SOS Physiotherapy: Happy Holidays!

The Spinal Column by SOS Physiotherapy

The Spinal Column The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

ISSUE NUMBER 22

‘TIS THE SEASON

SOS Physiotherapy is gearing up for another Holiday Season! Every year the clinic becomes even more lively with our festive decorations, upbeat music, and our holiday fundraisers. Everyone is starting to plan get togethers with family and friends, and looking forward to a fresh new year! But first, let's reflect back on yet another year, that has come and gone too fast. Here at SOS we have a lot to be thankful for over this past year. We started off 2019 having to say goodbye and good luck to one of our lovely PTs Amy, but also welcomed four new amazing Physiotherapists to our team. Christine joined us early on in the year, and she has been helping our clients succeed ever since! As we transitioned into fall, Ryan then joined us in Elmira, Courtney joined us in Kitchener, and Jessica will be primarily at our NEW Waterloo clinic (opening early 2020). We also welcomed our amazing Physiotherapy Assistant Kelsie into our Elmira crew, and she has been a rockstar from the start! Thanks to Kelsie’s drive and knowledge, we were then able to bring Class IV Laser Therapy to Elmira, and have seen HUGE success with it! Soon laser therapy will arrive at our Kitchener location with the help of our new Kinesiologist, Medea. We are excited to start bringing high level laser treatments to our clientele in KW, and are thankful that Medea has joined our growing group! All of our new therapists have been wonderful additions to SOS, and we thank them for bringing with them so much knowledge, experience and energy to all of our clinics. We also started to see our SOS family grow in different ways this year. Steve and his wife Laura added a healthy baby boy to their family, while Adam and Meghan welcomed a beautiful baby girl! In addition to these wonderful new additions, we also celebrated two SOS weddings this

year! We definitely have had a lot of memorable events to be thankful for this year. We are also very appreciative for having such wonderful communities that continue to support us! With your kind words, positive testimonials, and your votes, we reached the amazing achievement of being the #1 Physiotherapy clinic in the KW region! What a great way to end off an already successful year. Now it’s our turn to help support our wonderful communities of both KW and Woolwhich areas. To help give back and to say a big thank you to all of you, we have started our annual food drive to help support those in need. Bring your non-perishable food items to either our Kitchener or Elmira locations to help us gather an even bigger food donation this year. We also are currently having our colouring contest in Elmira, where for each picture coloured we donate $5 to the Woolwich Community Services. Last year we were able to donate close to $300 to the wonderful Woolwich community, and we hope to surpass that this year! Thank you again for all that you do to support us, and we will continue to provide you quality and individualized care! Let’s continue to grow together and share our achievements; and we look forward to helping you more with our new Northfield location coming in early 2020! We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

- Melissa Norris, Clinical Director, SOS Elmira

INSIDE: • Student Life At SOS • No More Mo's! • My Patient Story

• Holiday Recipe • Staff Spotlight • And More!

www.sosphysiotherapy.ca

STUDENT LIFE AT SOS

the Elmira community. From one small town to another, thank you for your warm hospitality! SOS physiotherapy is one of the top ranked placements among students at Western University. Its commitment to providing students with valuable experiences is beyond the average clinic. What sets SOS apart from other student placements is the unique 1 on 1 mentoring sessions. Each week, there are 2 hours set aside for me to practice and get feedback on my current skills, while also learning new skills. These sessions require clinicians to come to work early and stay late in order to help me. I am fortunate to be paired up with both Melissa and Coco at the Elmira Clinic for my placement. These talented ladies create an understanding environment that is a balance of fun and critical thinking which keeps me on my toes. I look forward to using the knowledge I have gained from this clinic as I move closer to practicing as a Physiotherapist! - Adrienne

Happy December everyone! My name is Adrienne, I am the new physiotherapy student at the Elmira clinic. I am currently in my 2nd and final year at Western University, and am thrilled to have SOS for my second placement. What I particularly appreciate about the Elmira clinic is its sense of home for me. I am originally from Clinton, ON – a 10min drive

from Goderich along Lake Huron. Coming from a population just shy of 3200 people, I value the importance of community in the places I work. SOS Elmira does just this! This busy yet welcoming environment is filled with fun and caring people – both coworkers and clients! From local food recommendations, our kid’s colouring contest to fundraise for the Woolwich Memorial Centre, and the upcoming Moonlight madness, I quickly feel part of

NO MORE MO'S!

