– by Doreen Marion Gee –
This is the first in a six-part series of profiles on some great local businesses that are working to keep us all in good health.
Most people only see health care providers when they are sick or injured, and most doctors focus on fixing problems instead of preventing them in the first place. The staff of both Brentwood Bay and Peninsula Physiotherapy and Massage clinics are professionals who are passionate about preventative medicine and helping people to be proactive in building and maintaining their own wellness. Their vision involves a shift in our collective thinking about our bodies and our health.
A Registered Physiotherapist trained at McMaster University, Linda Walker co-owns the two clinics with Suzie Cutt, a Registered Massage Therapist. Linda is proud of their “one-stop health care”, where they incorporate health professionals from many different areas to provide comprehensive all-over care: “We gather those specializations within rehab sciences at the highest level of education – the combined expertise of all our practitioners is 145 years of practice.” The list of specialities at both clinics is impressive: Joint Manipulation, Sports Injuries and Performance, Running Specialist, Chronic Pain/Stress Management, Pelvic Floor Therapy, Massage Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage, Kinesiology & Postural Retraining, Cranial Sacral Therapy, TMJ, Intramuscular Stimulation, Vestibular Therapy, Acupressure and Joint Replacement Therapy.
The owners and their staff stay on the cutting edge of their game by keeping up with the latest research and treatments. Linda: “I try to find out who is doing the best procedures, where they are happening and how do I get my patients access to that.” At the core of their work is deep respect for the natural capacity of the body to heal itself. Even after a diagnosis of arthritis, the clinic practitioners can still help clients optimize the mobility in their joints. According to Linda, some of those changes can even be reversed. The body is a miracle in action.
A holistic ‘big-picture’ view of human health is integral to the clinics’ work. Within that context, Linda is happy to help patients whenever problems arise but makes the point that “we wait until all four wheels fall off and then try to fix the car. We maintain our cars better than our bodies.” The clinic professionals believe in “primary prevention” – interventions that are applied before any disease or injury – but this mindset is generally “not in our culture.” Of course doctors don’t usually see patients until some problem already exists and many people are not aware of the vital importance of proper health maintenance in preventing that trip to emergency.
The dedicated practitioners at both clinics want to change the standard paradigm around wellness and health care. Staff give Prevention talks at both their Peninsula clinics and Panorama Recreation Centre. And “As a group of therapists, using the highest level of research and clinical knowledge, we know how your knee (for example) is going to perform over time and we know the ‘best practices’ to ensure the longevity of that knee joint.” That’s primary prevention in a nutshell. Linda is a straight-shooter: “We need to think outside the box. The paradigm needs to flip! We are very busy because that paradigm is backwards.”
That needed mental shift comes from being empowered through action. The experts at the Peninsula and Brentwood Bay Clinics encourage clients to be proactive in their own health: That could mean “learning how the body ages and what you can do to keep your mobility and independence and doing healthy activities as you age.” They encourage clients to do homework exercises and maintenance and give them all the facts and the latest research. “Having basic core health care principles that you are doing regularly will sustain you in the long run.”
Linda’s words, “Knowledge plus action equals health” is a good tag-line for a new vision in health care. These people are on to something.
Contact: www.brentwoodphysio.com & www.peninsulaphysio.ca
