feature Brynne Stainsby, BA, DC, the arctic Winter Games Interprofessional knowledge and circumpolar culture in sport Brynne Stainsby BA, DC, practises at Advantage4Athletes in Markham, Ontario, and is a faculty member at the Canadian Memorial Chiro-practic College (CMCC) in Toronto. Upon graduating in 2009 from the Doctor of Chiropractic program summa cum laude, Dr. Stainsby completed a graduate studies residency in Clinical Sciences in July 2011 and is preparing to complete the Fellowship exam for College of Chiropractic Sciences (Canada). Dr. Brynne Stainsby and Dr. Steven Piper with Rick Hansen at the 2012 Arctic Winter Games gold medal hockey game. rom March 4-10, 2012, the Arctic Winter Games (AWG) took place in Whitehorse, Yukon. The AWG is a very unique competition; it is an international, circumpolar event that provides opportunity for developing athletes to compete while sharing cultural values from northern regions around the world. The Dene Games – a component of the AWG – are particularly distinctive and participa-tion often forms an important part of the athlete’s cultural identity. For example, one Dene athlete who was assessed this year was reported as tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) nine years ago. He had continued to compete without assessment or treatment for almost a decade because of the importance of these Games to his community. Historically, these games helped the Dene people prepare for hunting and fishing, and were also the entertainment for these trips. Presently, the Dene Games allow other athletes to learn about this culture by observing and participating in events such as the finger pull, ear pull, knuckle jumps and sledge jumps. F Dr. Steven Piper graduated in 2011 from the Doctor of Chiropractic degree program at the Cana-dian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in Toronto. He is currently enrolled in the two-year postgradu-ate Sports Sciences Residency pro-gram at CMCC with aspirations of becoming a fellow of the Royal Col-lege of Chiropractic Sports Sciences (Canada). tHe interdiSCiPlinary mediCal team As volunteer chiropractors on the medical team, we assessed and triaged athletes at high-risk venues such as hockey, gymnastics and the Dene Games. Our experience working with the medical team was incredible and the efficiency and organization of the medi-cal staff must be commended. Qualified personnel, the Games and Events Management (GEMS) reporting system, a dedicated transport system and the multidisciplinary poly-clinic ensured the safety and care of the 2000 athletes. As chiropractors and first responders, we worked alongside health professionals to assess and triage musculoskeletal injuries and we referred to our colleagues for medical conditions. It was an excellent example of multidisciplinary teamwork to provide appro-priate care for the athletes. www.canadianchiropractor.ca Steven Piper, DC 24 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | JUNE 2012
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