Therapist as Patient (Football and Therapy, W-0, L-3)
This post isn't really about football...How does it feel when the therapist becomes the patient?
I am writing this as the Buffalo Bills are losing (again) with little chance of recovery. And, as I sit at my computer, I am recovering from a back flare-up. It has been with me for 12 years now, since that horse decided she did not like me on her back. The flare-ups have been less frequent recently, only once every two years. It came last Tuesday, out of the blue. The two compression fractures that occurred long ago make my spine unhappy at times. The recovery from this episode was pretty quick, I would put myself back to 90% today. Treatment, self treatment, and time usually works.
I occasionally get asked "how I can relate to my patient's pain if I have not suffered through it myself?". I don't think that it is necessary to suffer all of the maladies of my patients, but it does shed some light. I am wondering if others feel this way?
I'll recover, hopefully with a long interval until the next time. Not sure of the Bills will. How have you done? Has pain given you new insight into the plight of your patients?
Walt Fritz, PT