Waiting Room Magazines
In my private practice, I've gotten used to receiving unsolicited magazines. You know the type; Reader's Digest, Ladies Home Journal, Highlights (I LOVED Highlights since I was a kid and read it in my doctor's office). Most don't even make the cut and end up in the recycling bin. Occasionally, though, one catches my attention. The recent issue of Popular Science showed up last week. I've not seen that magazine in many years, so I took it home to read. There was some pretty interesting (nerdy) stuff in there! An article on how leeches may be able to track down rare/unseen members of the animal kingdom, one on how zebrafish may replace lab mice as the great test tube of medicine, and another on how cars in The Netherlands are being tested with EXTERNAL airbags, to better protect bicycle riders in the event of a car/bicycle crash.
The article that really caught my attention was one devoted to an MIT faculty member who has a passion for play as a means of moving into research. Erik Demaine is a computer scientist and his use of play has led him to a great many published research papers. His story (see link below) is entertaining in its own right, but leads me to look at the world that I occupy in therapy. Treatment, teaching, documentation, internet interactions; all can seem rather serious. But instilled in me is a sense of curiosity that allows me to have fun with what I do. My patients move through treatment, shedding pain, with humor. Play is about investigation, and isn't that what a good therapist should be about? I love connecting the dots that other practitioners were not able to connect and I try to teach this in my seminars. Our work should be like play, not that we don't take it seriously, because we should, but play in the sense that we learn and help through exploration. This exploration is bounded by both science and insights, but is play-oriented nonetheless. I may not start my day playing games at a Wii, as Demaine does, but treatment should have a certain joy to it that one can view as play.
How does play enter into your work day?
You can read the story for yourself here.
For Now,
Walt Fritz, PT
Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars and Pain Relief Center