Our activities
and services

I’m taking charge of my arthritis

Self-management program of 6 weeks to improve the life quality of people with problems related to any form of arthritis.

Six session of 2 hours each combining theory and practical applications

  • French: October 18 to November 22, 10am to 12pm, Centre Alpha Tutorat, 3250 boul. Rome, suite 4, Brossard, QC, J4Y 1V9
  • English: October 16 to November 20, 2023, Mondays, 10am to 12pm, Centre Alpha Tutorat, 3250 boul. Rome, suite 4, Brossard, QC, J4Y 1V9

Group of 5-9 people. Free of charge

To register (mandatory) : Click here (form) or send an email to info@arthriterivesud.org

Objectives

  • Improve our self-management of arthritis symptoms
    (osteoarthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)

    Objectives

    • Improve our self-management of arthritis symptoms
      (osteoarthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)

      Main topics of each session

      • Understanding arthritis: let’s talk well!

        • An action plan for a better living
      • How to mouve and protect our joints

        • Tips for living well in everyday life
      • Strategies for controlling pain and stiffness

        • A look at strategies
      • Coping with stress

        • Means to manage it
      • How to save one’senergie

        • Fill it up and hold it
      • Effective teamwork

        • Each to his own!

      “I really enjoyed participating in the self-management program and highly recommend it.
      I learned how to set supportive goals and stick to them through the proposed contract.
      The discussion with the other participants was very beneficial to me, if only to realise that I sometimes go through more difficult periods like everyone else and that there is help and solutions.
      I come away confident in my ability to take control of my osteoarthritis with very up-to-date tools.”

      Louise Denis

      Adapted Fitness Exercices

      The pace and selection of the exercises are adapted to the participants. Four choices of session are offered each with a different theme.

      Adapted fitness exercices for people with arthritis or any one that would like to keep mobility and flexibility, with a soft approach. Possibility to participate in person and online

      Tuesday 10-11 a.m. from September 12 to December 12, 2023

      • On site (limited to 25 people): Centre communautaire La Résurrection, 7685 boul. Milan, Brossard, J4Y 2M7
      • On-line via TEAMS

      Adapted exercices to strenghten resilience. Possibility to join on site and online.

      Wednesday 2-3pm from September 13 to December 13, 2023

      • On site (limited to 30 people): Centre ESPOIR Québec, 6098 Grande Allée, St-Hubert, J3Y 1B4 (see picture below to know where is the entrance)
      • On-line via TEAMS

      Adapted dance-oriented exercices. Possibility to join on site and online.

      Thursday, 10-11 a.m., from September 14 to December 14, 2023

      • On site (limited to 20 people): Centre ESPOIR Québec, 6098 Grande Allée, St-Hubert, J3Y 1B4 (see picture below to know where is the entrance)
      • On-line via TEAMS

      Adapted exercises for a healthy lifestyle. Possibility to join on site and online.

      Thursday, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. from September 14 to December 14, 2023

      • On site (limited to 20 people): Centre communautaire de Greenfield Park, 330 Gladstone, Greenfield Park, J4V 2P7
      • On-line via TEAMS
      Sessions are offered free of charge, both face-to-face (limited places) and virtual. Repetition is the key to improvement.
      To register (mandatory) : Click here (form) or email to info@arthriterivesud.org

      Objectives

      • To help regain and maintain joint flexibility
      • Reduce pain
      • Improve physical and mental health
      • Promoting coordination, balance, flexibility and endurance
      • Get moving with fun
      •  
      • Description

      We offer four choices of physical exercise sessions adapted to four themes, in Brossard, St-Hubert and Greenfield Park. The exercises are aimed at people with arthritis, those with moderate mobility problems or pain, or those who want to maintain or regain their mobility and flexibility, while building muscle strength and resilience. Exercises on Tuesday and Wednesday are done standing up or on a chair with different accessories such as dumbbells, elastic bands, sticks, balls. A session includes warm-up exercises, aerobics, stretching and strength muscles training.

      Tuesday
      the exercises are adapted to take account of the limitations caused by the different forms of arthritis. This is a continuation of the sessions offered since 2019 by Jean Proulx. (Brossard)

      Wednesday
      the exercises are adapted to strenghten the resilience. For the first session, there will be a conference on physical and mental resilience, by Mrs Lucie Couillard, CISSS. For the following weeks, there will be session of physical fitness and an evaluation of the program at the end of the last session. The professor is Jean Proulx. (St-Hubert).

      Thursday morning
      the exercises are adapted dance-oriented, taking account of arthritic limitations. The professor is Carol Jones (St-Hubert)

      Insatiable, curious, with degrees in dance and acting, Carol Jones has been active on the artistic scene since she was a teenager. She teaches and performs at home and abroad.  Recently, she has combined her passions for the science of body organization and the arts, focusing on her studies in dance and movement therapy. Specifically designed for people living with arthritis, she will be leading an adapted dance workshop aiming for ease of movement, and using dance, rhythm and a variety of adapted exercise and breathing techniques. Based on a variety of techniques, including Essentrics and Pilates and with particular attention to creativity, coordination, balance, flexibility and endurance, her approach allows participants to discover the creative power of the body as a source of energy, regeneration and well-being.

