More about the Pain Seminar Today

When I posed the question to the Rehabilitation Technicians, "What can you use in your Physical Therapy Department to treat pain in your patients?", the immediate first answer right out of the gate was EDUCATION. WOW! This is an enviable response that my American colleagues who teach Physical Therapy at the University level would like to hear from their students. The first thing we can and should do is educate the patient. Too often we get lost in the latest remedy without letting the patient know what is happening to them. The second answer I received to this question was "our hands." They went on to state all the techniques that can be completed with their hands from exercise to mobilization to massage. All of these things relieve pain. There are a million gadgets out there, but none as adaptable as the human hand. This answer is also right on target for anyone studying physical therapy. In Haiti, day to day practice and experience with a multitude of patients are powerful tools for improving performance. I see that more and more in these young Technicians every time I come.