Within the world of healthcare, too often there is an emphasis on the diagnosis and treating an individual as a “patient” rather than a person. While a diagnosis may lead to the proper course of treatment the human aspect of patient-centered care is lost in this approach. This is why we emphasize the importance and strive to be your healthcare ally.
When an individual as been in pain for a prolonged period of time it is vitally important that we are able to empathize and create a therapeutic alliance in order to create buy in, which ultimately leads to improved outcomes over a shorter period of time. This therapeutic alliance helps to build confidence, relationships and excitement between the individual and the therapist. Research has proven throughout the years the relationship built between these two has been proven to decrease an individual’s pain. More recently the evidence suggests that for individuals participating in physical therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain, a strong therapeutic alliance may improve pain outcomes. In order to facilitate a strong therapeutic alliance, physical therapists must understand factors that positively and negatively influence the relationship.
This relationship is established by having the therapist use a biopsychosocial approach to their treatment rather than the traditional biomedical model. While two therapists using each of these treatment approaches may find positive outcomes, the research is clear there is much more to an individuals pain than just their diagnosis. While the biomedical model focuses in on the specific pathology and believes all symptoms are a product of said pathology, the biopsychosocial model includes many more factors responsible for symptom manifestation. While biological considerations are a part of this treatment approach, social and psychological considerations are also considered when formulating a plan of care and how to best address the underlying issues.
It is this multi-faceted approach that considers the whole human when dealing with chronic pain and leads to improved long-term outcomes. At Empower U, we pride ourselves on being a high-quality healthcare ally in the community. As performance physical therapists, we can help you cover a wide range of concerns and diagnoses. If your pain and wellness extends beyond what we can offer, we have a strong healthcare team beyond our walls that we will connect you with right away. If you’re looking for a healthcare ally to help you overcome pain and be the best version of yourself, reach out to us below!
Kinney M, Seider J, Beaty AF, Coughlin K, Dyal M, Clewley D. The impact of therapeutic alliance in physical therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review of the literature. Physiother Theory Pract. 2020;36(8):886-898. doi:10.1080/09593985.2018.1516015