      Thursday afternoon
      the exercises are adapted to the participants and integrated into a continuum of healthy lifestyle habits. The professor is Vittia Thong (Greenfield Park)

      Vittia Thong (Vee) is a health and wellness enthusiast with over 15 years’ experience in the field of physical activity. He has had a long academic career to try and understand the complexity of the human body, and to equip himself to offer better care to his clients. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, a diploma in Osteopathy and Naturopathy, and several certificates, including in chronic pain management and nutrition. He will host a Healthy Lifestyle activity based on a continuum of healthy living with effective ways to get moving and have fun at the same time.

      “My limitations make it difficult for me to walk and climb stairs. I have no strength in my left leg. I can’t dance, ride a bike or go for a long walk. Every day I have pain in either my knee or my lower back or both. The exercises proposed are so good for me. And to do it in a group at a specific time is very motivating. I do them once or twice a week. I have started to feel the effects in my left leg. Thank you so much for this programme which is presented to me by video conference. Very generous of you. I am delighted, I am telling everyone about it.”

      Jocelyne Péladeau

      Programme Intégré d’Équilibre Dynamique (P.I.E.D) (French)

      Offered in collaboration with Santé Montérégie.

      Date: September 11 to November 29, 2023

      • Monday : 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
      • Wednesday: 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

      Location: Centre communautaire of Greenfield Park, 330 Gladstone, Greenfield Park, J4V 2P7

      To register : Click here (form) or email to info@arthriterivesud.org

      Objectives

      • Increasing the independence and healthy life expectancy of older people
      • Delaying institutionalisation as long as possible.

      Conditions of eligibility:

      • Be an autonomous person aged 65 or over
      • Living independently at home
      • Worrying about falls or balance lost
      • Motivated and able to follow a group exercise programme twice a week for 12 weeks.
      • Complete a selection questionnaire (on health) administered by telephone by a programme manager.

       

      The programme is free of charge. It is run by a trained and qualified health professional.

      It includes:

      • group exercises (e.g. balance, flexibility and strengthening exercises);
      • exercises to do at home;
      • group discussions on falls prevention, such as appropriate home design, safe behaviour, physical activity, choosing safe shoes, etc;
      • Individual assessments of participants’ abilities are carried out at the first and last sessions.

      For more information : https://santemonteregie.qc.ca/services/programme-integre-dequilibre-dynamique-pied

      Workshops: Wellness and Spotlight on …

      Workshops aimed at deepening a topic related to arthritis. We also offer workshops in collaboration.

      The workshops are offered in collaboration. Please contact us if you would like to offer these workshops to your customers in the Longueuil area. (info@arthriterivesud.org)

       

       

      Wellness workshops

      No workshops planned this autumn

      Spotlight on …

      No workshops planned this autumn

      Objectives

      • The “Wellness” workshops provide an opportunity to learn more about a topic related to arthritis. The series includes 7 workshops
      • “Spotlight on …” address a particular form of arthritis

      The workshops are run by trained volunteers. Each presentation is followed by a question and answer period (in French and English).

       

      Introduction to arthritis

      • Facts and figures about arthritis
      • The difference between osteoarthritis and the different forms of inflammatory arthritis
      • Nutrition and physical activity
      • Functional aids
      • Complementary therapies

      Tools for living better with arthritis

      • The challenges to face
      • Possible alternatives
      • Adapting in different aspects of life
      • Cold or warm?
      • Availability of tools and devices
      • Tool demonstration

      Nutrition and arthritis

      • Canada’s new food guide
      • Eating habits
      • Meal preparation
      • Special features for people with arthritis
      • Diets
      • Nutrients and supplements

      Stress and its impacts

      • Stress
      • The effects of the stress
      • The means to manage it
      • Physical activity and exercise
      • Emotions

      Chronic pain, recognising and treating it

      • Reconnaître la douleur
      • Arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia
      • Pain treatment
      • Complementary approaches
      • Tips and tools

      Physical activities and exercices

      • Objective Stay active
      • Reconnecting with physical activity
      • Optimal combination (3 types of activity)
      • Choose activities that are compatible with your condition
      • Benefits of physical activities

      Daily life

      • Tools, assistive devices, tips and applications…making everyday life easier
      • Driving, adaptation of a vehicle, parking sticker, companion…
      • The workplace, accommodation and rights
      • Family life (relationships, pregnancy, parenthood and intimacy…)
      • Preparing for travel (tips, safety, travelling with a medical device or syringes, accessibility…)

       

      Conferences

      Specialists discuss arthritis-related topics

      L’anxiété et comment les exercices peuvent aider la résilience physique et mentale. (Anxiety and how exercises can help physical and mental resiliency) In French

      Lucie Couillard

      Mrs. Lucie Couillard has been Executive Director and founder of the Centre de soutien en santé mentale – Montérégie since 2001. She has been involved in the mental health field for over 25 years.

