Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy in Canberra Times

After I went to NE Arnhem Land last week, I decided that we should let the Canberra community know about our charitable works program in the hope that other Canberra businesses may contribute in some way for the disadvantaged Yolgna people. With this in mind, I wrote a media release with the help of the fantastic support of administration team members Kris Meyn and Mandi White. Thankfully, journalist Natasha Boddy from the Canberra Times was interested in our story and hence I was interviewed about our role in these remote areas. Hence, we featured on page 5 in the Saturday edition (7 June 2014) as well as online.

Here is the link to the printed version of the article: A hand-on mission to help those in remote areas

Here is the link to the online article: Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy on a mission to help those in remote communities

Whilst the article tended to focus on myself, I did stress to Natasha that the role Sport & Spinal Physio plays in giving back to the community is a team role. Indeed, our first outreach mission with SOS Health Foundation was in 2012 by physio Nearida Siv. Physiotherapist Anna Crosby then put her hand up for NE Arnhem Land in late 2012 and 2013. This latest mission in May 2014 was attended by myself. Administration support staff team member Mandi White, is attending a Palm Island mission also this year as is physio Jamie Clough, who only joined our team in January this year. The practice also sponsors children through World Vision on an ongoing basis. We have a great team at Sport & Spinal Physio that are excited to contribute in any way that they can in helping the disadvantaged people in these remote areas and without their sacrifice the program would not be as successful.

As the Canberra Times article mentions, Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy is exciting to be involved with our latest project which is in Nepal starting in November. This will be a long term project that Sport & Spinal Physio will play an integral role in providing allied health services to the remote villages of Nepal. First stop is a small village called Maidi in the Dhading district, about a 6-hour drive from Kathmandu. Our role will be teaching current health workers in the village physiotherapy assessment and treatment skills to improve the musculoskeletal health of the village people. I have been told by Mary Eakin, director of the program through Rotary, that of particular concern is Womens Health issues post-pregnancy and from heavy lifting. After we have put systems in place whereby the village health workers can self-manage to some degree in treating musculoskeletal injuries from our help, we plan to move onto another village and start the process all over again. It is expected that there will be several missions required for each village to set up sufficient systems.