I wish someone had told me this 20 years ago.
I wish someone had told me this 20 years ago.
‘IT STILL HURTS’ – is an occasional greeting from our follow-up clients.
We love to hang our hat on the week’s success stories, of which there are usually many but when someone doesn’t get better are you to blame as the therapist?
Have you ever thought one or all the following?
1: My diagnosis must be wrong.
2: If I had an MSc Phd then all my patients would be pain free.
3: My treatment skills are not good enough.
4: If only I was a specialist, they cure all pain.
…I have!
Then I discovered something. Initially from reading the late Pain Pioneer and Physio Louis Giffords book ‘Aches and Pains’ and then from my own experience of tracking the long-term care pathways of my patients in conjunction with their doctors, and finally through my own research for my recent book on Exercise for Pain Relief.
Here is the truth – as short and simple as I could make it for this blog.
Many patients with common musculoskeletal pain may not experience a complete and lasting recovery free of pain, even with the best treatment. When the expected full recovery does not occur, it often leads to significant health anxiety and unnecessary decline in overall well-being.
Textbooks and dare I say it, YouTube videos will have you believe that injuries recover in 6 weeks (+/-) but this is simply not the reality for many people.
We discussed this reality in my Frozen Shoulder course
I also make reference to it a few times in my Exercise for Pain Relief book as I talk about the importance of managing expectations.
In conclusion: While there is often more you can do to help, the most important strategy may be to realign the clients expectations and not to take the blame upon yourself.
Keen to hear your opinion on this too. Please Leave a comment
Feature Course
Description: Every now and then it's time to go deep and immerse yourself in some serious learning. This 33 lecture series covering 7 common lower limb pathologies will fuel your CPD for more than a few winter evenings and give you the best chance of success in the clinic.
All the content from an intensive 2 day course for only $149, or about £115.
