Physical Therapists Don’t FIX People…
WE HELP PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES
One of the dreaded phrases when a new patient enters the clinic is:
“I need you to fix my (insert body part or condition).”
When the expectation from the patient is that they are showing up as a passive participant rather than an active piece of the recovery puzzle, then things can get off to a rocky start. The way the phrase is worded makes it sound like the patient expects to do nothing, while the physical therapist magically makes the (insert body part or condition) better.
Another issue with the phrase above, is that it suggests that the patient is BROKEN. We only need to fix something if it is broken. If a patient truly believes that their body is broken, there are already some big mental hurdles that we need to address to get them back on the road to feeling well both emotionally and physically.
“I can’t do (insert activity) because of my (insert body part or condition).”
Or even better:
“I’d like to be able to (insert activity) without my (insert body part or condition) holding me back.”
When the focus is pulled away from the “broken body” and the patient focuses on what they want to be able to DO - it can be a powerful change. It provides motivation for the patient and gives the physical therapist and patient a visual of what will define success in physical therapy. It is the job of the physical therapist to start with the end goal in mind and find small achievable steps to help guide the patient from their current state to their end goal. Helping the patient to achieve small wins along the path to their end goal keeps motivation high to continue putting in the effort needed to achieve the end goal.
Physical therapists are blessed to have a lot of time with their patients during their visits. Especially at Shift, we make it a priority to have a full hour for each visit in order to spend plenty of time educating our patients. When patients learn about their body and how it works, it is incredibly empowering to feel a sense of control over and understanding about the symptoms they are experiencing. Unfortunately, many of the medical providers in our large health systems are forced to spend less and less time with their patients and often “education” comes in the form of a pre-written blurb about your diagnosis that is about as helpful as Googling your diagnosis. Rather than discussing your individual circumstances and symptoms, you get a one size fits all approach to patient education because there is not enough time in the medical providers day to spend providing individualized education. We created our clinic culture intentionally to be able to provide the time needed for truly individualized care and education, to empower our patients, and to provide ways to allow patients to transition into wellness care that can help them stay healthy and well after physical therapy care has ended.
I stand by my original statement that physical therapists don’t fix people. We help people to help themselves by empowering them, educating them, and helping them gain confidence and take control of their symptoms.
If you are ready to make the SHIFT to helping yourself get back to the things you want to be doing, contact us today!
Written by: Renee Hancock, PT, DPT
