First Steps Wellness Centre Regina

01/20/2026

Why do we use the Xcite in sessions?
Because it helps train the right muscles to fire at the right time — improving timing, coordination, and function.

This before and after shows one of many ways we’ve used the Xcite with Laura, supporting her through bicep curls by activating the right muscles in sequence using functional electrical stimulation (FES).

The time between these two videos? 10 months.
It’s been a key part of her therapy — and the progress speaks for itself!

Great job, Laura!

01/19/2026

📚 Education Moment: Understanding Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD)

Autonomic Dysreflexia is a serious medical condition that can occur in individuals with a spinal cord injury at T6 or above. It’s caused by an overreaction of the autonomic nervous system to pain or irritation below the level of injury — sometimes triggered by something as simple as a full bladder or tight clothing.

Key signs to recognize:

Sudden spike in blood pressure
Pounding headache
Flushed skin or sweating above the injury level

AD is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate attention. The more people who understand it, the safer and more supported our SCI community becomes.

Learn more from the Christopher Reeve Foundation below.

Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is an issue in the autonomic nervous system. The characteristics of symptoms for AD vary by individual. Learn more today.

01/15/2026

Introducing our second fieldwork student, Brooklyn! 👋

Brooklyn chose to study Kinesiology out of a curiosity for how the body works and a desire to help others stay active, reach their goals, and care for their bodies.

She’s most excited to take what she’s learned over the last four years and apply it in a hands-on environment. Brooklyn’s also looking forward to learning from experienced professionals here at FSWC and gaining insight she can carry forward in her career.

A few fun facts about Brooklyn:
🎣 She loves fishing
🏒 She’s not actually an Oilers fan — the sweater was just on sale
📦 She’s moved 8 times!

We’re excited to have Brooklyn on board this semester!

01/13/2026

New semester, new fieldwork students!

Meet Aidan 👋

Coming from a sports background, his interest in how the body moves and functions made kinesiology a natural fit.

He’s looking forward to meeting clients, hearing their stories, and seeing progress made in therapy. He’s also eager to learn the “why” and “how” behind the techniques our team uses every day.

A few fun facts:
🏒 He officiates hockey
🎵 Big fan of Don Toliver
🔵 Proudly cheers for the Montreal Canadiens (Go Habs Go!)

Stay tuned — we’ll be introducing our second student next!

01/06/2026

Progress like this doesn’t happen overnight.

Gerry has progressed from walking in a harness to walking with a hemi walker, and is now working on tackling stairs here in the facility.

The progress you see here comes from a lot of hard work, patience, and persistence!

Let’s go, Gerry 👏💪

12/24/2025

Happy Holidays from all of us at FSWC! 🎄✨

Thank you to our clients, families, supporters, and community for an incredible year. Wishing you all a joyful, restful, and safe holiday season — we can’t wait to see what the new year brings!

12/22/2025

Thank you to Regina Mazda Sales for recognizing Chris and supporting the work we do at FSWC. Support like this fuels progress for the people we serve every day.

🌟 Since 2021, Mazda Canada and its retailers have contributed millions of dollars to drive positive change and support communities across Canada. This year, Regina Mazda is thrilled to recognize Chris Lesanko as our 2025 ✨Local Legend✨, and we had the honour of donating $2,500 to his organization, First Steps Wellness Centre Regina, for all of their hard work and dedication.

Opened by Chris in 2010, First Steps Wellness Centre (FSWC) is an amazing and unique non-profit organization with charitable status, and has become the leading facility in Canada for spinal cord injury and neurorehabilitation. They were Canada's first activity-based therapy (ABT) centre, and they now host several programs for individuals of all ages including a children's program that was started in 2016. They do absolutely incredible work and have already changed and improved the lives of so many, including Chris himself.

To Chris and the team at FSWC, we can't thank you enough for the incredible work you all do, and we hope this campaign gives people more of an opportunity to learn about your amazing and life-changing organization. You are absolutely all ✨Local Legends✨.

Learn more about FSWC: https://firststepswellnesscentre.ca/
Follow FSWC on Facebook: First Steps Wellness Centre Regina

12/19/2025

Bring on the holiday cheer! 🎄🧥
We’re inviting everyone to wear their ugliest, loudest, most festive holiday sweaters to their sessions during the week of December 22–24th.

Whether it jingles, lights up, or just makes people laugh — we want to see it!

12/18/2025

🎄 Holiday Hours 🎄

Here’s when we’ll be open over the holidays!

Wishing everyone a safe and restful holiday season!

12/18/2025

Winter is here!

Please take your time getting to your appointment, and if you need to reschedule or need help getting inside, give us a call at (306) 522-3792.

Stay safe out there!

12/09/2025

🎄 You’re invited to our FSWC Christmas Party! 🎄
Join us on Friday, December 19th from 4–6 PM for some holiday cheer with the FSWC crew!

We’ll have:
🎲 Board games
🎬 A Christmas movie playing
🎁 An optional $10 gift exchange
🥫 And we’re collecting non-perishable food items for the food bank — bring what you can!

We’d love to see you there — whether you're in the mood to play a game, watch a movie, or just hang out and celebrate the season!