As we are fast approaching the new year and start setting ourselves goals for the new year we can unfortunately run into road blocks during that process where we pick up an injury or and pain response which stops us in our tracks.
We want to get back into action as quickly as possible, so seek out advice to get us there but who do we turn to? We might turn to family or friends in our local to ask who they would recommend in the area that might of helped them with a past injury. We might do a google search and see who is local to us and has good reviews. Then it might be a case of who do I see?
This is the most common question I get asked in clinic. Who do I see when it comes to helping them with their pain and injury to get them back to doing what they want to do. This is closely followed by whats the difference between me seeing you as an osteopath instead of a chiropractor or physio and what is the best option.
My blog this month isn’t to depict what the differences are but more about the principles that I follow when someone kindly puts their trust in me to help them. Or another way its not about the therapists job title that we should choose someone on but in my opinion and most importantly, align ourselves with their the framework and process that helps us get to where we need to be.
So what is my way?
Firstly the techniques I have built of over the years are my tools and they play a part. Be it active release technique, joint adjustments, medical acupuncture, taping and cupping these are the tactics I use. My principles and strategy are the most important part of the process and the techniques I use are only applied base on the following.
My Frameworks are my guiding principles!
1: I have my own structured step by step system that is based on 15 years of experience and learning more every year through CPD training on courses that adhere to my principles.
2: I take these principles so I can apply a strategic process for the person in front of me that follows the frameworks that I put into place to ultimately help me make sense of my patients symptoms, so I can explain the problem, solution and plan of action which will progressively get you back to thoughtless and various movement.
3: The first appointment is the most important! There is key information that I need you to share with me to make sense of your symptoms, in order to make sense of the your symptoms in the objective assessment that I will go through with you.
4: I need to critically think so I can create and explain your treatment plan in the first appointment. When we review your objective assessment and clarify what you want to get back to, we can then see where you currently are and ultimately where we need you to be!
4: I adhere to a patient centered approach! Knowing a pain experience isn’t always driven by something physically wrong we us. Its treating you as a person and realising that other aspects or your life may be very stressful at the moment and reducing our capacity to deal with external stressors to our body.
5: The objective assessment isn’t just about defining a diagnosis but critically analysing whats not doing its job properly, so if it was, then this would no longer be a problem.
6: This leads to the 80-20 principle which is 20% of our time might be focusing on treating the symptomatic area but 80% of the time is working on whats not doing its job, so when we treat these areas then the symptoms can settle down long term and helps us makes sense of what was driving the symptoms in the first place.
7: Hitting milestones on the treatment plan: Reducing your pain can be a big win but what is even more important is getting you back to what the pain was stopping you doing. This is what a treatment plan is all about and milestones keep us focused. We cant just take a runner with knee pain and reduce their pain to just say take a punt and start running again. The chances are we are setting ourselves up for failure as we haven’t dealt with the true problems.
8: That is was the treatment and exercise plan is their for, so we are hitting these milestones which keeps you focused and gives you the confidence needed to go back to your chosen activity knowing you have built that resilience within your body.
I don’t want to overload you with to much information but I hope this goes some way to explaining my thought process when patients kindly put their trust in me when seeking help.
So next time you, a friend or loved one are seeking a solution to a problem please feel free to share this blog with them and lets start that journey to get the dream outcome you desire.
Here is to your reaching reaching your goals in 2024.
Mario
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