This week I ask: how do patients influence their own therapy regimens?
Working the same days each week means that I see a lot of the same patients, and I've started to be able to recognize them (both by name and injury). I think this is in part with how much more comfortable I am at my site. Now that I'm able to help set up with heat, ice, or electrical stimulation, I've been pranked twice by patients pretending to be shocked after I place them on the lowest electric current. The first time I was definitely surprised and nervous I had burned the patient, so I looked at him kind of like this:
Other than choosing to prank the interns and PT techs, I wondered what other decisions the patients could make regarding the therapist/surgeon designed therapy routine. Obviously, the patients are ultimately in control of the intensity, number of repetitions, etc. based on their ability and pain levels. However, I wanted to know how and if they could be more in control of their therapy outside of those factors.
One of my favorite parts of this project and my observations so far is the relationship between the techs and therapists and their patients. Many of the patients will jokingly "complain" that their therapist is going hard on them during the appointment if the number of repetitions or weight is increased. While they're not truly angry, some of the patients definitely look like they would be willing to do this to their therapists:
Luckily, I haven't seen any actual altercations between patients and therapists, mostly because the patients are clearly thankful for both the techs and therapists and the treatment they are receiving.
Something I began noticing was that several of the patients were leaving the office either with handwritten notes or printed packets describing several of their usual exercises. This way, the patients would be able to go through the parts of their exercise regimens they could do at home. I thought this was a great way for the patients to take control and have an independence with their rehabilitation.
Overall, I've been focusing a lot of my energy on the relationships and individualization of treatments more generally. However, after one of the therapists said that the knee was the "step child" of the hip, I'm excited to start focusing more on knee and hip injuries for the second half of my project!
In all of this, I'd kind of forgotten about the patients. That's hilarious (and terrible) that they pranked you.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I know physical therapy can be a difficult process. Are there techniques for helping patients who perhaps need a bit of support on the mental side (they feel they can't do it, won't get better, etc.)?
I think the entire environment at the office helps. The other patients, techs, and therapists definitely help to encourage the patients.
DeleteHello this is Siena,
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your experiences and the funny things that happened. I was also wondering how the techniques vary between people who are less mentally stable?
Hi Siena. I'm not totally sure what you're asking, but at least for some older patients there is definitely more time spent explaining and going through the regimen. Hopefully this helped you!
DeleteThis week sounded like another productive and exciting week. The patients seem very funny and nice. How do the therapists decide on what exercises specifically will work and help the most? Is it based on the patients capacity or other factors as well?
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of what I'm looking at, but so far it's based on injury type and patient characteristics.
DeleteIt's definetely nice to hear that the patients are able to joke around while they recover from their injuries. I have one question. If the patient dislikes one particular therapist, would s/he be able to get a new therapist that s/he gets along with?
ReplyDeleteMany times the patients interact with multiple techs and therapists!
DeleteHi Carla! I actually will have to go into physical therapy for a recent injury in a few weeks, so now I will see exactly what you are talking about with these different exercises. Do patients usually do all of the exercises at home, or do they skip them and just work on it during the appointment?
ReplyDeleteHey Nikita! Not all the patients are required to do the exercises at home, but those who do likely go through everything both in the office and at home.
DeleteHey Carla! It's great to hear you're comfortable at the site and are much used to the place. The fact that the patients are willing to joke around with you probably means they enjoy your presence which is great to hear as well. I was just wondering about what the therapists say to patients that are not as willing to try various exercises?
ReplyDeleteHey Lekha, most of the patients know they have to go through the regimen to improve their injury. However, they are sometimes hesitant at first.
DeleteIt's good to see that the patients are comfortable enough to joke around with you! Regarding the patient's role in their recovery, has there ever been a case where a patient has troubles cognitively and physically, such as being depressed due to the injury? If that's the case, does the patient need to seek other options besides physical therapy, or does your site provide the resources to counter those offsets?
ReplyDeleteHi Sachin. There are no regular therapists at my site, but I'm sure there are some cases where patients suffer emotional issues following their injuries.
DeleteHey carla! I'm new to your blog, and I am really excited to know more about physical therapy because I don't know anything about it. It's very cool to see such a trusting patient-doctor relationship, and I am glad that you have settled into the facility. I look forward to keeping track with your blog in he following weeks!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anuka! I can't wait for you to read more about physical therapy. :)
DeleteHello Carla! The patients at your site definitely sound friendly. Do patients interact with other patients or is it independent? Do they encourage each other during sessions?
ReplyDeleteHi Vijay! The patients definitely interact, most of the time if they are working out close to eachother.
DeleteWow, Carla! It sounds like you've really set in at your site, and I really like the direction you have taken in your project! I can't wait to see how it all turns out!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are really at home with this job and at this place. I am incredibly grateful to the physical therapist who helped my knees, but there were a few times I wanted to be that dog, too. :)
ReplyDelete