SILKEN LAUMANN AND ACTIVE KIDS: KEYNOTE PRESENTATION AT CHFA EXPO EAST 2008 Courage, fulfi llment of human potential, a willingness to make mistakes, and triumph over adversity were the highlights of the inspirational presentation by this three-time Olympic medalist. “Olympic athletes tell us about excellence”, she said, “because they want to be their best. They train their minds and use their imagination to create their future. Their focus is optimal when everything they know could fi t on a postage stamp. They do not allow the gremlin of fear and doubt to rest on their shoulders.” Humorous and painful anecdotes from her professional and private life demonstrated that real change is about letting go when one does not necessarily seek change. She tapped into the power of the dream when she became the fi rst woman rower in Canada in 1976. The rowing club had no change room for women, only a broom closet. But in that closet was the inscription, “You can too.” As the fastest single sculler in the world, she confi rmed that change brings you to a better place. In 1992, while preparing for the Barcelona Olympics only 10 weeks away, her boat was hit in practice, severing the muscles in her right calf. Told that she would never walk normally again (she does), she “couldn’t grasp the words” and underwent 15 operations in two weeks. She continued training in bed with a bungee cord and a rigged up stationary bike. Her belief in a medal was her “all and everything”. The mental evidence of winning provided the power to win a bronze medal for Canada while rowing with a leg oozing under bandages. Having advised her audience to connect with the best part of themselves, she demonstrates how she is using this principle to bring about change in the world. Her passion for children because they are “connected to the big guy”, has led her to create Active Kids, a national charity. It inspires individuals to make positive changes for the health of children and our communities. She has authored a book entitled Child’s Play which expands on the mission of Active Kids, namely: • to get more children playing across the country – and in doing so, helping to make their bodies fi t, their minds sharp, and their spirits high. As well, play time enables children to become more independent, creative, diplomatic, co-operative, and communicative – a skills set that is essential as they navigate their way through many life situations; • to reconnect parents with the joy of playing with their kids and the benefi ts of enabling as much play time for their kids as possible; • to energize families and neighbourhoods through play and to help parents create the opportunities for their children to play freely and safely together – to recreate, in a modern context, the neighbourhoods we grew up in and to redefi ne, for our kids, the play time we enjoyed, and took for granted would always be available to them; • to connect and support a national network of neighbourhood volunteers who see unstructured play as one of the pillars of their quality family and “at home” time, as part of how they want their neighbourhood to look and feel, and as essential to the health and vitality of their children. Chiropractors are concerned with wellness and the health of our youth. What better way than to recognize and act on the following problems as Silken does? • One in three Canadian children are overweight or obese. • Over half of aboriginal children are overweight or obese. • Only half of Canadian children are active enough to support optimal development. • Our children’s life span is forecast to two to fi ve years less than our own. • Children spend 40 per cent less time being physically active than 15 years ago. • Health-care costs are projected to almost double over the next decade. • Our children’s pastimes have become more passive (TV, computer, etc.) and are generally indoors activities. • Despite increased enrolment in organized sport and recreation, the amount of physical activity children actually do each day is decreasing. • Nearly one-in-four Canadians are overweight – we are the fifth most obese country in the world. If you would like to start your own community network for children please visit www.silkensactivekids.ca. NEW BOOK FOR PRACTITIONERS WHO MANAGE LOW BACK PAIN ‘Rapidly Reversible Low Back Pain: An Evidence-Based Pathway to Widespread Recoveries and Savings’, a new book written by spine specialist Dr. Ronald Donelson, is receiving acclaim from physicians and surgeons, and many other specialists working with spinal problems, including chiropractors. The book is receiving wide critical acclaim and exposes the fl aws in the scientifi c and low back pain clinical guideline process while revealing constructive research and successful evidence-based clinical solutions. The book’s focus is that most low back pain is due to a rapidly reversible condition that can be eliminated by patients themselves. This rapid reversibility is identifi ed during a unique clinical assessment when a single direction of pain-relieving exercise is found that begins