You & GMCF PT: are we a match??
At GMCF PT, we believe that different gets you better. But how are we different and why will that help you?
The GMCF PT difference is our approach to treating pain.
There’s a good chance that if you are reading this, you are in pain. Most people seek a physical therapist because they are in pain, often associated with a physical injury. At GMCF PT, we believe it would be a mistake to ONLY focus on the physical sensations, and not address all the other parts of your life affected by your pain. You aren’t a car with a squeaky wheel that just needs some grease on that one rusty axle to run smoothly again. You are a complex human with a brain and a nervous system. You have thoughts and feelings and emotions. You have a lifetime of experiences. You have relationships with family, friends, teammates, etc. When pain enters your life, all of those aspects of your life are affected all at once.
We approach all of our patients using the biopsychosocial model (yes, it’s a mouthful). Using this model means we want to understand not just your pain and injury, but the mental and emotional toll it’s having on you, and how your relationships with other people are being affected. There’s never just one effect on only one part of your life when you’re in pain. Addressing several of the parts of your life affected by pain all at once leads to a quicker return to the activities that are important to you.
You likely participate in work, family, and recreational activities that give meaning and purpose to your life. These activities put food on your table and pay your bills. They provide social connections, allow you to be creative, have fun and relieve stress. These activities may even define who you are.
But what if your way of life became interrupted by pain? Take for example a runner. If knee pain limits a runner from running, an identity crisis can occur:
Are you still a runner if you can’t run?
What if the answer is no?
Are you now excluded from your running friends and the running community?
What if this pain never goes away?
How will you cope with losing that part of yourself and those social connections?
How will you relieve stress?
What could possibly replace this thing that is such a big part of what defines you?
Who are you now, if you aren’t a runner?
These are big, scary questions.
Replace running with pickleball, yoga, weightlifting, CrossFit, picking your child or grandchild up, playing the violin or cello, being able to sit, stand or drive for work, hike, ski, or whatever part of your life and identity is most important to you. What would your life be like if you lost that part? All of a sudden a fear of pain develops because of all that is at stake if the pain doesn’t go away or gets worse. Then what? Without understanding your pain, you might stop skiing or playing the guitar. Now you’re spending less time doing something you enjoy. You might therefore be spending less time with people you are close to. Or, you might just get fed up and decide to ignore the pain and keep doing what you love, but paying for it with more pain later. Taking either of these actions can create a situation where your pain lasts longer, gets worse, and sucks the joy out of your life.
In order to limit all the negative effects pain can have on your life, you must understand
what your pain means and where it’s coming from.
We spend a lot of time educating our patients on the different factors that cause pain, what pain means in different situations, when to respect the pain and when to ignore it (yes, sometimes that’s appropriate!). A thorough understanding of pain is essential to a quicker and longer lasting recovery because it provides you with many tools to take control of your life again.
At GMCF PT, we will take the time to talk about your pain, pinpoint its causes, and help you strengthen in order to recover for good. Book your first session today and get started on getting better!