Too many times I have heard patients complain that their doctors and physical therapists gave up on them after only trying one or two things to fix them. Unfortunately, our healthcare system makes doctors so busy that they rarely have much time to actually listen to their patients and spend time with them anymore, leading to missed diagnoses and continued pain. Sadly the country’s healthcare system has turned to drugs to help mask the pain, while leaving the patient with the problem that still remains. We see all these commercials on television for drugs to take for everything and all of a sudden we are convinced that all of our problems will fade away with a “miracle drug”. The United States is one of the only countries that legalized advertisement of pharmaceuticals on television. We may find temporary relief with these “miracle drugs”, but if we don’t treat the issue that’s causing it, there’s only so much that drugs will do to stop the pain. The best form of treatment that I will discuss later in this blog is a collaboration between health care providers with a mixture of medications needed for pain and inflammation reduction that coincide with physical therapy treatments to rid the pain and it’s causative factors completely.
As a patient and physical therapist, I have experienced the realities of our disaster of a healthcare system. As a patient, I was at the dentist and had to get a crown, which can be very painful. After I was done with the appointment, they gave me a prescription for a high dosage of Vicodin, an addictive narcotic, which was completely unnecessary. I also went to the doctor for a strep test because my throat was in severe pain and he offered me a prescription for Hydrocodone and pushed me to take it. I was shocked at how easily available these narcotics are to people. It’s like they hand them out like candy because people want a quick fix or way to mask the pain. As a physical therapist working in Racine, WI, I actually had a patient call to tell me that her doctor told her she was getting too old for physical therapy and to just take pain pills to ease her pain. This patient constantly complained that she was in pain and it was almost as if she didn’t have the patience to get better so she wanted an instant fix. Now if you understand research on aging, you would know that nobody is “too old” to gain muscle and ease pain by getting stronger and increasing flexibility. It may take longer to get the results secondary to the aging process; however, it is possible to still achieve good results. I continue to be shocked at how much we turn to the pharmaceutical company these days. It is truly sad how much advertisements sway our beliefs and how much we depend on medications to get us through the day.
I believe that some medications are very helpful and necessary for helping heal ailments and reducing the inflammatory process; however, we tend to depend on them too much for temporary pain relief instead of working hard to fix it completely. The best use of medications is in collaboration with other treatments. So many people are looking for that “quick fix” and easy way to feel better instantly. What they don’t understand is that the quick fix they are looking for only lasts temporarily without some other form of treatment that actually is geared towards fixing the actual problem. The patient has to put in a little work and possibly endure some pain along the way to get the best results. Patience is the key in rehabilitation, along with trusting the therapist. If you’re willing to put in the work, it goes a long way.
A good physical therapist will make sure to assess the whole picture and not only treat the area that is causing pain, but understand what caused it originally and ensure that gets fixed as well. At Monona Rehabilitation Services, I strive to find the root of the pain and treat with a “whole-body” approach, instead of just recommending ways to mask the pain and discharging them when they no longer feel pain. If someone no longer feels pain, it doesn’t mean they still don’t have impairments that can make it return in the near future. If I discharged them too early with remaining impairments that led to the problem at hand originally, my patients would be back again and again. Now, as much as I would love the business, I would much rather see my patients healed than want them back in the clinic with the same issue because whatever caused it wasn’t fixed the first time. It is a pet peeve of mine when my patients complain that past physical therapists they had gave up on them because they couldn’t figure out what was wrong within a few weeks. Now this can happen if all the possibilities of treatment have been exhausted (there are A LOT!) and nothing seemed to work, however, it is highly unlikely that they tried everything because this will take a very long time. To be completely honest with you, physical therapy is trial and error based on immense amounts of research. We practice based on evidence that is strongly supported by years of research and if that doesn’t work, we try another research-supported approach. Like I said, there are several approaches to treating patients and since every patient is different, some things won’t work on every person. Not only is it important for the patient to have patience, but it is equally important for the therapist to be patient in order to find the best approach for each person they treat.
I have ranted about a lot in this blog; however, please understand I am in no way trying to bash doctors or other physical therapists. There are some very good doctors and physical therapists out there that will take the time to listen and help you find the answer that you need. Every therapist and doctor is different and has different approaches to treatment. What I wanted to present to you was the sad truths of the healthcare system and the unfortunate beliefs that are created so people get that “quick fix”. To be completely honest with you, there really is no “quick fix” that lasts. Like I have discussed in the past, pain is your body’s natural “check engine” light that needs to be assessed. It is a signal that your body presents to you to tell you that your tissues are in danger. If you just mask that signal with only pain medicine, the problem will persist and only get worse over time leading you to need even more medicine to “mask” the pain. It really is a vicious downward cycle if not treated correctly.
If you take the patience to come to physical therapy, we can help you get rid of that pain for good and I will help ensure that it doesn’t come back. I had a patient in her 70’s that had knee pain since 1995 when she got her knee replaced. She came to see me a couple of months ago after dealing with the pain for so long and within a week of putting her on a regular strengthening and stretching program, she was pain-free. It takes some work, but it’s totally worth it. She can defend that statement and is happier than she has been in awhile. Her family has noticed a huge difference in how she walks and even transfers in and out of a chair or the car.
The best way to get results you want and need is a collaborative approach between doctors and physical therapists, as well as personal trainers and other healthcare workers that are necessary in the plan of care. Working together, we can help create a unique treatment program geared towards you. It may combine pain medications temporarily to help ease pain and reduce inflammation, but you must know there is no “quick fix”. If your therapist or physician is unsure of what to do next, it is perfectly acceptable for them to refer you to someone else that is more specialized in the area. After all, knowing their weaknesses and limitations makes them a better healthcare worker and helps ensure you get the proper treatment you deserve. If you’re ready to take the next step in getting rid of your pain completely with a collaborative approach and have the patience to do so, come see us today and let me help you get back to what you strive to do pain-free!
Call us at 608-222-2325
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