to eliminate the pain. That exercise becomes the treatment that subsequently also prevents the painful condition’s return. Such simple, logical remedies empower pain sufferers to avoid medications, imaging, specialist referrals, and surgery. Donelson specialized in non-operative spinal care fi rst in private practice and then at The Institute for Spine Care at The State University of New York in Syracuse. He earned a Diploma in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy in 1991 and a Master of Science degree at Dartmouth Medical School’s Center for Evaluative Clinical Sciences in 1998. He is currently president of SelfCare First, a consulting and low back pain disease management company; an advisory editor with the journal Spine; a member of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine and the North American Spine Society; and is vice-president of the American Back Society. It is a valuable read for anyone interested in improving the management of low back pain while dramatically reducing its costs, including patients, employers, insurance carriers, and health-care management groups. For information on the book, please visit www.selfcarefirst.com. ONTARIO CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION REPORTS ON PHYSIOTHERAPY SCOPE OF PRACTICE DOCUMENT The Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) has released its report in support of the proposed increase in scope of practice for physiotherapy (PT) in the province, noting that a similar review of scope of practice for chiropractic would increase the profession’s role in health care in Ontario. The current defi nition of the physiotherapy scope of practice is: “The practice of physiotherapy is the assessment of physical function and the treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of physical dysfunction, injury or pain, to develop, maintain, rehabilitate, or augment function or to relieve pain.” Physiotherapists in Ontario are proposing to amend this defi nition to include the following: “The practice of physiotherapy is the assessment of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory systems to: 1. Diagnose, treat and prevent disorders or diseases that cause, or are associated with, physical dysfunction and/or pain; 2. Develop, maintain, rehabilitate, augment function; 3. Relieve pain; or 4. Promote mobility and health.” The most signifi cant of these proposals is the allowance for Ontario physiotherapists to diagnose. This is expanded upon, in the physiotherapy scope of practice review submission to the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HPRAC), to involve the ability to order various laboratory tests – including X-rays, MRI, blood work and electroneurodiagnostic procedures – administer oxygen and other substances, aspects of wound management, and various manual application points in the pelvic area for therapeutic purposes. The OCA has agreed that physiotherapists in Ontario should be able to perform these functions, but has pointed out that the scope of practice for chiropractors should also be reviewed with respect to various aspects of this report. The OCA document states: “The OCA respectfully requests that when it reports to the Minister with recommendations concerning the scope of practice for physiotherapy, HPRAC should comment on the advisability of considering an equivalent change to other relevant scopes of practice, specifi cally including the scope of practice of chiropractic.” Please visit www.canadianchiropractor.ca for links to full OCA and PT documents. PIVOTAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS REPRESENTED BY ROYAL CROSS Pivotal Health Solutions, which is the parent company of Eurotech Tables, is excited to announce that Royal Cross has been selected as the authorized Canadian representative to market and distribute its entire product line in Canada. “We are pleased to announce our new alliance with Pivotal Health Solutions. I believe they are a leader in their fi eld and will continue to advance the industry as a whole with their evolutionary vision,“ said Scott Spencer, President of Royal Cross. Royal Cross is a supplier to the health-care professions across Canada. A truly customer-service-oriented company, Royal Cross is partnered with some of the most prestigious suppliers in the chiropractic industry and provides an extensive line of products. “Pivotal Health Solutions is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards and most technically advanced products in the world. “We are excited to establish this new relationship with Royal Cross,” said Jim Engels, President of Pivotal Health Solutions. “In our opinion an established quality company like Royal Cross is the perfect fi t for us and will allow us to continue our corporate mission of bringing health-care professionals leading-edge products that are quickly becoming the workhorses of their markets.” The Royal Cross team has a reputation for excellence which matches perfectly with Pivotal Health Solution, making this a true win-win relationship for our Canadian customers.