I have always loved the logical nature of physical therapy practice. As therapists, we’re trained to evaluate and treat, measure and palpate, and observe the responses of multiple body systems from a research-based perspective. But just as giving a successful treatment is based on science, PT is also an art form that requires us to adapt our knowledge to fit the individual variation of each human body and the lifetime of experiences stored within it. It’s all very challenging, yet deeply rewarding.
But pain can be elusive, at times difficult to pin down through observation and testing, and we don’t always find the responses we expect. Many patients are in bad moods because they are suffering from chronic pain, and are frustrated because their condition is seemingly invisible to their loved ones, bosses, and friends. It’s terribly invalidating — there are so many ailments that lie hidden without deformity, gait deviation, or accompanying assistive device to herald their presence. Here, the cloak of invisibility isn’t anything to do with superheroes or Harry Potter, but instead is the dark cover of feeling all alone in the daily fight for wellness.
Part of the PT's job is to validate the patient’s state of being, find the source of their pain, and then empower them to conquer it. So next time you greet your patients with the question, “How are you today?” and they reflexively respond, “I’m fine,” go on to ask how they really feel, and then be prepared to do something about it.
Are you ready to look beyond the cloak?
Anne Ahlman, MPT
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