What I don't do II

[Barrett Dorko]

And maybe the most difficult question, please don't slap me too hard. If you aren't doing anything, why isn't it enough to shake someone's hand, or get a hug....?

A perfectly good question asked by CDano in yesterday’s Range of Motion – What I don’t do

In 1975 Paul received a BA in Buddhist studies while at university in Kyoto. He said, “I learned a lot about how to approach and treat patients in my seven years at the Bobath Hospital.

Jay Schleichkorn in The Bobaths

In 1979 I returned to Ohio and watched my mother move unconsciously yet therapeutically as she succumbed to Alzheimer’s. Eventually, I sat beside my father’s deathbed as he composed a poem about the care he’d received from his physical therapist—distinguishing this from the therapist’s training—and these two insights became major themes in my practice and my writing.

From This is Why

The fact is, a handshake might be enough to “move” another toward relief from their pain, but we are so used to such things that we don’t notice them. It simply isn’t enough. I actually think that perfunctorily asking another how they are is anti-therapeutic. Personally, I never do it.

Heckler wrote: A practice is not so much about achieving a goal, avoiding something, improving yourself or making your wishes come true, but creating a positive environment internally and externally for the awakening process to take hold. A practice provides a path we may walk on, fall from, stand again, and relate in a direct and vivid way to others and the experience of our life.

I included this among the essays in my book and listened as Laurie Hack read it aloud at Cleveland State’s Prestige Day Presentation. I did the presentation there the following year and no one from that institution ever talked to me again.

I think it was because I didn’t tell them what to do, but discussed instead what they might come to understand.

What exactly should they do?

I swear I don’t know. But I think I know what they shouldn’t do.

[mike44pt]

This is my first post so here is an introduction. I am a PT in private practice working in Maryland. I work alone with a secretary. My patients are the failed workers' comp. My referrals come from attorneys (plaintiff and defense), case managers and vocational counselors -very seldom physicians (probable because they believe these patients are too complicated for a PT). Physicians would be surprised to learn that when traditional medical model thinkers have thrown everything at them and they have still failed they wind up at PT (disheartened and overmedicated). This is a WC system failure not a patient motivation problem.

My current interest is in scaling down the screening approach used by the Gray Cook team for my patients. These folks have movement problems and perceptual problems with a dysfunctional CNS. I need to guide them in working on all of that and communicate what I'm doing and why, as well as progress to all those involved in the case.

Thanks

[Barrett Dorko]

Thanks for posting though this is hardly the thread for that.

Read this.

Is there some specific reason you're hiding your actual name?

[Sheffphysio]

Hi Mike, good you could make it here. Just out of interest, why do people with persistent pain have a "dysfunctional CNS?"

[Diane]

Mike, here is a link to the Welcome Forum. Please start a thread there to introduce yourself, where we can welcome you properly.

[Barrett Dorko]

I'm wondering if this thread along with the last couple of posts to Caro's Clarity has been helpful.

[joebrence9]

perceptual problems with a dysfunctional CNS

I actually believe that if they are in pain, they have a "functional CNS"...The common issue that you are seeing is that individuals are likely in a state of central sensitization and this is why their pain does not make mechanical sense (I used to also blame my patients for having perceptual disorders and a problematic nervous system until I realized it was simply my lack of understanding the neural mechanisms that produce pain)

Maybe you could read my post about pain to learn more...

[jrob450]

Barrett,

This is very helpful to me as a person trying to a hold of the nervous system and how it interacts with movement. I read the links provided and the light bulb moment was relating ideomotion to those of diagnosed ADHD children. I had never thought about movement in that fashion. A very close friend is a pediatric psychologist specializing in behavior modification and how to utilize in ADHD. I look forward in bringing this up as a topic of discussion tonight.

Thanks again

[CDano]

Yes this has been very helpful. The Ray Charles blind connection was especially illuminating.

[Barrett Dorko]

I think Carol Lynn's thread is a classic. She's one of the few here whom I've met personally and I'm glad I didn't drive her away.

Perhaps we're all lucky I didn't.