to keep pushing this idea forward.
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