Most patient’s assume I hate answering this question. Just let me do my Job! Right?
Wrong.
In fact, I enjoy hearing this and really do not mind your curiosity. A few things run through my head when I hear this question. 1) It usually forces me to take a step back and better educate the patient on what exactly we are trying to accomplish. If the patient understands where we are going, they are usually much more willing to actively participate in their rehabilitation, which in the long term provides much better outcomes.
2) (Along similar lines) Maybe the patient does not fully trust me and has not bought into the treatment program…..this is important for me as a therapist to realize and again educate. In the grand scheme of things, patients spend very little time in my office and much more time on their own working, competing, exercising, and just living life. Without trust, there is no carry over from my office to their daily life.
3) If I or any therapist cannot give you a detailed answer as to why, then it is probably not worth your time. If you ever get the feeling that a therapist hasn’t put any thought into the exercise selection or treatment, then you are probably being placed into a cookie cutter program. That being said, there are times when a cookie cutter program does work. However, I believe that if you are actively seeking out treatment then chances are you did not respond previously to a cookie cutter program or you are not looking for a cookie cutter answer.
At On Track Physical Therapy your treatment should never feel like a cookie cutter program, and we welcome the questions that start with “Why”!