My Soap Box:

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Sorry for the long post, but I am on my soap box:
Scenario 1: A family member just went to therapy elsewhere. When I asked him how it was going, he said he has seen 4 different therapists in 3 weeks. Each time he saw someone else, they asked him:

  1. What surgery he had done?
  2. When was surgery done?
  3. What he did last time in therapy?
  4. What he does for a living?
  5. No one asked how he felt after the last therapy session.

Scenario 2: While I was still working elsewhere, I overheard a client, nearly yelling at his therapist, asking why he had to come to therapy if all he was going to do is his HOME exercise program and the therapist was going to go off and either talk (non-therapy related stuff such as his upcoming vacation) with someone else, or disappear completely. I remember that therapist being so mad that the client talked to him that way. I tried to gently tell the therapist that he needs to listen to what is being said and meet the client’s needs by being present, as well as demonstrate the “specialized skills” that the therapist uses to move a patient forward. I also tried to explain that some clients NEED to know why they are doing something to understand how it will help in order to commit to the therapy program.
This therapist’s reply was that the clients need to listen to him and do what they are told. (Not surprising, the client never came back to therapy, despite still needing care.)  So why am I telling you this? Partially so you can see there are some bad therapists out there, as well as poorly managed clinics.

In the 1 st scenario, consistency can help client recover. The client can develop a rapport with the therapist, and the therapist can learn what works and doesn’t for that particular client. Also, if a therapist is out, a fill-in therapist should have the documentation in front of them to know what surgery, how far out the client is, what they did in therapy last time. These are normal parts of documentation. If the staff is too busy to read your chart before they see you, that is bad management and is dangerous.  Also, each therapist, whether they be the treating therapist, or the fill-in therapist, needs to ask how they tolerated the last treatment. It helps gauge what can be done that particular day.

In the 2nd scenario, a therapist is never perfect. But listening to your client is critical to their care. Insurance will pay for therapy if the client NEEDS the “specialized skills” of a therapist. If it is something that you can do at home, is it really a skilled treatment? Don’t get me wrong, I totally believe in the home exercise program. But it is for home and is to enhance and maintain what you get in therapy. I only check how you are doing the exercises if you say you are having a problem, or if I see some mechanical problem in your movements. I’ve seen some therapists walk away from a client doing shoulder exercises, and then I watched the client do the exercises totally wrong. Is that skilled? Shouldn’t your therapist be standing there, correcting your movements, and guiding you to do through the motions?

So before I get off my soap box let me give you some advice:

  1. If your therapist isn’t explaining why you should and shouldn’t do something, ask for an explanation. Make sure you understand what they are saying. If they are talking in a bunch of
    medical jargon, make them tell you again in a way you understand (this applies to the doctor too). I can’t tell you how many clients I have gotten from other clinics who should be doing a specific exercise, but they modified it as they thought it was better one way, despite it now wasn’t doing what it was supposed to based on their modifications.
  2. If your therapist won’t put their hands on you—to do passive motion, massage the scar, or feel how your joints or muscles are working, change therapists.
  3. If you aren’t happy with their care, tell them or the doctor that sent you to them.
  4. Insist on seeing the same therapist each and every time.
  5. Ask your therapist about their experience. How many places have they worked? How many times have they treated your injury? What is their philosophy of therapy? Have they seen the surgery that you had done?
  6. Insist on being the only client they are seeing at that time. Some clinics have a policy of always doubling appointments, some therapists do great at managing this, others don’t.
  7. If they are only having you do your home program in therapy, ask them why (as there are some diagnoses that that is the only thing that can be done within a certain time frame—but they should have already explained that to you), but if you aren’t in that time frame, change therapists immediately.
  8. There are a LOT of therapy places out there. You can choose where to go. Don’t let your doctor choose for you. Sometimes the best therapist doesn’t work for the doctor, or the therapy company gives “perks” to the doctor in exchange for referrals. (I know a company that gives surgeons tickets to sporting events such as a Bears/Packer game, or a Cub’s game—even though the surgeons have a policy that they don’t accept gifts.)
  9. If you go to a therapist or therapy clinic and you don’t like them, it is OK to go somewhere else.
  10. All therapists can communicate with your surgeon (a frequent excuse why you HAVE to go to clinic X). Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Ok, getting off my soap box. If you aren’t happy with your therapy, give me a call. I can help you transfer your care to Helping Hands Rehab, or if a lower extremity problem, to some excellent therapists. If you want to interview me and ask me all the above questions before you come here, or if you have any concerns regarding your therapy, please do not hesitate to call. Nancy 815-623-3700.