      This presentation will be givent as part of the Wednesday adapted fitness program aimed at buiding resilience. A series of 11 weeks of fitness exercices will follow for those interested.

      2 p.m. -3 p.m., Wednesday, September 13, 2023

      Centre ESPOIR Quebec, 6098 Grande Allée, St-Hubert, J3Y 1B4

      Register at info@arthriterivesud.org

      Les proches aidants, qui sont-ils et comment les aider? (Who are family carers and how can we help them?) In French

      Chantal Tremblay and Karine Cloutier, Montérégie regional development advisors for l’Appui.

      Chantale Tremblay has a degree in sociology and around 20 years’ experience in the community, particularly in helping people. She has been working with l’Appui pour les proches aidants in the Montérégie region for over 10 years. She started out as a carer adviser for the Info-aidant service and is now a regional development adviser. Her varied experience within the organisation has given her a solid understanding of the realities of family carers. She is committed to raising public awareness of this often little-known role.
      With a degree in human resources and business management from HEC Montréal, Karine Cloutier is drawn to community involvement. For five years, she monitored the work of a dozen international cooperation organisations in some thirty developing countries. In Quebec, she has worked for the Fondation du Centre jeunesse de Montréal, the Fondation de l’Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne and the Association pour la santé publique du Québec, among others. Since joining L’Appui pour les proches aidants in 2020, she has been fully committed to improving the quality of life of carers.

      At this conference, you will learn more about the role of a carer. As well as presenting a brief statistical portrait of family carers in Quebec, the speakers will discuss certain aspects of their reality, such as the impact of this role on the carer’s life, the daily challenges, the risk and prevention of burnout, the importance of asking for help, not forgetting the rewarding aspects of this role. At the end of the presentation, we’ll talk about the resources available for caregivers in your area and the services offered by l’Appui.

      1:30 p.m. -3:30 p.m., Friday, November 24, 2023

      Bibliothèque Georgette-Lepage, Brossard, 7855 Avenue San-Francisco, Brossard, J4X 2A4

      Register online with the library from 5 September on the website https://biblio.brossard.ca/activites/les-proches-aidants-qui-sont-ils-et-comment-les-aider-24-novembre/

      Objectives

      • The conferences provide an opportunity to discuss a topic related to arthritis with experts.

      Free lectures given by specialists on various subjects related to arthritis in collaboration with the Bibliothèque de Brossard Georgette-Lepage.

      Group support

      (Causons d’arthrite /Share and Shine with Arthritis)

       

      Next activities:

      • Causons d’arthrite, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. – September 18, October 16, November 20, 2023
      • Share and Shine with Arthritis (English) from 1.30 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Septembre 25, October 23 and November 27, 2023

      On site at the Georgette-Lepage Library in Brossard, 7855 avenue San-Francisco, Brossard, J4X 2A4
      On line via TEAMS

      Register on line with the Brossard Library a few weeks before the event using the following links:

      Yoga du rire: Le Rire c’est sérieux pour la santé – https://biblio.brossard.ca/activites/causons-darthrite-20-novembre/

      Laughter: For the health of it !
      https://biblio.brossard.ca/activites/share-and-shine-27-november/

      Objectives

      Group support meetings provide an opportunity for peers to discuss different aspects of living well with arthritis. These meetings are aimed at people who are newly diagnosed, people who want to share their concerns or experiences, or people who want to learn more in an informal, non-judgmental setting. Join the arthritis community to share your story, discoveries and experiences, to inspire and be inspired, to learn from others, to ask questions, all in an informal way.

      Themes when gathering

      (Themes are adapted to the needs of the participants)

       

        • Share experiences, tips and tricks with arthritis people
        • Share on themes related to arthritis

      Flash Arthritis
      (Publications)

      Objectives

      • Provide readers with the latest news about Arthritis South shore’s activities
      • Provide testimonials from peers
      • Talking about resources
      • Provide information on current developments
      • And other things.

      Arthritis South Shore periodically publishes a newsletter under the name “Flash Arthritis“.

      This newsletter deals with diet, exercise, the latest medical advances, the latest publications, and allows experts and affected people to share their experiences. You can also find out about upcoming activities organized by Arthritis South Shore.

      To view Flash Athritis publications, simply click on the image below.

      Contact us

      By phone

      By email

      Info@ArthriteRiveSud.org

      Our postal address

      5811 av Auteuil
      Brossard, Qc J4Z 1M9

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