Your physical therapy treatment should be done by someone who can “see the forest through the trees”
Is anyone familiar with the expression “can't see the forest through the trees?” That concept keeps cropping as I discuss various aspects of physical therapy practice with friends and colleagues. So often we become focused on one area of the body and neglect to take a step back and remember that we are a complicated and interconnected person. Physical Therapists are THE musculo-skeletal experts and can provide comprehensive care for everyday aches and pains as well as post-surgical conditions. Our bodies are not simple and neither is our treatment. For example: Your knee hurts. Maybe you go to a practitioner who looks at your knee and tells you there is something wrong with it. They may order an Xray or an MRI to confirm their hypothesis. You may even be told that surgery is recommended to fix the problem. Maybe you are prescribed a medication to help with the pain. You take it and feel better but when you stop the pain is back. Or, it goes away for a few months then crops back up again. At what point in time do we as medical professionals decide to take a step back and treat you as a whole person? How often has someone involved with your care taken a step back and look at your hip, ankle, or even lower back to see what might be influencing the pain you feel in your knee? Current evidence supports the links between these areas and can help make your return to “normal” faster and long lasting. A Physical therapy consultation at Back to Motion is a great way to make sure your body is on the right track! Schedule an appointment to see if that nagging symptom you’ve been wondering about can be helped.
Just a bit of a rant from this weekend and talking about lots of unnecessary surgeries and failed bouts of PT that then succeed with another practitioner.
Carrie Lamb MSP