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| © Anatoly Tiplyashin
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We listen to you describe your physical ailments. This is usually what brought you in for treatment.
We listen to your stories about mechanisms of injury. Many of these stories are fairly straight forward and simple. Occasionally they're a hoot. It's only funny if you're laughing, too.
We listen to how your pain or pathology affects your daily life. Can you sleep? Can you bathe? Can you get dressed? Can you drive? Can you work?
We listen to how your current issues are affecting your favorite activities. Can you run? Can you jump? Can you play a sport? Can you read a book? Can you do a hand stand?
We listen to you describing your family - in positive and negative ways: Upcoming weddings. A new baby on the way. Divorce concerns. Challenges with children and siblings. Helping your parents with aging. Loss of a pet.
We listen to you telling us about your day or your week. You just went on a trip? You just bought a new house? Your favorite co-worker just quit? You got a promotion?
We listen to what you've been eating, cooking, and the diet you're interested in pursuing. Paleo, Whole 30, Keto, Weight watchers, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Gluten Free, South Beach, Atkins, 30/10, Low FODMAP, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, Kosher, Vegetarian, Vegan, The Purple Diet, Jenny Craig, Egg free, Mediterranean... so many choices!
We listen to your political views, and may have even cried together when our candidate didn't win the election.
We listen to you describe the books you're reading and maybe have read them... like Dave Ramsey's financial stuff or some of the Classics - or 50 Shades of Grey. (and we might pretend we haven't read some of those, too!)
We listen to your dreams: getting into college, making the varsity team, writing your first novel, making first chair of your band, running a mile in a certain time, losing a certain amount of weight, owning your own company, traveling the world.
We listen to your troubles in relationships, financially, legally, negotiating obstacles, managing time.
We listen.
Why do we listen? We listen because all of these things can impact YOUR outcomes. According to the biopsychosocial model of pain, if we didn't listen and find some of these issues to be relevant to your healing, we'd be neglecting an important part of who YOU are. We listen because we care. And because even though we're physical therapists, sometimes the name therapist is all you hear - or care about - or need - and that's ok. We're happy to help you.
Just know that at some point after I'm done listening to you, you're going to get moving, lift heavy stuff, and get to healing.
Kinda shocking sometimes how if you listen well enough and long enough, the patient tells you exactly what's wrong and what they need from you. Makes things go a lot faster! Also shocking/sad when they report that you're the first person that's really listened to them... One of my favorite parts about my job is that we usually have the time to listen, and it is so vital to our patients' rehab/recovery.
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