a message for those in physical pain
Don’t forget this one key thing about your journey
One thing I love about my line of work is that it forces me to think critically and constantly challenge my own beliefs. Being a health professional takes a great deal of humility and patience. You’re often wrong more times than you’re right. Science is like that. It’s all about getting as close to the truth as possible while maintaining the human side of health care.
I get better at all of this every day but I’ve still got work to do. One area I’ve been wrestling with lately is finding the right balance between making physical therapy seem appealing and straightforward without getting too comfortable and oversimplifying concepts or potentially misleading clients.
Oftentimes it’s the boring or general answers that are appropriate for the moment. While it’s harder to say, “I’m not quite sure” or “It completely depends on your situation”, I find the more I mature in my role, the more often I say these kinds of things.
As the rise of influencers and their ‘quick hacks’ and ‘miracle programs’ continue to spread across the internet, it’s important to slow down for a moment and remember to keep a level head when navigating health advice. In a world where everyone seems to be contradicting themselves in physical rehab, I hope the next three minutes will help you find your feet once again and remind yourself where you stand in this journey.
Let’s dive in.
Throughout my years as a kinesiologist, I’ve noticed one common trend among virtually all of my clients. They’re all looking to hear something that makes sense to them. That sounds right. Something that is black and white and is easy to learn. While there are varying levels of extremity, some clients are even disappointed or upset when I don’t agree with whatever model or bias they came through the doors with.
Some examples include…
If you strengthen the core your back pain will go away!
Just stretch out your hips and your pelvis will realign!
You just need to fix your posture and your pain will disappear!
While this is advice we’ve all heard over and over again, it’s not usually accurate and can even divert individuals from finding the real solution they need.
The problem?
It’s sexy and easy to sell. Health providers keep spreading it, and we keep eating it up.
Being part of a platform like this reminds me just how quickly you can fall into clickbait and cookie-cutter philosophies. Many professionals are even taught that things are black and white or bad and good. Health care isn’t that easy, but deep down we all have a desire to believe it is.
Take pelvic positioning for example. Many trainers will say that having a resting anterior pelvic tilt is bad for you. While this may be one person’s truth, it’s not accurate for everyone. Every situation is different depending on the individual. For some, this position may cause no harm at all and not be connected to back pain. For others, strengthening the hips and doing mobility work can assist in better postural health and pain outcomes.
It all depends on the individual. The context.
You can see how this answer can be frustrating for both the provider and the patient. It’s not easy or straightforward, but it’s one full of integrity. One that respects the complexity of physical rehab and the phenomenon of the human condition.
It can take weeks, months, or even years to find the right “prescription” for one person. Oftentimes it’s a journey in which a provider and patient will arrive at a destination together, letting go of preconceptions and committing to addressing all aspects of an individual’s wellness.
While this is a challenging task, it’s one of the most beautiful and rewarding things we have as humans. The value of being able to connect on a personal level and discover a deeper appreciation for how the body works cannot be overstated. It’s a process that mimics the hills and valleys of life itself, but the finish line is oh-so rewarding for those who make it.
Everyone is on a journey to maintaining health and finding happiness. While we’re desperately looking for sexy shortcuts in this process, they usually don’t exist. This is the case for the health and fitness world. The beauty of physical therapy is that it looks different for everyone. The challenge of physical therapy is that it looks different for everyone. Only those who work patiently to see the beauty will overcome the challenge.
Want to take a step in the right direction? Come grab one of my programs and get started today. It may just be the start of something great.
