Hello everyone, my name is Christian and I am a physiotherapist/physical therapist. I have been working in private practice since 2015 and am very passionate about rehabilitation, injury prevention, and exercise.
Growing up
I grew up on the West Coast of British Columbia in the small town of Powell River where you cannot walk down a street without waving to people and saying “hi”. It was the beautiful coastal community that fostered my love of hiking and biking outdoors, swimming competitively, and playing baseball. Needless to say, I experienced many injuries, as anyone who is active does, but finding good rehabilitation guidance was difficult.
Schooling at the University of British Columbia
Some years later, I was taking my Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and developed a keen interest in the body and healthcare. I tried to remain active throughout my years at school but found that it was complicated by the demands of academia. Fortunately, I stumbled across the UBC Water Polo Club which allowed me to take advantage of both my swimming and throwing sports experience in order to have some fun and blow off steam. After completing my degree I applied to do my Master’s in Physical Therapy where the rest of my life changed.
Finally a Physio!!
After working for a few years, I heard many stories from clients about their previous physiotherapists. I identified that these clients simply hadn’t been exercised hard enough to be wholly effective. People would return every 3–6 months for a recurrence of the same issue. My entire treatment philosophy changed such that it revolved around helping push people to become stronger than even before the pain started. This is roughly what I tell them to explain:
“Injuries are terrible and pain makes all parts of life more difficult. We should try and use this as an opportunity to not only get rid of the pain, but also try and address the origin of it. Do your exercises, keep moving, stay positive, and things will get better. But if you don’t manage the cause of the problem, no matter the origin, you may find yourself back in the same position. To do this will take work on your part, but will help you feel more confident and more resilient.”
My treatment ethos
You cannot wait on the couch for things to improve, and then be frustrated when the issue keeps coming back. Because weight training is where my current fitness passion lies, I use it as my “in” to help change people’s lifestyle and outlook on moving. Seeing a client who initially came in with crippling back pain and no weight training experience, later deadlifting 40 kg, is a pretty amazing thing to see.
Now you know a bit about my story and what drives me to continue pushing myself and my clients to achieve far more than they think is possible by helping them recover, prevent future injuries, and perform better than they think is possible. More to come soon.
Live Happily. Live Strongly.
Christian
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