Shut up and Listen!!

We’ve all experienced this scenario.  You go to a doctor’s office and wait for 30 minutes to have the nurse bring you back to the examination room.  Then, wait another 15 minutes to have the assistant come in and ask questions.  Finally, after another 15 minutes, a doctor comes in and spends an even shorter period of time with you before he leaves the room, all for you to end up with a prescription in your hand for some medicine that you never wanted in the first place.  Not only are you frustrated because you waited an hour but you felt like you didn’t get to fully explain the problems you are having so he can properly treat you. 

At PTW, we teach our clinicians to actively listen so we can help to meet our patients’ goals.   

Effective listening and communication skills are part of our training, such as;

• Learning to let the patient talk.  Clinicians are not mind readers, so we have to listen.  During the subjective examination, more than half of the conversation should be spoken by the patient.  Not the clinician.
• Body language.  Studies have shown that >50% of the communication is nonverbal.  Can we say eye contact?  Watching a patient’s body language often helps us understand the patient better. 
• Ask open ended question and narrow it down with close ended questions.  Questions that start with “why” invite a defensive response but questions start with “what” leads to productive communication.
• Process before you speak.  It’s okay to pause and respond thoroughly.  Very quick response can feel like there’s no understanding of what was said. 

Once a diagnosis is figured out, our clinicians understand how to summarize the problem in a simple way, and have a game plan with your goals in mind.  It is crucial to discuss the diagnosis and get the patient’s thoughts to come up with a mutually agreeable treatment plan to meet their goals.  

If your physical therapist does not listen, consider coming in to PTW for a complementary screening at any of our 5 locations.  

Andrew Seo, DPT

PTW Montgomeryville

Concussion Season is open!

Fall sports brings us a busy time for us helping folks manage concussions.  From our in house expert at our Lansdale Physical Therapy Center...Dr. Jackie Yee...

Alert! Signs and symptoms of a concussion!

Traumatic brain injuries are a growing concern in America.   

From the CDC Heads up program, we get the following; A concussion is considered a mild traumatic brain injury is may be caused by an external force that directly contacts the head.  The direct impact of a solid object to the head may result in either a blunt or penetrating injury, which causes stress and strain to the components of the brain.

Seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY if you notice: ¹

·        Headaches that get worse

·        Abnormal muscle weakness, poor coordination or numbness

·        Continuous complaints of nausea or vomiting

·        Slurred speech

What is the importance of physical therapy?   

Part of our profession is to determine if an athlete is a candidate for physical therapy to address symptom management, musculoskeletal limitations, and coordination in order to return to prior level of function.  Specific oculomotor, balance and musculoskeletal screens would be performed to determine whether the athlete is appropriate for physical therapy or whether the athlete should be referred to a specialist for further testing. 

 

Feel free to come to the office to pick up an information sheet about concussion or make an appointment for a consult to see if your athlete may be a candidate of physical therapy. 

Jackie Yee PT,  DPT, Cert MDT, Vestibular and Concussion Expert

Looking for a career in Physical Therapy?

Once again growing outpatient Physical Therapy Center that practices industry best, evidence driven Physical Therapy and Fitness, looking for a few like minded thinkers (which are sometimes hard to find!)

If you are:
excited about delivering great care
Read a lot about your practice
Are an active listener
And want to work in a special company culture, give us a call.

Part-Time Evening Openings now!

Full-Time Opening now!





Call Lindsey Earnest or Robert Babb at 215 855 9871 or email

Robert.Babb@ptwinstitute.com

Honored for Best Practice

From Best Physical Therapy Practice to 2002 to Montco's "The Best of for 2015"
(14 years in a row as Best Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine)

• In a stand alone, private, professional practice, 14 yrs running
• 5 locations 
• Over 500+ referring Physicians
• Industry Expert Speakers & Published Authors
• Group practice; Two PTs to your case vs. one
• Professionals; Doctors of PT
• 6 am to 8 pm hours, Saturday too
• Aquatic Therapy, exclusive to one person
• Alter G
• Therapy only specialized exercise equipment 
• "Your Body Repair Stop" since 2002

The difference is the passion

the education

the engagement

all to empower you once again.

See the difference today.

Are we listening?

Nice work coming out of the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine with this information;

In the article, Improving Long-Term Outcomes for Chronic Low Back Pain: Time for a New Paradigm?,  authors Paul Beattie and Sheri Silfies ask if its time for us to start thinking different about chronic low back pain.

Three key elements they mention the our CUSTOMERS EXPECT:

1.  Emphasize importance of self-management.

Folks with CLBP what us to make it a fundamental goal of treatment right from the beginning, and  points to an abundance of strong evidence that suggests education on a pro active plan for management of the back pain.  They write Physical Therapist need to communicate and listen better, since many patients never get the message to self management is necessary for long-term conditions

Supporting their message are studies addressing patient satisfaction with physical therapy, where they consistently find respondents are less satisfied with the degree of instruction they received towards understanding injury prevention (posture, dynamic movement, Back first aide, etc), and performing a home program. 

2.  Fundamental to a program:  consider patient preference 

Beattie and Silfies point to evidence that suggest a strong link to patient preference and expectations playing the largest part in adherence to and exercise program.

As an example,  evidence suggest meaningful strength and motor control games for atrophied back muscles and people with chronic low back pain take considerably longer to achieve and overcome (expect some bumpy roads, small setbacks to start, a good PT will help you manage bumps with education, modalities, their hands, and other resources), so a long term program outline starting with the patients (customers) preferences (and passions!) will help achieve greater success.  

The take home; a good PT will listen to the patient goals!

3.  The value of physical therapy improves if the patient can attend periodic follow-up visits for tuneups

If your PT is practicing at the highest level, they will arrange for you to periodically come back (perhaps once a month), to maintain therapeutic alliance for long-term follow-up.  They reflect that it's the patient satisfaction with these long-term follow-up treatment is likely to improve if the patient establishes an ongoing relationship and therapeutic alliance

More aggressive long-term patient centered approach the self-management is likely to increase accumulative dosage of exercise and successful outcomes, and is likely to shift attitudes and beliefs such as quality-of-life benefits associated with health and fitness.

In the perfect world we have no back pain.

But if you do, find a PT that educates you on posture, movements, self care, while offering home programs that are simple and understandable, all together wrapped up in helping you manage your active wellness/fitness lifestyle program that takes your likes and dislikes into account.

Consider PTW, where practicing industry best standards are our norm.

Robert Babb, PT

Physical Therapy Group Practice

A patient mentioned in her testimony last week this comment:

"I went to a smaller practice the last time I needed PT.  There was only one therapist, but therapy was so much better here at PTW .  Here I could come early in the morning, or late at night, and they always had someone helping me.  The Therapist worked with me every time, progressed my routine every visit, and measured progress all the time.  My last therapy place, the therapist never increased my program nor did she ever measure me, only at the end."

This was a great reminder of the opportunities multiple location, larger group practice might offer;
 
   1.  2 on 1 Therapy;  At PTW, we assign 2 Therapist to your case when you need flexibility in your scheduling.  The two therapist will work in tandem to achieve the goals written

  2.  Progressive plans:  At a private practice in a private location, we practice industry best standards.  Evidence based decisions on your plan, research based education on your problem, and timely communications with the referral sources are our top priorities with your plan. 

  3.  Private locations:  no battle with health club lines, hospital parking lot access, or limited hours available.  Our centers are open for operation from 6:30 am to 8 pm, and even Saturdays.

  4.  Logistics:  not only are we conveiently located near where you live, but you can attend any one of our 5 locations during your treatment.  Attend Lansdale today, West Norriton tomorrow...to make it convenient for you.

Bodies under repair, its all we do, its all we breathe.  Give us a call for a tour before you may need us!


Bob Babb, President, PTW

Tiger Woods can't ask for a better job!

Did anyone see Tiger Woods let his daughter putt for him yesterday?


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2424247-tiger-woods-daughter-putts-for-dad-at-masters-par-3-competition?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

So cool!

Research from the University of Canterbury and Vanderbilt University shows that fathers provide unique benefits to their daughters through their active and positive presence from birth through adulthood, and can even affect their physical changes. 

http://news.vanderbilt.edu/archived-news/register/articles/index-id=9678.html

In Physical Therapy, we spend so much time with our patients, we do affect their physical changes, develop relationships, and make meaningful contributions towards their daily function.  

Like Tiger, as a Father or a Physical Therapist, I Can't ask for a better job!!