BEFORE

AFTER

Another year has come and gone and we wanted to say thank you to all who have helped support our Moebilizers! Even though the guys enjoy having some Mo fun than the girls, I’m sure they are happy to have their lip sweaters gone. Thank you for helping us raise awareness for men’s health!

Belmont Clinic Belmont Professional Centre 564 Belmont Avenue West, Suite 301 Kitchener, Ontario N2M 5N6 TEL: (519) 743-4355

Elmira Clinic Behind Wellness Centre (Clock Tower) 3 Wyatt Street East, Suite 2 Elmira, Ontario N3B 2H4 TEL: (519) 669-1212 Celebrating Over 25 Years of Healthcare Services!

Northfield Clinic (**Opening February 2020**) Waterloo Corporate Campus (Sobeys Plaza)

5B-595 Parkside Drive Waterloo, ON N2L 0C7 TEL: (226) 476-1600

Road To Recovery

Sometimes life never stops throwing us curve balls. A few days after my awesome wedding on September 6th I returned to my Wednesday night hockey routine. I noticed my skating wasn’t what I was used to, but I didn’t think anyone else noticed. I was wrong. A physiotherapist friend who was also playing commented after the game, “you don’t seem to have your usual speed or agility out there tonight.” I brushed it off to the first game of the season and not having sharpened my skates. In the following days and weeks symptoms steadily started to present themselves; numbness and tingling in my right great toe which progressed to my thigh, calf, then to the left leg, then my right leg started to get weak, and finally my left leg started to get weak as well. I consulted with my work colleagues and with my family doctor who made an urgent referral for an MRI. I’ll spare you all the technical jargon and details about clinical testing my colleagues and I performed on me in an attempt to fix the underlying cause of my progressive symptoms. Much to my surprise and despite all our efforts I realized I had fallen into the 10% category. This is the category of people that I tell my patients about who cannot be helped with physiotherapy alone. The irony is thick, but the reality was that I graduated with a physiotherapist degree, not an “immunity degree”. Ultimately, the MRI revealed the largest thoracic disc herniation my surgeon had ever seen and he expressed shock that I was still able to walk. On November 16th I had urgent surgery and my symptoms are now slowly subsiding. My prognosis is looking promising, but I know I have a long road of recovery ahead. Thank you to so many of you who have sent well wishes and support including my patients, friends, colleagues, family, and most of all to my wife Katie who reminds me daily of God’s presence. - Andrew Woelk Physiotherapist/Owner at SOS Physiotherapy

My "esteemed" colleagues made sure to "bling out" my rollator with a horn, rear-view mirror, and tassels.

Holiday Recipe

FUN & GAMES

Orange Cranberry Bread • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 cup fresh cranberries • 1 teaspoon orange zest • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted • 3/4 cup fresh orange juice • 1 egg

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, add white whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cranberries, and orange zest. Gently stir. In a separate medium-sized bowl, add coconut oil, fresh orange juice, and an egg. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir to combine everything together. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

CALL ONE OF OUR 3 LOCATIONS TODAY!

My Patient Story

Staff Spotlight: Welcome Medea!

Medea, Kinesiologist Hi! My name is Medea and I’m the new Kinesiologist at SOS Physiotherapy in Kitchener. I’m still pretty new to the area; I moved here from PEI about a year ago in pursuit of new opportunities, and I couldn’t be happier that my new opportunity is the chance to work with great people at SOS Physiotherapy. I look forward to meeting new smiling faces and helping people reach their health and fitness goals. I’m always happy to have a great conversation, so don’t feel shy about asking me questions!

