Broken ankles, popping shoulders and busting knees are some of Dr. Christopher Woollams specialties as he reaches out to the UTM community to help rehabilitate young athletes
Any athlete is familiar with their fair share of bumps and bruises and a trip down to the infirmary every so often. However, if you are an athlete at UTM you can take comfort in the new Sports Clinic, which opened at the RAWC last September.
Spearheaded and run by Dr. Christopher Woollam, the Sports Clinic at UTM treats a number of sports-related injuries, as well as various other ailments that don’t necessarily result from sports.
With a fully trained staff which includes physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, sports doctors and homeopathic therapists, Woollam is confident that he can treat anything that comes his way: I want to be the go-to guy on this campus for sports injuries and questions. If you got a medical problem from sports, or even if you just slipped and fell, the sports clinic is there for you.
The clinic itself is a large 1,400 square foot environment with four separate rooms for various therapies and diagnostic services. A relaxed and jovial atmosphere encourages patients to feel at ease and comfortable within their surroundings. While the rates depend on the type of injury, Woollam says that getting an opinion or a consultation doesn’t cost anything and may prevent further stress on a possible injury. It may be that preventative medicine is the best medicine.
One of the most common injuries that Woollam sees is the dreaded knee injury. Without proper treatment and care, a little knee injury can turn into something much more painful. However, with our equipment and experience we can help affected regions to heal faster and more efficiently, [especially] with therapies like ESWT, explains Woollam.
ESWT or Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy is a relatively new form of therapy that uses shockwaves to treat chronic, painful conditions of the musculoskeletal system. ESWT is used to treat a number of conditions, particularly those where major connective tissues are attached to bone and encourages bone healing and neovascular genesis.
Another therapy which Woollam hopes students take advantage of is Athletic Therapy, in which athletes would talk about nutrition, sports return and the psychology of the sports mentality and how it can be a benefit to their activities.
During the winter season, Woollam is the team doctor for the Ontario Hockey Leagues St. Michaels Majors and the Oakville Blades Junior A hockey club. And during the summer, Woollam is also the medical director for both the Toronto and Oakville marathon.
Woollam says that since the clinic opened at the start of the fall semester, there has been a steady stream of students coming in with various aches and pains. Hopefully, we’ll be able to break even by May or June, says Woollam. There is also opportunities for students who wish to work here, citing that there are still a few positions available at the clinic. Students who are interested in working at the clinic should come down with a resume and see Lisa Concannon, the office manager who oversees the administration of the clinic, during working hours.
Woollam encourages everyone, athletes or otherwise to go out there and have fun, and most importantly, to be careful when playing.
