“You have the worst knee I’ve ever seen”, “your MRI shows you have the back of an old man”, “you have degenerative disc disease”, or “ watch out how you move, or your back will fall out of place”. Any of these make you feel good? These are quotes that I’ve had from patients in just the last year from a variety of health professionals. But why build these broken images in our patients minds?
Every year I receive 2-3 students that come to the clinic in hopes to be a better therapist by the time they leave and have a new perspective of patient care. No matter how far ahead, or behind in exercise perception, biomechanics or patient education I have always and will always give them ONE article to start their experience with me, “Words That Harm, Words That Heal” Bedell et. al. The synopsis of this article is that patients ARE NOT there diagnosis. Fancy medical jargon may be every day terminology to the medical professional but to patients, it becomes a tattoo of fear and a label they must wear. Athletes use it to slow return or prevent return to sports. Middle aged individuals change lifestyles to limit doing things they love so they aren’t set back from working. Elders stop being active in order to prevent a surgery that they have defined as a death sentence.
The next step is to reflect on how medical professionals are addressing their patients. How can we change how we tell our patients what is going on in their bodies? Why not tell them that arthritis, degenerative disc disease, narrow disc spacing is a NORMAL way of aging. A slightly torn meniscus is not an immediate surgical intervention and is found in athletes that perform at high levels DAILY with no limitations. Or how about a daily walking program can assist in reducing low back pain and increasing bone density in the elderly?! What can patients or those seeking medical advice do? Breathe. Slow down, don’t ask Dr. Google and ask your medical professional to explain your health in a different manner. This is how we transition from words that harm, to words that heal.
