Physical Therapy is More Than Just the Physical
By Calvin Thai PT, DPT
I personally don’t like doing things without understanding the “why”. Even in PT school, I was always the person asking, “Well, why do I need to know that?” If I’m just repeatedly doing a task without understanding the goal or outcome, it doesn’t really stick with me.
So, why am I bringing this up?
It happens quite often in the clinic. We give a patient an exercise, and they’re confused because it doesn’t seem to target the exact area of their symptoms. If your knee hurts, why are we working on your hip? If your back hurts, why are we talking about breathing, stress, or how you move?
Because good rehabilitation is about more than just the injured body part.
A good rehab program should be multidimensional. We need to consider things like mental readiness, emotional state, pain education, strength, movement mechanics, and neuromuscular control. But none of that matters if the patient doesn’t understand why we’re doing it.
This is where I think the therapeutic alliance becomes so important. A good therapist isn’t just someone who knows which exercises to give you. They’re someone who can listen, communicate clearly, build trust, and help you understand the reasoning behind the plan.
Research on patients with low back pain has highlighted the importance of this relationship. Patients valued being listened to, receiving reassurance, having treatment individualized to them, and developing the confidence to manage their symptoms.
To me, that’s what makes physical therapy different.
We spend a lot of time with our patients, which gives us the opportunity to make rehabilitation collaborative. The exercises and modalities are important, but so is the relationship we build with the person doing them.
So when looking for a physical therapist, don’t just look for someone who knows a lot of exercises. Look for someone who listens, communicates, involves you in the process, and explains the why.
Because physical therapy is more than just the physical.
Book an assessment and let’s get you back to feeling good in your body.
No referrals, no waiting, just answers. Did you know that we offer free 1-on-1 injury screens? Wattage Physical Therapy will take an in depth look at your ergonomics, posture, muscle tone, muscle weaknesses, and movement patterns to create a plan for YOU. If this article intrigues you, you can directly email me, Calvin at calvin@wattagept.com. I would be happy to help you start the process of living a life free from pain.