“What made you want to become a physiotherapist?” A common question I get from my patients.
As with many other physiotherapists, an injury initiated my pursuit of this career. I was 16 years old, and basketball was my passion. I did well in school, especially in science, but I had no idea what you could do with that besides becoming a scientist. My career class definitely didn’t help me a lot. I am pretty sure I got “chimney sweep” as a top suggestion twice in an online quiz, which was very unsettling at the time. But I got a little nudge from the universe when another basketball player tripped me as I was completing a layup during a game. I face-planted, ego immediately bruised. When I rolled over, I saw that my foot was sticking out at an odd angle slightly behind the rest of my leg. My season was officially over.
I sustained a posterior dislocation of my ankle and spent the next week in a plaster cast, three weeks in a fibreglass cast and an additional four weeks in a walking boot. During the time I spent on crutches I was even more of a teenage terror than usual, furious that my body failed me and lost without my sport. I was in quite a dark place until I was cleared to go to physiotherapy. I went for treatment every week and spent hours trying to regain range of motion and strength so that I could get back on the court. During those months in rehabilitation I observed my physiotherapist as she worked. I loved how social the job was and the amount of problem-solving it involved. When I was finally discharged from physiotherapy six months later and back playing with my team, I thought how satisfying that must have been for her to have seen the outcome of my therapy. I made a decision right then and there that this was the career that I wanted to pursue.
Fast forward six years and I began my masters in physiotherapy at the University of Toronto. The program was tough, there was an immense amount of course work and the placements were exhausting in their own way. But after two years of studying, pulling all-nighters, sharing laughter and tears with my classmates, I graduated school, passed two national exams, and became a registered physiotherapist.
I have now been a physiotherapist for eight years. There are benefits and drawbacks to every job, and physiotherapy is no different. As a physiotherapist working in the private sector you have to work irregular hours in order to be available for the large majority of people working nine to five. You do not get health benefits, sick leave or vacation days. You only get compensated for the time physically spent with a client, so additional work including charting, emails, letters, and research are all done on your own time. The job is quite demanding physically and you can finish work feeling sore yourself. To top it all off, you must also take on the additional responsibility of being a lifelong learner. As new research becomes available and new concepts are created there is always something to learn in order to be able to provide the best service. There are sobering moments when you get stuck and realize how much more there is to learn. As a physiotherapist you cannot just head home after work and call it a day.
So why do I continue to be a physiotherapist? Short answer: because I love it!
To be chosen as the person someone entrusts with their recovery is a very special thing. I love being a part of someone’s rehabilitation journey - to be their helping hand, educator, referral source, and cheerleader. I know first-hand how scary and frustrating it is to be injured and you need someone who really cares about your recovery in your corner. I strive to be that person for all of my clients
I enjoy detective work and problem-solving, and not just the physical side! I believe the entirety of a person needs to be seen during rehabilitation. Are a person’s past injuries contributing to their current issue, including their perspective of injury and physiotherapy? How can I relate their exercises to their sport or favourite activity to keep them engaged? How can they do their rehabilitation during their busy work day or while taking care of a newborn? These are all pieces of the puzzle that needs to be solved in order for a person to be successful in their recovery.
This girl loves to move! Helping my clients regain autonomy over their body through movement is my favourite treatment modality.
It is so rewarding to witness my clients achieve their goals, and reintegrate into their past roles, activities and sports.
I learn something new from each of my clients. From a rehabilitation perspective I can learn a better way of addressing certain injuries or conditions, or about new exercises or sports. I can also hear about hiking or biking trails, restaurants, sales or even something as simple as a new show on Netflix. We humans are fascinating creatures and I consider myself lucky to get to interact with so many different people throughout my day.
There are times I finish work mentally and physically exhausted, but also energized, after a day of movement, brainstorming and laughter with my clients. And that’s why I keep doing it.
