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The book suggests that perhaps our minds are actually protecting us from an underlying fear that has a much stronger pull (than our so called resolutions) and that fear leads us to choose to eat more/ exercise less/ smoke/drink too much etc etc and completely contradicts our valiant January 1st vows, all for self-preservation! While I am simplifying a 4 step process that the book obviously handles with much more finesse, expertise and detail, I guess what I’m saying is we are complicated creatures and we often need help making lasting changes, in the form of group support, “accountability partners” and even a little neural rewiring of our brains sometimes.

My intention for doing a 30 Day Challenge came from trying to come up with a way of changing behaviors in clients, whom I felt would excel and find new levels of comfort in their bodies if they would just commit to doing their physiotherapy exercises every day. At first I thought people just needed incentives- like great prizes. I’ve learned that people seem to need a combination of motivation (ie. a challenge), the right tools (the exercises themselves or some resources) and someone peaking over their shoulder once in a while with a nudge or two (or in the form of a daily log or journal).

If there’s something you’d like to manifest in your life then join this Challenge and focus on it for 30 Days. See yourself differently, act differently and maybe next year you won’t cringe when people talk about New Year’s resolutions- you’ll say BRING IT ON!!!

Yours in peace and good health in 2009,

Sue Shalanski

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• an entry to the 30 Day Challenge ($30)
• a pedometer ($10)
• a 90 minute head to toe physiotherapy assessment ($150)
• a post-challenge assessment for 45 minutes with a physiotherapist ($75)
• a BOSU ball (a physio ball cut in half mounted on a base for FUN exercises) ($135)
• TOTAL= $400!

Use this link to go directly to the online store and get your tickets!
Draw takes place on January 4th, 2009.

On December 2nd, I ran into a major glitch while expanding my physiotherapy practice….a key piece of equipment for my new space arrived damaged and unusable. It’s pretty hard to treat patients without a treatment table!

The following day, when the responsible parties involved in delivering the product were not feeling the need to reply to my concerns and inquiries from their head offices in far off places, I decided to take matters into my own hands and placed a few local calls….

First, I contacted Jones & Co. to get some advice from Shawn Jones on how to proceed. I thought maybe I’d leave a message but ten minutes later, he arrived on the scene to check out the damaged goods and make some recommendations. Wow!

A wonderful therapist in North Vancouver offered to rent me her table for as long as I needed so I thought I’d work out transportation. I asked Newport Auto’s owner, Noel Koehn, how I would load a 220lb+ treatment table into the back of a pick-up truck…he offered his own shop truck and some manpower for lifting! Another wow! 

I thought I’d also look into having the table welded back together. Kelly Jian of Kelly Jian Contracting arrived 15 minutes after I placed the call to his office and offered me some great solutions, on the spot. My excitement about opening the new space was back because I could now see how I could be operational, very quickly with Kelly’s help!

 The night before, I had been a very disappointed small business owner, wondering how best to approach the big business world when they don’t seem particularly interested in a small businesses “problem”. Tonight I’m completely floored by the level of service and sense of community that exists in Squamish. 

I’d like to say a heartfelt and gracious thank-you to the great leaders of the businesses mentioned above.  I’d also like to acknowledge my two colleagues, Angela Newton and Karen Ogilvie for their ability to “go with the flow” so well and last but not least thank-you to the dozens of understanding patients whose appointments had to be moved, I am extremely grateful.

I went to my doctor and was given crutches and referred to a physio. At the time I was living in Vancouver and went to a number of different physio’s that included Active Release Therapy (ART) and other treatments. My doctor referred me to a sports medicine specialist that said I had a mechanical structural issue in the way I walked. I was sent to UBC sports medicine and given different exercises. I was able to get some movement back but the pain in my hip continued.

In 2000 I was sent to an orthopaedic surgeon. He recommended an x-ray which showed that my right hip had advanced arthritis and my left hip had mild arthritis. He said that I had to give up running, that it was unlikely to improve and would likely require a hip replacement on the right side. As well a problem in my ankle could require my ankle to be fused, but both issues combined could result in confinement to a wheel chair by the time I was 50. Since I was only 40 I thought I had to do something. So began my long journey back from chronic pain to pain free with increased mobility that I believe is better than in my 20s.

I could not have done this without the combination of a physio that uses IMS, a structural integrationist, and more recently a trainer that has built on the progress I have made. I firmly believe the key to my success has been my own dedication to daily stretching, core and specific strength building exercises that I do to improve the functioning of my hip. Interestingly I have used the regime I developed for my hip to overcome pain in my middle back from a previous sports related injury and in my neck from a car
accident (I was broadsided by a drunk driver).

The daily stretching and rolling my fascia and muscles with a foam roller and ball has also contributed to reducing my pain and increasing my flexibility. Several people I know have gone for hip replacements. Yet, in a recent trip to the specialist I was told that while my arthritis is still present it has not progressed. This was attributed to the structural changes that I have implemented that have changed my posture and the mechanics of joint movement.

For me it means no chronic pain, increased mobility, and improved mental health (being in pain all the time is depressing and tiring). I have lost weight, and am in as good shape as I was in my 20s. Although I cannot do radical sports that put a lot of impact on my joints because of arthritis that continues to affect other parts of my body, as of 2008 I am healthy, happy and pain free - two years in advance of my 50th!

Catherine

On the new site, you’ll be able to book appointments online using MindBodyOnline.com, learn about our team, find our location, contact us, hear about upcoming events in the community, and much more.

We hope you like the new site and if you have any feedback to help us improve our service, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Thanks,
The Reach Physio Team