One Year Later

2 Comments April 29, 2014 drworobec

I was struggling for a blog topic this week. Call it writer’s block, call it a busy weekend, call it lack of creativity…… but I was stumped. In an effort to find some inspiration, I started to look back at what I was writing about last Spring and I came across ‘Challenge and Change‘. One year ago, I was preparing to move my primary practice to Burlington Sports & Spine, leaving the five years of safety and comfort of my previous clinic. Now, one year later, I look back on this decision as a pivotal point in my career- one that has brought me new friendships, professional growth, and a whole lotta happiness. THANK YOU, my patients and my friends, for believing in me and in what I do, and for following me to a new adventure.

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*** April 2013 ***

It’s time for me to spread my wings, embrace change, and leap into a brand new chapter in my professional life. As of Monday, May 13th, I will be relocating my practice just two blocks away, to the Burlington Sports & Spine Clinic (BSSC)!

On February 4th, 2008, I opened the doors of my current practice,
Active Sport & Health Centre, with this in mind:

Less than a year later my son was born, and this happened…

On September 15th, 2010, l sold ownership of the clinic but remained working there part-time as an Independent Contractor. And now, after five and a half years at Active, another baby, and many happy memories later, it is time for me to move on.

I want to thank you for your support, and I invite you to come with me on this journey.

Here are the details:

BSSC is in the Cora’s plaza on Fairview Street, right beside the Service Ontario office, at 3455 Fairview St. For the next 10 days, however, you can still find me practicing at Active.
BSSC offers state-of-the-art treatment and rehab equipment, along with a great support crew, including Registered Massage Therapy, physiotherapy, and a full reception team.
I have also expanded my hours:
- MONDAY 3:30-8:00pm
- WEDNESDAY 3:30-8:00pm
- FRIDAY 3:30-7:00pm
- SATURDAY 10:30am-1:30pm
  - Tuesdays 4:00-7:00pm at The Athlete’s Choice inside Crossfit Altitude.
- Call 289-351-0301 to book your appointment, or visit us online at www.burlingtonsportsandspine.com.

“You’re Not Ready Yet”

Leave a comment March 25, 2014 drworobec

An athlete who returns to training fearful about re-injury is an athlete that is more prone to re-injury.

Think about that statement for a minute. Now why would I choose to write about this topic? Because it’s something that I deal with almost daily in my practice. If you are reading this as a patient, perhaps you can relate, and if you are reading this as a practitioner that works with athletes, most certainly you can relate.

My knee surgery- March/2005

But, you see, this is one of the reasons that I LOVE working with athletes… I love their I-cannot-rest-I-need-to-get-back-to-training attitude. Because I’m like that too. I’m one of them. I’m the basketball player who broke her thumb and finished the tournament (ask my parents). I’m the ball-hockey player who tore her ACL and kept training for a marathon (ask my friends). I’m the runner who sprained her ankle, taped it up, and competed anyways (ask my husband). Were these smart decisions? Probably not. Would I choose differently now? Also probably not.

But….. and this is a big but, a huge however, and an extreme nonetheless…. getting back to training before your injury is healed is not the best choice in the long run. Let me say that again in a different way: if you injure a structure in your body and that structure is not healed before you resume training, you will re-injure yourself. And, most likely, it’ll be worse the second time around.

That’s where the fear component comes into play. Remember my original statement? An athlete who returns to training fearful about re-injury is an athlete that is more prone to re-injury. I believe that athletes know their bodies far better than I, their healthcare practitioner, do. Sure, I know the anatomy, I understand the biomechanics, and I can draw upon research studies and my professional experience, but I don’t really know what they’re feeling.

I’m not referring to their fear of the consequences of re-injury (ie. the baseball player who worries about missing the rest of his season, the Crossfitter who worries about completing the next Open workout, the runner who worries about finishing her next marathon)- those are normal, understandable, expected fears. I am talking about the fear, the apprehension, the tentativeness, the uneasiness, the doubt that can creep in under the surface of it all and whisper to the athlete “you’re not ready yet.” That’s where re-injury happens.

To my athletes: if I give you the green light to resume training and fear murmurs “you’re not ready yet,” tell me. And I will agree.

everyday get better

What’s the Point?

2 Comments February 25, 2014 drworobec

I’ve been invited to be a Panelist at the Canadian Chiropractor Business and Professional Growth Forum at McMaster University in June. The panel discussion will be surrounding Social Media and its role as a business tool. I was asked to participate primarily because of my blog, but I must admit, I feel like a bit of an impostor.

An impostor, because the primary purpose of my blog is not business-building. Far from it- in fact, it has very much become a hobby, a passion, a creative outlet. I would be writing this blog whether I was a waitress, a scientist, or a stay-at-home-mom. I look forward to clicking ‘publish’ every Tuesday morning, and I have a notepad on my bedside table for when ideas wake me up at night. Certainly it has helped to grow my business, as perhaps it’s made my name come to mind (and to Google) when people think of ‘Burlington’ and ‘chiropractor’, but that’s been a bonus effect rather than the ultimate goal.

I’ve always loved to write, and this blog began nearly two years ago when I was starting my six-month maternity leave with my daughter. I had been considering my own website, and a blog seemed like a nice way to personalize it and keep it current. The feedback I received was encouraging, and to my surprise, my readership grew quickly. A year into it, Momstown asked me to be a Guest Blogger for their National site, and my ‘Letter to My Husband‘ and ‘I Hope you Always‘ posts became #1 and #3 respectively on their 2013 most-read list. DR.WOROBEC.COM now averages about 2000 readers/month; some posts have hit hot buttons (‘I am a Chiropractor‘) and some have fallen flat (‘6:00 AM‘), but I can genuinely tell you that I’ve been proud of each one. My writing fills the creative gap in my life that I didn’t even know was missing.

So, like I said initially, I feel like an impostor at the upcoming forum. But maybe that’s a good kind of panelist to be. Authentic. Genuine. Honest. I’m what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Perhaps that’s the point.

For interest’s sake:

‘Break the Silence‘ was my most personal post and the only one I’ve questioned publishing.
‘Gifts and Gifts and Gifts, Oh My!’ is my favourite post.
‘The Blogs of 2013‘ was the most fun to write.
Most reads in one day: 3190 (‘I am a Chiropractor‘) on Sept 27/2013.
I get nasty, rude comments on a post every few months, but I need to ‘approve’ each comment before it’s posted on the site, so you never see them.
My husband is my editor.
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