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Featuring Health Bound’s Doctor of Physiotherapy, Parisa!

By January 12, 2024January 18th, 2024No Comments
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January's Spotlight is Parisa Rahimi Movsghar. Our Doctor of Physiotherapy!

Welcome back to the blog! To start the year off on a good note, we are celebrating Parisa’s Doctorate in Physiotherapy. This is a wonderful achievement, and we are so proud of Parisa at Health Bound for pursuing further education and enhancing her abilities.

Parisa studied and graduated from a University in Iran in 2008. In 2015, when Parisa came to Canada, she took all the board exams to continue practicing as a registered physiotherapist. Parisa’s passion for physiotherapy and helping people has made her proficient in her job and a motivating force to continue her education.

Outside of work, Parisa loves spending time with her family, especially her daughter. For fun, Parisa enjoys swimming, reading, cooking, and listening to podcasts!

To provide you with a deeper understanding of Parisa, we conducted an interview together and have shared some of her answers below. The first part of our conversation delves into getting to know Parisa and her interests in more detail.

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Figure 1. Parisa is shown here assisting our patient with manual stretching to help with mobility. 

How long have you been working as a physiotherapist?

I have been a physio for more than 15 years now.

What is your favourite way of staying active and fit?

Swimming and hiking are my favourite sports and I lose track of time when I’m doing them.

Who inspires you and why?

People who are determined and try their best to achieve their goals are the ones who inspire me all the time. 

Physiotherapy has played a significant role in Parisa’s life, fueling her passion to learn more and make a positive impact on people’s lives. As depicted in Figure 1, Parisa utilizes manual stretching techniques to enhance leg mobility. Our conversation then shifted to Parisa’s educational background and professional experience, exploring the significance of her doctorate degree. This advanced qualification enables Health Bound to offer a broader spectrum of knowledge to benefit our patients. We appreciate our practitioners’ dedication to continuous learning that will help patients heal in the best possible way.

Where did you go to school? / What is your educational background?

My graduate studies in physiotherapy were from the University of Rehabilitation Sciences in Iran. And my doctorate of physiotherapy is from A.T. Still University of Arizona in the U.S.

What made you decide to pursue your doctorate degree?

I always love learning and continuing my education. Pursuing my education to get a doctorate degree was always in my mind as I wanted to achieve the highest level of education in physiotherapy. When Covid hit, I saw that as an opportunity to start my doctoral journey and it took me 3 years to finish it.

Can you share the focus of your doctoral research and any findings or contributions you made to the field?

My thesis was about the benefits of aqua therapy in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis. Since finishing my thesis, I explain to my patients about aqua therapy and encourage them to do that. Especially those who have pain while walking outside. The aqua therapy would decrease the load on their weight-bearing joints, such as the knee and hip and also strengthen their muscles with minimum pain.

In what ways did your doctoral degree impact your approach to patient care and treatment?

I have an evidence-based approach in my practice. The patient’s needs and values should be met along with any treating approaches. The doctorate degree broadened my knowledge regarding the evidence-based approach and how to effectively implement it in my practice.

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Figure 2. We understand how mobility can be difficult for some people, which is why we take a gentle approach when assessing pain levels and stretching patients. Parisa loves to help people and get them where they need to be and guides patients along the way. 

What is the difference between a Physiotherapist and a Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT)?

A DPT is more focused on applying the evidence-based practice approach in their practice. They combine that evidence with their expertise, and the patient’s values to ensure that their patient’s needs are met. 

Health Bound Health Network is very impressed by the work that Parisa has been achieving outside and inside the clinic. Figure 2 shows Parisa educating the patient on stretches and gently assisting the patient through the exercise. We are pleased to share the accomplishment Parisa has achieved and let you know more about where she can be found and contacted. If you have been looking for a DPT we would love to be able to book with Parisa. Below is the last portion of our interview together, which provides information on where and when to find Parisa. 

When and where are you available?

I only work at the Markham location. I work every weekday except Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.  

Is there anything about the Markham location that stands out to you?

The friendly environment always stands out to me which I love most about the Markham location. HBHN Markham is a 100% patient-centered clinic and professionalism plays the main role there. (Refer to Figure 3 for a glimpse of the location)

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Figure 3. This image displays the workout area of the Markham location. We have a wide variety of equipment to use with clients for a wide range of strengthening exercises. 

How long have you been working with Health Bound Health Network?

I have been working with Health Bound Health Network since 2016. 

What is it about working at Health Bound that you enjoy most?

I enjoy working at Health Bound Health Network because we are like a family there. Every morning I feel like I am going to my second home. Besides a friendly environment, professionalism plays the biggest role in our working setting which I love the most about working at HBHN.

What can a new patient of yours expect on their first visit? 

On the first visit, I conduct a thorough assessment to diagnose the patient’s condition. After that, I create a treatment plan and discuss everything with the patient. I always give patients different options and they have the right to choose the option that suits them best. The treatment sessions start after that accordingly. 

Do you have any tips on preventing injuries?

I always give patients tips to prevent injuries depending on their condition. Generally, staying active and fit would decrease the chance of injuries. For example, maintaining flexibility and strengthening muscles, especially core muscles, would dramatically decrease the chances of lower spinal injuries. 

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Figure 4. Now that Parisa has achieved her doctoral degree, she is able to provide more thorough answers to questions that patients have. Please feel free to ask any questions to our practitioner when you come into the clinic. We are happy to help.

Do you have any future career goals?

My future goal is to help more patients experience a pain-free life by treating them holistically.

Now that we have shared the news of Parisa’s doctorate degree, we are pleased to book you in with her for treatment. Figure 4 displays Parisa’s confidence when working with our patients, providing them with as much information as they need to succeed in their recovery process. We encourage you to join us in Markham to rebuild strength and mobility. If hydrotherapy is something that interests you, we offer services at our Pape location. As mentioned, Parisa works at our Markham location, which is located at 4331 14th Avenue. Please feel free to call us and book your appointment. We can be contacted at 416-850-8558 or by email at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you at the clinic and would love to answer any inquiries you may have!

Written By: Maria Votsis