October is physical therapy month and what better way to celebrate than by sharing with you my five favorite things about being a Doctor of Physical Therapy!
HELPING PEOPLE
First and foremost, we get to help people every single day! Despite all physical therapists being different in their interests, passions, and skill set, we all pretty much have one thing in common. We all got into this profession to help people. Physical therapists tend to be driven by empathy and compassion for others and nothing fuels us more than being able to watch our patients change, grow, and improve before our eyes. Whether its helping you do something you were never able to before, getting you back to doing a favorite hobby, getting you back to taking care of yourself independently, or helping you overcome the fear of movement after an injury or years of chronic pain, WE get to be there to celebrate the victories of your hard work driven by our professional advice.
TIME
Unlike many other healthcare professionals, we get time with our patients. This time allows me to create a personal relationship with each of my patients and to be able to change my approach to your pain or problem based on your specific needs. Instead of being “that low back pain patient”, I get to know you for you. I get to know your interests, your dislikes, your kid’s and grandkid’s names, what motivates you, and what may be holding you back. I get to be in the trenches with you during the toughest parts of the process, but I also get to be there for all of the small victories. This time and these relationships are invaluable and make my job worth going to every day.
CREATIVITY AND VARIETY
Creativity and variety drive my days. No two days are ever the same for a physical therapist. We see so many different conditions, injuries, pains, issues that we are constantly having to adapt and get creative. There is no problem too weird or too big for a physical therapist to help you solve – whether it is figuring out how to safely get around after surgery, how to get your baby in/out of the crib without creating back spasms, or how to jump on the trampoline with your little ones without peeing your pants. We are here for all of it, and I for one love the challenge of helping to solve these issues both in the short-term and the long-term. A Doctor of Physical Therapy’s extensive schooling teaches us how to work with all systems of the body so we are constantly varying our strategies to help you accomplish your goals. One day, you may need more manual therapy to reduce pain or tension whereas another day we may be more focused on restoring your brain-body connection through the neuromuscular system. Although we love exercise, flexibility and strength training are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the skills of a physical therapist.
SEEING YOU IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT
As a concierge physical therapist, I get to bring “the clinic” to you. How many doctors or other healthcare professionals get this amazing opportunity to see their patient exist in their own environment?! This allows me to get to see how you live, what you need to be able to do, what may be contributing to your pain and dysfunction, and what issues may need solving within this environment. As a healthcare professional, this is an invaluable opportunity because it allows me to see the raw and real you rather than the you I force you to be in my clinical environment. Due to our extensive schooling, physical therapists are able to evaluate you in this environment without requiring you to go in to see your physician or any other healthcare provider first. We have the skills and knowledge to know when something is out of our scope or requires referral to another healthcare professional so you can always be confident allowing a physical therapist to be your first line of contact.
PHYSICAL THERAPY CHANGES LIVES
Maybe the absolute best thing about physical therapy is that it can truly change lives! Those that have serious pain, issues, dysfunctions and give physical therapy the chance and time it requires reap the rewards. Physical therapists can help you learn to walk again, can help you regain your independence, can allow you do participate in activities you thought you never would be able to participate in again. Many other healthcare providers are driven by number goals or “normal outcomes” of specific conditions but Doctors of Physical Therapy are driven by you and your function. We want your life to be better from having worked with us – the day after, the week after, and 10 years after. Physical therapy is a process. We don’t always get immediate results, but we get lasting results. And we are happy to be by your side through the whole process.
As we celebrate physical therapy month, please reach out with your questions on how physical therapy could benefit you! Here at Life Changes Physical Therapy, we are passionate about our profession and we would love to share how it could change your life, too!