fixmyback.ie http://fixmyback.ie Wed, 06 May 2015 13:08:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.19 Physical Therapist’s Work by Children http://fixmyback.ie/physical-therapist-through-the-eyes-of-a-child/ http://fixmyback.ie/physical-therapist-through-the-eyes-of-a-child/#comments Sun, 07 Jul 2013 06:57:48 +0000 http://fixmyback.ie/?p=176 It’s interesting how children see the work of a physical therapist. Below are two images by my son Maximo – he was 6 when he drew the pictures.

Maximo2          Maximo1

 

physical therapist

]]> http://fixmyback.ie/physical-therapist-through-the-eyes-of-a-child/feed/ 0 Posture and Exercise http://fixmyback.ie/posture-and-exercise/ http://fixmyback.ie/posture-and-exercise/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:19:22 +0000 http://fixmyback.ie/?p=1 Posture and ExerciseThere’s a lot of misinformation about posture. That’s one of the challenging parts of my job — trying to change the reputation of the word and the connotation it carries for the patient and help that person understand not only why those things are important, but also how posture and exercise can seriously improve health and well-being. I try to rewind and explain the basics. I have them stand in front of a mirror and see the differences between standing up straight versus slouched. I use force diagrams to show the increased pressure at their low back. Like any kind of education I provide during a treatment session, I try to adapt my conversation to the learning preferences of the patient. Sometimes it’s effective, other times not.

Another article was released this week highlighting the benefits of exercise for patients with cancer in building up a better immune system and ultimately protecting against future cancers. Experts from the University of Nebraska Medical Center will present the preliminary results at The Interactive Biology of Exercise meeting this week. Even without reading the article or understanding the research design, it’s yet another piece contributing to the long list of benefits of exercise.

When I get stressed or overwhelmed, I start prioritizing my to-do list, tackling the most important things and pushing off what I can. Exercise is usually at the bottom of the list. I’ve tried to make exercise more of a priority during those periods, but then I find myself running and reminding myself of all the other things I need to take care of, and before too long I feel bad about running because I should really be doing something else. Exercise seems like the most optional of my lists, although even I need to make it more of a priority. That, and drinking red wine.

How do you change your patient’s opinion about exercise or posture? If a patient perceives to be “nagged” about it from multiple healthcare providers, is there a chance our education could backfire?

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