YOUR ROLE IN REHAB

We’ve talked in previous blogs about what physical therapy is, how to find the right physical therapist, and what quality physical therapy looks like.  We’ve even gone so far as to describe what type of patient fits well with our ethos as physical therapists.

Today we’re going to dive a little deeper into what makes a patient successful in their physical therapy experience.  The key word here is experience.

Often times people will look for physical therapists based on a location, what treatments are provided (instrument assisted soft tissue, manual therapy, etc), if the provider accepts their insurance, and Yelp reviews.  But there’s a problem with that sort of “shopper’s mentality” - the focus is placed primarily on what the therapist can do for you.  

We can’t put all the blame on patients, however.  We as a profession have done a fantastic job of creating a culture of codependency.  Just think about how many times you’ve heard or seen the following statements from a physical therapist or a clinic’s advertising.

We will fix your pain

This exercise causes back/knee/shoulder pain

Texting is bad for your neck

Come see your physical therapist for an injury prevention screening

Break down scar tissue and adhesions to improve mobility

And then you walk into the clinic and you spend about 15 minutes with the therapist poking and prodding at you before they pass you off to someone else or hand you a generic sheet of exercises that seem to be a one-size-fits-all approach.  

And if you aren’t making progress in your rehab prepare to be interrogated about whether you’re being compliant with the “home exercise program” that the physical therapist has spent 5 minutes crafting for you or whether you’re doing the exercises correctly.

All of this leads to the idea that if you just follow these easy steps you will come out the other side a healed person.  Unfortunately, that isn’t how it works. You are not a car that needs a few new parts to run smoothly. You are not an article of clothing that needs to be stitched up.  You are a person that is dealing with an injury that has impacted your way of life enough to frustrate you to the point of needing help.  

Let’s revisit a point made in one of our previous blog posts about how a physical therapist should function more as a coach or a consultant (What Should Physical Therapy Look Like).  A coach can provide guidance and a roadmap to success but ultimately the work is done by the athlete and the performance lies in their hands.  Yes, it is absolutely the therapist’s responsibility to provide truth, accuracy, and integrity in the plan of care but let’s look at a few characteristics of the patient that are equally if not more important in the process. 

Ownership

Ownership of the rehabilitation process goes beyond just compliance of the independent exercise program (though that is a very large part of it).  True ownership realizes that this is no ones’ problem to “solve” and does not rely on a passive mentality that therapy is done to or by a patient, but a journey to be embarked upon together.

Trusting the Process

As much as both therapists and patients would love for progress to be predictable and linear, the truth is that we are all complex and evolving human beings and that plays a significant role in the rehab process.  Add that to the normal ebbs and flows of daily stress, sleep quality, and nutritional needs and it becomes quite apparent why some days are better than others both in rehab as well as normalized training.  

It is important to recognize that this is a process that tends to take longer than we would prefer and to have faith in the roadmap but to also not be afraid to question along the way.  

Communication

Be willing to speak up, but also be willing to listen.  Don’t be afraid of disagreeing with your therapist or even voicing concern over a “bad day”.  Don’t bottle in your doubts for weeks if progress is taking a left turn.  

We welcome those conversations at HQPT and recognize them as signs that someone truly wants to make progress and is in tune with their situation.  

Our pillars of success will always be Quality, Education, and Outcomes.  We can provide the education but the right outcome is as dependent on an active patient as it is on the quality of the care we bring. 

If you have any questions or are ready to be an active participant in your injury rehab don’t hesitate to submit a request to speak directly with a physical therapist: