One of the things we are very mindful and careful of at Back and Body Springfield is how we phrase questions and how we ask patients to perform certain movements. It may sound obvious, but it is vital to ask the right questions to get the right answers. Then we can treat and educate as accurately as possible.
A good example is asking a patient to perform a neck lift movement. If we ask them to lay down on the table, the way we ask the question could be misleading and will not answer our question properly.
We could say “lift your head off the bench.” We could also say, “lift your head straight up” or “lift your head to your chin” or even “lift your head up.” Each of these statements are open to interpretation, not only by the patient, but also the results that the doctor needs to interpret.
So it is our responsibility to phrase what we want the patient to do very careful so as not to mislead and thus understand more about what is going on.
We have to try to identify what is the habitual movement (ie the movement the patient would normally make for the requested movement) from whether the patient is actually able to carry out the proper functional movement being asked of them, and indeed, if they even have the ability to do so.
Treating patients as accurately and as properly as possible is our mantra. We want our patients to get out of pain as soon as possible and to do so with minimal risk of repeating the injury in the future. Treatment and education go hand in hand, but so does accurate communication and so we want to be is clear and concise as possible on what we ask of our patients during treatment,
In pain? Want a tune up? Call us today (908) 325 – 3000. We can treat and help you.
