Terminology
The words therapists use can hold a huge weight and can leave a lot of information open for interpretation which can make your imagination run wild. One example of this is when a patient comes to me saying their spine is crumbling or that their spine is bent or curved without any further explanation (a scary though whoever you are), thankfully these terms aren’t used particularly often but still crop up now and again- sadly too often from other healthcare professionals. From experience these patients try and protect their back, which considering what they think is happening to their spine is quite logical. However, in reality the spine is a very strong and resilient structure that is designed to take knocks, bumps and load through its lifetime. Moreover, any twists or rotations of the spine are completely normal, no one is born completely symmetrical therefore these slight deviances from perfect probably won’t be causing your pain. Have a look at Usain Bolt’s spine!
Creating dependence
Another big thing that annoys me is when other health care professionals tell patients in order to keep a joint stable or healthy they need constant treatment or taping to do so, otherwise they are certain they will twist their ankle etc. This can make people dependent on that professional which can lock them in a continuous cycle. While repetitive treatments can be effective at reducing pain, they are not a long-term fix, they act as more of a window of opportunity for you to improve the strength and mobility of a joint without the injury feeling worse for doing so. This is why physiotherapy as a profession focuses on giving you back your independence by using strength and exercises so that all patients can live their lives to the fullest, with just a small top up of mobility or new challenges every now and then.
Telling people to stop exercising
By far my biggest pet peeve is when any of my patients get told that they can never do an exercise again. Be you a high-level athlete or someone struggling with a bit of hip pain stopping an exercise completely is one of the worst things you can do as it can lead to deconditioning of muscles and stiffness of joints. The best thing to do is adapt the exercise by finding the root cause of the pain and then strengthen and exercise around it. This can improve your physical health but also help with your mental health as you can continue whatever you love to do.
Just keep moving,
George
Physiotherapist at Cirencester Physiotherapy Centre