I used to play tennis competitively and had a lot of shoulder problems, which was my first introduction to physiotherapy. I was so impressed with the knowledge of the physiotherapist I saw and his ability to explain why I was having pain and how it could be fixed. I don’t play tennis often now, but I’m involved in many recreational activities with my family: downhill skiing, x-country skiing, skating, biking, hiking, badminton, and walking our dog. I feel I can understand the drive of the more competitive athlete, as well as the majority of people who are just trying to stay healthy and pain-free to be able to do activities with their families.
The most rewarding part of the job is seeing people improve and return to their normal activities. I also enjoy problem-solving and figuring out what’s happening with each patient.
I look after a lot of the administrative work. I also work two days a week at a chronic pain clinic. There, I see people with long standing pain issues, which could be someone with knee or hip arthritis and are waiting for a joint replacement, or it could be someone with chronic full body type of pain, like fibromyalgia. I work with other physicians, and help plan the patient’s care, and decide if they’re a candidate for interventional procedures (injections).
I have spent many years taking courses to attain the highest certification in manual therapy in Canada (FCAMPT). Now I try to stay up to date with reading recent research, or taking online courses in areas I feel I’d like to know more about. We encourage our staff to continue learning, and improving their skills and knowledge.
