Physical Therapy: Building Bridges of Trust
I first had physical therapy many years ago when a dog practically bit my finger off. Word of advice, never, ever, try and break up a dog fight with your hands! The dog in a fit of aggression cannot distinguish between the hand of the person that feeds it or the dog they are trying to attack. During my physical therapy sessions, I had to learn how to hold a pen, use a fork, and several other things you would never realize that requires the muscles and tendons in the hand. PT and implementing home exercises facilitated a full recovery.
The second time I had physical therapy was after a head on collision that injured my wrist. Once again, I was in the hands of a physical therapist to rehabilitate me back to normal. Different techniques, different injury, different home exercises, but once again, I made a full recovery.
The next time, was for a torn ACL, torn meniscus, and a broken leg. I had two separate stints of physical therapy by three different therapists. Rehab took much longer with these types of injuries and surgeries. I had pre-op therapy to help make me stronger and post-op rehab. I did have complications not attributed to the physical therapy, but from a surgeon’s poor judgment. With home exercises which I still do; I have once again recovered.
There are no prejudices in physical therapy. All walks of life are not immune to the benefits it provides. No one really knows at first how much time you will need to invest in rehabilitation. Doctors don’t really know and I would image don’t give it much thought as it is their job to turn you over to the next set of professionals to help bring you along to recovery. Your physical therapist will determine the length of your treatment based on initial evaluation and your progress. During these sessions week after week, it is sometimes awkward at first, but often a wonderful and surprising relationship that develops between you and your therapist. Your therapist gets to know you on a level many of the people you know do not. They certainly know you better than your doctor because of the time they spend with you. They understand you emotionally and that has a direct effect on your physical recovery. As a patient, you trust your therapist completely. You have your own personal cheerleader and coach. You learn about their families and they about yours. You know their political views, what they like to read, where they eat dinner, and movies they enjoy. You share in the milestones of their children. Your physical therapist becomes an unexpected confidant. Like trust and friendships, we learn that healing takes time.
So, if you ever need physical therapy, just know that you will receive great rewards, in more ways than you ever imagined. Go ahead and build that bridge of trust. It is a positive experience you will not soon forget or regret.
