Commitment is Key to Success
This statement is true in business, sports, weight loss, goal achievement (along with other factors) and is also true for recovery from injury and pain. I’ve seen it too many times: patients giving up right before starting treatment, just after one or two sessions, right in the middle of the program and then close to the very end, just before the finishing line. This drop-out rate can be somewhat frustrating for the practitioner who wants to see patients reach their full physical potential.
People are constantly scanning the horizon for the next best treatment, hoping to find the one that will cure or give the magic quick fix. Some treatments are inappropriate and many are ineffective but patients have been sold on hype and marketing. If a problem has been in the making for a while, there is no fix that will resolve it quickly.
Very few patients make it to the end, having committed time, money, attention and energy to finding a solution that works, to achieve the goal of holistic health and symptom resolution or management. Finding a solution that works requires thoughtful analysis, accurate assessment, being astute and observant, tuning in to the body’s clues and being committed to this task. This is the same for medical conditions as it is for conditions for which clients seek physiotherapy. It is not the practitioner’s main responsibility to find a solution for the client but the client’s responsibility with the help of the right information and skills.
Part of the problem is patients do not know which practitioner to trust nor who has the right knowledge and skills to help them. It is much easier for a practitioner to give symptomatic relief (most do) than to hunt for the root cause and treat it. Patients think they are better because they like the charisma or personality of the therapist and they believe the therapist to be competent, but this is merely placebo. I think I would rather choose the skilled and experienced surgeon who is quiet and contemplative than the inexperienced one who is handsome and charismatic. With careful thought and research, trust your instincts to find the right professional for you.
The expense is another limiting factor. Extended insurance coverage has an annual cap and people want to avoid paying out of pocket for healthcare services. My outlook is: it is never a waste of money if you are spending on health, education and your healthy passions, whether career, sports or hobbies. You will reap the rewards of your investment soon enough and well into old age.
The real solution does not necessarily have to be complicated, expensive, nor take long hours of hard, exhaustive work. It can be simple and straightforward, still requiring some thought and effort but mostly consistency, practice and commitment. This is what doctors mean when they suggest that ongoing lifestyle changes will help to prevent a stroke or heart attack or when a physiotherapist suggests short standing stretch breaks little and often during the day to break up the sitting pattern and reduce lumbar disc compression.
To-do list
1) Make a list of the problems for which solutions are needed
2) Research the skills and knowledge you need, including the right professionals
3) Commit your time, energy and resources to problem resolution
4) Evaluate the outcome objectively and make adjustments if needed
5) Stay on track!
Slow and steady wins the race.