Student Collaboration Initiative
SPA partnered with Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) students at the UofS through the leadership of Dr. Sarah Oosman, and with diverse community organizations and stakeholder groups. Assets were created for community organizations to support them and their members in better understanding what physical therapy can provide them in their health journey.
The gallery below is only a small sample of the resources made through our student collaboration initiative. Click the links in the below categories to view all of the resources available for download!
SPA Member Lacy Nairn Pederson provided a workshop on healthy gardening for Saskatoon Horticulture Society members. Students developed a pamphlet for the workshop with key points on body mechanics and tips.
Back pain is very common, and even more common among farmers. The info sheet “Low Down on Your Low Back” was created by students in collaboration with the Agriculture Health and Safety Network (AHSN) and the SPA on the topic of low back pain in farmers. The article was printed in an AHSN newsletter and distributed to 27,000 farm families across Saskatchewan.
Click here to view the Low Down on Your Low Back info sheet.
The Saskatoon performance group “the Meri Misfits” joined together with first year Master of Physiotherapy students and the Saskatchewan Physiotherapy Association to create a series of short educational videos about physiotherapy and aging. They specialize in “edu-taining” (education entertainment) and after each physio-themed performance they hand out pamphlets on the topic. Physiotherapy Clinics also distribute the pamphlets.
Click here to view A Physiotherapy Song with the Meri Misfits.
Click here to view A Physiotherapy Poem with the Meri Misfits.
Click here to view A Physiotherapy Skit with the Meri Misfits.
Click here to view the Meri Misfits changes in balance 3 fold brochure.
The School of Rehabillitation Science, University of Saskatchewan, worked with the Ergo Vet Research Team and the SPA to create an informative pamphlet on the benefits of physiotherapy for those working in bovine vet medicine. This info sheet will included the Fall 2018 printed newsletter for Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners (WCABP) across Western Canada.
Click here to view “Shoulder Deep in Beef”, an info sheet on Physiotherapy and Bovine Vet Medicine.
The Student Wellness Initiative Towards Community Health (SWITCH) is a student run non-profit wellness clinic providing free medical and social services / programming for individuals in Saskatoon’s West Side. A multidisciplinary team of health care providers provide mentorship to students and provide health care services for the community. This initiative helps support the development of PT roles in primary health care as well. Students created a series of posters highlighting the SWITCH program and its importance to the community. Posters were printed by SPA and are on display at SWITCH to promote the program and accessing physiotherapy.
View the above gallery for examples.
Banners and bookmarks were created by physiotherapy students at the U of S in collaboration with Saskatoon Cycles and the SPA. The banners were printed and will be displayed on fencing outside of the bicycle valet for at least 8 festivals in Saskatoon. The bookmarks have been distributed to the Saskatoon School Board to print and give to students to promote Bike to Work Day on May 16th and active transportation.
Click on the following links for downloadable posters:
Click on the following links for downloadable bookmarks:
Since 2016, students from the University of Saskatchewan School of Physiotherapy have created informative sheets and pamphlets on a variety of conditions physiotherapists can treat. This list is always growing, so be sure to check back for more info sheets each year! These students also work with SPA to create the “Conditions Treated” website information pages based on the info sheets, which you can view here.
Click on the following links for downloadable info sheets:
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Arthritis
Autism
Brain Injury
Breast Cancer
Cancer
Changes in Balance
Childhood Obesity
Cystic Fibrosis
Diabetes
Dizziness and Vestibular Therapy
Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson’s Disease
Spinal Cord Injury
Stroke
Electronics Use and Posture
Physiotherapy students from the University of Saskatchewan created a series of posters for a social media campaign highlighting pelvic floor health. Their goal was to create posters to raise awareness on the importance of pelvic floor health and to end the stigma around discussing it. These posters (and more) were shared on SPA’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for National Physiotherapy Month in 2018.
Click on the following links for some of the downloadable posters available:
These simple yet creative posters were created by University of Saskatchewan Physiotherapy students in collaboration with Parkinson Canada. Often information on Parkinson’s Disease can be detail-heavy and overwhelming, as well as aimed towards those living in urban communties. To make their messages as accessable as possible, each poster has a simple message and highlights an activity in an outdoor environment, providing examples of physical activity that can be done no matter where you live. These posters were shared on SPA’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instragram for National Physiotherapy Month in 2018.
Click on the following links for downloadable posters:
Who Needs Twenty is a community organization dedicated to those who have been affected by limb loss. They provide activity groups and continuing education for physical therapists in Saskatchewan, and work with goals to improve overall continuity of care and support strategies for those living with or affected by amputation. Students worked with the SPA and Who Needs Twenty to create posters to promote the organization and the importance of physiotherapy to those impacted by limb loss. These posters will be featured in the upcoming SPA newsletter, and will also be posted on SPA social media.
Physiotherapy students from the University of Saskatchewan created an informative sheet on the importance of unstructured “adventure play”. There has been a trend in increased structured playtime for children, and a decrease in time for free play. Adventure play encourages kids to take risks, use their imagination, and develop social skills. This resource and more were shared on SPA social media summer 2020.
Recognizing the importance of helping kids stay active, students worked with teachers in Saskatoon to bring activity to classrooms. Called body breaks, these short activities ae designed to get kids moving during and in between classwork. The teaching resources made are offered in English and French to be accessible to more students across Saskatchewan. Click below to download the body breaks Power Point slides.
Students worked with the Lighthouse in Saskatoon to address chronic pain faced by residents there. Many individuals at the Lighthouse face challenges causing or caused by chronic pain. The students created posters with easy accessible exercises to display at the Lighthouse.
There is a discrepancy between the amount of people living in rural/remote Saskatchewan and the amount of physiotherapists working there. To highlight this issue and share information on how to fix it, students created an infographic on the topic.