Well it’s that time of year and Physiotherapy Month is well under way! It’s a great time to reach out to those in our community, promote our profession and highlight how beneficial physiotherapy can be. Recent Canadian Census data collected in 2016 shows that baby boomers now out number the younger population for the first time ever. Physiotherapists will play a large role in assisting the population in maintaining healthy, active lives well into their senior years.
I first became aware of physiotherapy as a profession when I was 10 years old watching TV on a Saturday morning. A company had sponsored a segment called “When I Grow Up”, which aired during the commercial breaks. That morning it was “when I grow up, I want to be a Physiotherapist”. I watched as they showed how these professionals could fix their clients’ injuries with their hands and exercises! I was so interested that I went to the encyclopedia (pre-google days folks) and looked up this fantastic job and decided then and there that this was what I was meant to do. I went downstairs and told my mom that I was going to be a Physiotherapist. I’m not quite sure my parents believed me or thought I was being serious but I had made up my mind. In grade 8 we were supposed to participate in ‘take your kids to school day’. But with my parents being teachers, I already knew what that entailed and didn’t want to just go to another school for the day. So for half a day, my mom arranged for me to go to a physiotherapy clinic. It was so exciting to see the clinic, talk to the clients and the Physiotherapists and learn about how they helped people. I was lucky enough to back that experience up with volunteering at clinics in high school and in my undergraduate university years which prepared me for the full expectations of the job.
Back then I certainly had no idea how much more popular and how important this profession would become. I am very grateful to have found a career that is so rewarding and constantly evolving. During this special month I want to thank my fellow Physiotherapy colleagues and all my clients who keep me motivated to learn new things.
Remember to live balanced, live well and be YOU at your PRIME.
Heather Ritchie M.Sc.PT, B.Sc. Kin, Dip Manip. PT, FCAMPT
Registered Physiotherapist
