Receive a personal approach to fitness at Pivot

Housing such a variety of health care practitioners under one roof allows the clinic to offer convenient and flexible care that can be tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
“In medical research it is well established that a team effort is more effective than separate individual interventions when it comes to a patient’s recovery,” explains Cruz. “The fact that we have so many therapists working under the same roof means that our patients can receive care from all parts. With our patients’ consent, we can also review their progress with each other, which allows us to fine tune our methods. “We did a patient survey last summer, and all respondents said that they appreciated our team approach - the fact that we all communicated added value to their recovery.” A patient’s relationship with Pivot often starts with a sport medicine doctor assessment, a visit fully covered by OHIP. Once this is completed, clinic staff work together to provide each patient with a unique plan and team support to reach their goals. This may involve investigations, remedial exercise, specific treatments, or all three.

Appointments are generously timed and the clinic keeps patient numbers low in order to provide the most comprehensive treatment possible. “It’s all about designing personal care. You can’t just flip open the recipe book to ‘shoulders’ and follow it, because that won’t work for everybody,” says Hampson. “It’s important to find the ideal treatment for each patient, both for their injury and for them as a person. We’re able to do that because we can pull from so many different resources. Sometimes we find that it’s best to zero-in on that one specialty that will help the most, while other times the successful treatment is a meld of many different techniques.” Many of the clinic’s specialists are active at various levels of regional and national sport, and the clinic often provides support for specific events. “With teams it’s very similar to dealing with a family,” says Cruz, who worked as a family physician before taking up sports medicine, and says that having the chance to care for four different generations of the same family enriched her practise.“You care for patients in greater depth, in a different environment, which helps develop a more open relationship. It’s as exciting as being a spectator, with the added interest of a personal and professional relationship with the team.”

The staff’s links with amateur sport also appeal to many of their patients, who discover they are working with someone who really understands the type of activities that they are trying to perform. “We get a lot of teenagers and older children who are really interested in sport and activity,” says Hampson. “There’s a certain comfort level that’s immediately achieved with a fifteen-year-old when they come in and realize that you work with the national team and that, when they say it hurts when they try a wrist shot, you know the motion and have a real understanding of what they’re trying to do.” As a result, staff at Pivot have a close knowledge of the demands that athletes grapple with, and can work with their schedule to optimize their recovery and help serve their long-term competitive or performance goals. The clinic has also forged strong links with local fitness studios, gyms, dance and gymnastics schools and organized sports in and around Bloor West.“We see a lot of people that are doing exercise or athletic programs in the neighbourhood,” says Hampson. “Often a patient would like us to speak with their instructor about their personal recovery needs, and we’re able to call and talk with them. There’s a great feeling of community here and we feel very honoured to be a part of Bloor West.”With a diverse patient base, Pivot’s therapists see many people with different goals. Some are seeking to overcome old injuries that never healed properly, and others are working to improve their general fitness and performance. Not just for dedicated athletes, the skills and attention of Pivot’s specialists apply just as well to those who want to return to work or enjoy pain-free gardening.“A lot of mothers come to see us, pre- and post-natal, and other people who want to get back in shape,” says Hampson. “Neighbourhood runners also come in to see us to ensure that their shoes are the right shape for their feet and that, as they increase their training, there’s nothing that is going to become a problem.”The clinic is also a base for information and training at all levels, and students regularly spend time with the therapists there. “I offer counselling for women who wish to exercise during pregnancy and nutritional counselling - for example to those who are increasing their exercise volume,” says Cruz, who, along with Hampson, teaches at the University of Toronto. “Dinah and I maintain ongoing education through attending courses, and we bring what we’ve learned back to the clinic.” Hampson recently passed her diploma in sports physiotherapy and is only one of only a very small number of Canadians to do so. It’s not just the satisfaction of curing patients that motivates the pair. “We get a lot of kids that are in the middle of growing, and as their bodies change they find they can’t do the dance routines and figure skating jumps they’ve grown accustomed to doing,” says Hampson. “We work with them to help their muscle development keep pace with their growth spurt. It always feels really good to contribute to someone’s development.”“My style of practice has been to educate people about how they use their bodies and improve their comprehensive holistic health - and then ultimately to resolve the problem,” explains Cruz, who is proud of what her team have achieved at Pivot. “When I started out in sports medicine, I knew I wanted to create a team environment, so having achieved that and being able to practise that way every day is really enjoyable.”

Pivot Sport Medicine & Orthopaedics is located at 2288 Bloor St. West.
For more information, please call (416) 767-4868, or visit
www.pivotsmo.com.