PT pain homework

[sasha_feather]

I have PT homework that involves learning about some pain research.

Why Things Hurt - Lorimer Moseley (14 min Tedx Talk)
Understanding Pain in less than 5 minutes (whiteboard by PainAustraila)
www.pain-ed.com

Read section one of "Explain Pain" by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley (done)


What I struggle with here is a) the feeling of being talked down to, and b) Feeling like being told that pain is your fault. When in reality we don't actually know that much about it from a scientific perspective.

Comments

[longwhitecoats]

Urgh. Yeah, that doesn't sound constructive at all. Did you get anything out of it otherwise?

[sasha_feather]

I'm trying to keep an open mind, but this doesn't sound so different than other things I've done. Like, yeah, go walking? Try to have good relationships? Meditate? ugh.... no shit. The PT did seem nice and I'll give her a fair shot.

[alatefeline]

Grrr. If you know of better resources, you can consider writing a summary with links and sending that to the person assigning homework. But I think it's really freaking problematic that you've got this sort of homework at all. You are right to suspect that this is an attempt at patronizing and blame-shifting.

[sasha_feather]

Thank you. That's reassuring.

I suppose I could recommend that my PT read The Rejected Body by Susan Wendell!

[jesse_the_k]

YESSSSSSS,

[sasha_feather]

I think i will!

expanded thoughts

[alatefeline]

Yes, you can!

Since you found this reassuring, I'll expand on my thoughts. I have never dealt with chronic pain or had PT, so I am not speaking from experience, (more from analogy with mental health stuff which is not the same) and if you want me to move aside (delete something, go study something, etc) I will. My intention is NOT to override your voice or to set myself up as an expert, so please freely ignore, disagree, correct, add context etc. Caveats duly given, here I go:

Some points to bear in mind, whether or not you think it is safe or strategically effective to bring them up:

A physical therapist is working for you. You are the patron, not just the object, of their craft. Many medical professionals reverse this relationship and try to make their clients submit to their authority, but while a medical professional will have specialized knowledge on a range of conditions and treatments, you are the expert on yourself, your experience, what has and has not worked for you in the past, and where your boundaries lie.

A therapist who does not use your input to design a program that is effective for you is a therapist who is not doing all the good they could be doing; they may or may not be better than your other options, but they are not exemplifying their profession's best. Teamwork and trust are important, but trust has to be earned.

Unconscious bias and systemic ableism are everywhere. Your therapist may have no conscious intention of doing anything condescending, and still feel more comfortable with asserting their power than building up your power or the power to create positive outcomes that you can share.
I tend to walk into doctor's offices with extensive written notes and references, because I don't trust them to listen otherwise. I know people who don't need to do that; I know people who've done that and still had terrible outcomes. It varies, but not randomly. Timing, psychological factors, various forms of privilege, and the extent to which the medical professional is overloaded and over-scheduled impact quality of care.

If you felt insulted or diminished by your "homework", other people have probably felt the same way. Consider your own needs, comfort zone, and alternatives before deciding to speak up, but don't doubt that you have a moral right to do so.

Conversely, if you need to go along to get along, do, and don't worry about it; you're salvaging what you can from a less-than-ideal situation.

Re: expanded thoughts

[sasha_feather]

Thank you, this is very helpful.

Re: expanded thoughts

[alatefeline]

I have some links that helped inform my opinion, if and only if you are interested.

Re: expanded thoughts

[sasha_feather]

sure!

Re: expanded thoughts

[alatefeline]

Here you go: some selected articles from one of my favorite intersectionally aware websites.

(You could offer your PT person a deal - I'll do the homework you give, if you do the homework I give. *sarcastic smile* The response to this - I'm saying this as a teacher who has occasionally let students give *me* homework - can be illuminating.)

Articles like these have helped to inform my viewpoint. As someone who has never had physical therapy myself, I rely on the voices of those with greater experience, along with analogies and general principles, to try to understand - and I am probably going to screw up eventually, but I will keep trying.

Setting Boundaries with a Therapist (Mental Health Context)
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/08/6-strategies-for-setting-boundaries-with-your-therapist/
“For many people, a therapist is an authority figure because they have training and expertise, and because sometimes, they do have tangible power over their clients …. If the therapist thinks you should talk about a particular sensitive subject, don’t they know what’s best for you?… It’s true that therapists know a lot … but they don’t know everything. They also don’t know you as well as you know yourself.”

Thing Not To Say To People With Chronic Pain
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/05/hurtful-things-said-to-people-with-chronic-pain/
“Keep in mind that people in chronic pain know their bodies better than you do and innocent assumptions can do a lot of unintentional damage.”

Wheelchair Use & Work
http://everydayfeminism.com/2016/08/ableism-at-work/
“From one working person to another, I’d like to remind able bodied people that if you value professionalism, boundaries, and consent, then respecting disabled people’s boundaries when you work with us should matter to you – whether you’re at your job, their job, a job you share, or on the street.”

Cancer, Ableism, and Misdiagnosis
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/09/medical-fat-shaming-danger/
“My doctors treated my fat, rather than investigating the real reason I was sick, and it could’ve killed me.”

If you want, I am interested to know what you think of any/all of this.

[worlds_of_smoke]

Wow, that's... super patronizing. Because, hi, if you're in PT, you know about pain and forcing you to listen to advice you probably have already attempted or know you can't attempt is really condescending and an asshole-ish move.

[sasha_feather]

Yeah the more I think about it the more bothered I am!

[davidgillon]

Ugh. What we do know about chronic pain expressly says it isn't your fault. How you feel about it can influence its effects, but it can't turn it on or off.

And PTs seem particularly bad at this.

[sasha_feather]

*nod nod* :( xo