“I have been suffering from chronic back pain for several years. It has stopped me from doing the simplest things, like going for a walk and enjoying activities with my family. With this back problem I have periods where I feel good and then the pain and limited mobility come back. After a while, this roller coaster ride gets to you. I guess it's the nature of a chronic back problem. I was having trouble walking and getting out of bed. I dreaded days when it would rain, as my back would act up. It’s funny, I always thought that was an old wives tale! I was feeling sorry for myself and a little grumpy! Then, Jon, my SOS Physiotherapist, told me about laser therapy. How could 7-10 minutes of laser therapy help improve my symptoms? I mean you lay there and Kelsie does the treatment. It’s just a warm feeling on your back. I will admit I was skeptical until I had the first treatment. From that very first treatment, I had less pain and more mobility. Now, after a few treatments, I’m enjoying brisk walks with my husband, pushing my granddaughter up hills in her stroller and no pain or stiffness when it rains. Laser Therapy has been a game changer for me! To me, physiotherapy and laser therapy are like pie and ice cream. They make you feel so good!!” "Laser Therapy Has Been A Game Changer For Me!"

Laser Is Rockin' Around Our Christmas Tree

SOS Elmira has been running our Class IV Laser for the past couple months, and the results with our patients have been amazing! Unsure if Laser Therapy is right for you? Give us a call today and learn more about how laser can help with your pain! SOS Belmont will be welcoming their own Class IV laser in the next few months! We will keep you posted as we get more information. Rudolph's nose ain't got nothing on our Laser!

- Leona Stumpf

NEW WORKSHOP COMING UP SOON!

OPENING FEBRUARY 2020!

We are looking forward to opening our BRAND NEW Northfield clinic in Waterloo. We are excited to help provide quality care to more of the Waterloo community!

ROTATOR CUFF WORKSHOP!

In The Community

Belmont Clinic Location Saturday, Dec. 14th @ 10:00am

Workshops are free but seats are limited. Don’t delay, register today by calling now!

Can Physio Help Your Shoulder Pain?

Bring in This Coupon Today For A

Free Shoulder Pain Discovery Visit!

• Have your shoulder pain assessed • Discuss any previous issues regarding your shoulder • Get a plan of what Physio can do to help all of the above!

Another successful night for Moonlight Madness in Elmira! We had lots of new entries for our colouring contest, bringing our total to 80! All of you have helped us raise $400 for Woolwich Community Services and brighten up our clinic windows. Thank you all for another amazing year!

Call Today!

For use at Belmont and Elmira locations until February 28th, 2020 only.

DOS AND DON’ TS: HOLIDAY EDITION!

Decorating the Tree Even though the ornaments may be small and light, we still should watch our back position when decorating our trees. With those low branches, try to get yourself more towards their level by lunging onto one knee. This keeps your back in a neutral position and then you can lean forward using the hips instead for motion. Picking up the boxes of Christmas Decorations Since we try to stuff our boxes full with decorations, they may be heavier than we remember! Make sure to bend at the knees to get into a deep squat posture before lifting. Try to keep the load close to you while lifting, so as not to put extra shearing forces onto the back. Lift with your legs and not your back as you raise upwards, then keep the box close to your core as you move.

It’s that time of year! Time to put up all of our decorations in a quick and easy manner while trying to stay injury free, right? Well in our rush to fill our homes with Christmas cheer we can get ourselves in awkward positions leading to stressors on our body. Make sure to think of your body positions this year while decorating! Here are some of our tips: Putting up Christmas Lights This may seem silly, however we have already had more than one ladder injury this year. Falls happen! Make sure to keep your body centered over the middle of the ladder with both feet planted, and no reaching! You can also use one arm to purchase on the top of the ladder to help stabilize you as your are stringing your lights.

Belmont Clinic Belmont Professional Centre 564 Belmont Avenue West, Suite 301 Kitchener, Ontario N2M 5N6 TEL: (519) 743-4355

Elmira Clinic Behind Wellness Centre (Clock Tower) 3 Wyatt Street East, Suite 2 Elmira, Ontario N3B 2H4 TEL: (519) 669-1212

Northfield Clinic (**Opening February 2020**) Waterloo Corporate Campus (Sobeys Plaza)

5B-595 Parkside Drive Waterloo, ON N2L 0C7 TEL: (226) 476-1600

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www.sosphysiotherapy.ca

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