After 30 years in physiotherapy, I have a confession: I was trained to be a problem-solver, but chronic conditions taught me I was often the problem. Here’s what the research won’t tell you in your continuing education courses: healthcare...
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Picture this: A newly graduated physiotherapist faces their third patient of the day—a 45-year-old tradesman with shoulder pain. Armed with fresh anatomical knowledge and a burning desire to prove their expertise, they launch into a detailed explanation of subacromial...
She was slumped in the waiting room chair, arms crossed, staring at the floor. A WorkCover patient who clearly didn’t want to be there. I’d seen this posture a thousand times before. The resigned shoulders. The defensive body language....
“Place the seven questions from The Coaching Habit near your keyboard. Set yourself the goal of asking at least one of them before you fire off advice, opinions, and suggestions. Maybe even ask two.” – Michael Bungay Stanier, The...
Picture this: Sarah, a 52-year-old office manager with osteoarthritis, sits across from you nodding enthusiastically. You’ve just set the perfect SMART goal together—walk 30 minutes daily for 8 weeks to improve joint mobility. It’s Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and...
Here’s a revelation that might change how you approach your next consultation: what your patients believe about their pain matters as much as what they feel. In fact, according to groundbreaking research by J.P. Caneiro, Samantha Bunzli, and Peter...
Picture this: You’ve just finished explaining a perfectly sound treatment plan. Your client nods politely, thanks you, and leaves. Two weeks later, they return having done nothing. Sound familiar? Or perhaps you’ve faced the client who outright challenges your...
In my previous piece on patient adherence, we explored Michael Pantalon’s six-question framework for helping patients persuade themselves to change. Today, I want to dive deeper into four specific questions from William Miller and Stephen Rollnick’s motivational interviewing work...
Picture this: Sarah, a 28-year-old with cystic fibrosis, sits across from you looking frustrated. Despite your detailed explanations about the importance of her airway clearance routine, she’s been skipping sessions. Again. Or consider David, recovering from knee surgery, who...
