This article originally appeared in Mike Nader’s Simpler, Safer, Smarter newsletter, September 13th, 2019.

“There are no gains without pains.” – Benjamin Franklin

Looking after your health starts at home, before visiting a physiotherapy clinic.

After years of (self-admitted) neglect, I recently prioritized the need to develop a healthier lifestyle. I modified my diet and started going on 5 km runs.

While my head was in the right place, my body wasn’t. My stamina was short and my knees began to hurt. I thought soreness was normal and decided to leave it.

The pain lingered.

Thankfully, through a happenstance conversation with Altum Health leadership, they assured me the pain was not normal and suggested I consider physiotherapy, recommending Altum’s multi-disciplinary services.

This is when my luck began to change.

What is Altum Health?

Altum Health has been a part of the UHN family since 1989. Thirty years later and they now have 11 locations across the province, with their flagship located at TWH’s Krembil Research Building. Altum helps clients experiencing pain and/or discomfort (similar to mine) through a wide variety of services including physiotherapy and registered massage therapy.

Altum Health supports UHN’s tripartite mission of clinical care, innovation and research. In fact, 100% of Altum’s profits go back into UHN.

The Right Physiotherapy Clinic

While I knew the emergency room was the wrong place to go for my soreness, countless other patients do just this. While visiting a physiotherapy clinic could be a better option, you also run the risk of being bounced around to see someone more specialized. However, Altum Health is not a physiotherapy clinic. Going here meant I had access to a multidisciplinary team and answers to my questions: why my knees hurt, how they hurt, and most importantly, how best to treat them.  

The attention to detail, willingness to care and capacity for collaboration are traits Altum lives out as part of TeamUHN. In this way, it felt like I was among family, and was in the right place.

No pain all gain

I’ll admit, I didn’t even know how to book an appointment with Altum. It’s the first question I asked! However, I learned the process was surprisingly simple – anyone can book an appointment online through www.altumhealth.com.

From the warm greetings by smiling receptionists to the filling out of some basic paperwork for my first appointment – Altum kept things simple and most importantly, made me feel welcome.

I first met with physiotherapist Leslie Kleiner and after with Registered Massage Therapist Sean Moffat, both of whom took the time to understand my pain on an individual level before taking action.

Over the years, I have had many massages and can tell you Sean’s was one of the best I have ever received.

I quickly realized what made Altum different is that their treatment plan is not from a universal playbook, rather, specific to my pain. The ultimate goal was my wellness.

My sincere thanks to Altum leadership and staff especially Leslie, Sean and the receptionists for making my visits comfortable and reassuring. I have already left my 5-star google review!

Mike