This is part two of our blog series on what you want from Physiotherapy.  It follows on from me looking in to what the research tells us that patients like about their physiotherapy encounters.  Part one looked into physiotherapist personal characteristics and this part explores what patients want to know?

The four key questions below come from a hugely influential physiotherapist by the name of Louis Gifford.  He has been fundamental in approaching patients not just as conditions but as people.  His approach was way before his time and is something that I really buy in to.

The questions he came up with have stood the test of time and research done after have backed up his claims. I have therefore left them untouched.  Find out what they are how Weymouth Physiotherapy help our patients in uncovering this knowledge by reading below.

The four things you need to know.

• What is wrong with me?

As humans we like to know what is going on.  The unknown can be a scary thing.  We want to know it is nothing serious. We want to know what is going so we know how to treat it.

One of the questions that we ask at Weymouth Physiotherapy when people are contacting us regarding booking is what they value most when seeing a physiotherapist.  Accurate diagnosis is top trumps and by a long way.  It is hugely important, especially in a world where everyone you know has an opinion, google turns up a hundred answers and even therapists and medical professions can’t agree.

At Weymouth Physiotherapy we are specialists at diagnosing your condition.  Often in acute conditions this is easy and clear cut, in chronic conditions it becomes more blurred.  However we go through all the factors that could be causing you pain and in turn address them.

We make sure you understand your condition, we will always ask you for your interpretation of what we have said.  This ensures that we have explained the information well enough to you.  If this shows you don’t yet fully understand then it is our job to keep helping you to understand.

• How long it will take to get better?

You want to know how long life is going to be on hold for.  You want to know how long it is going to be before you back to your hobbies without pain.

We give you this.  It won’t be a exact amount 7 weeks and 6 days but we will give you a guide based on the biology, the evidence and our previous experience.

Some improve quicker than others and that is impossible to predict.  That is why we always give you a range.  So rather than 8 weeks, we may say in our experience most people recover in 8-12 weeks.  This allows for some set backs on the way or slower healing times.  Yes it would be nice to more accurate but the truth is no one can be that accurate, just look at return to sport times for players in the premiership, how often do they get delayed.

Setting unrealistic expectations only sets people up to fail  and therefore we don’t do it.  We give people milestones to achieve and therefore we know if people are on track or not.  If you aren’t where we want you to be we will discuss this with you and work out why.

• What can you (the patient) do to get better?

Most, but not all of our patients recognise they have a part to play in their recovery.  People want to know what they can do to help.  Patients just want to get better and for the most part are aware they have a role in this.

It is very rare we send someone away from the clinic without something to work on.  You are with us for 30 minutes compared to the 167.5 other hours in the week.  Which do you think is more important?

Not only that we want to give you control over your condition and give you the skills not just to get over it now but also manage it for the future.  We can’t do that by just doing something for you.

Exercise is often a key part of what we suggest but it is not just a case of here is a sheet of exercises, get on with it.  We take time to explain the benefits, we discuss your preferences, we explore what is achievable and what the barriers are, we give you confidence and skills to progress or regress them.  We show you the onward plan and how things will look later down the line.

Basically we involve you in what it looks like and make sure you fully understand the process.

• What can I (the physio) do for it.

Whilst some patients just want a diagnosis and a thorough plan to move forward with, many of our patients feel at least a little helpless.  This is why they come to physiotherapy, they need help to move forward with it.  That is what we are there for.

We discuss what we can do to help you and what you need from us. This may be a lot to start with but over time our goal is to reduce your reliance on us.  We consider ourselves coaches more than fixers.  You can’t learn to drive without an instructor but you wouldn’t want to be stuck with your instructor for life would you.

Summary

These are the four key questions that we make sure every patient knows the answer to when leaving the building.  They may have other questions but these are the key ones. If you want questions answering then arrange a free call with us to discuss your problems.  You can organise by filling out the form at www.weymouthphysiotherapy.com/callback