Please stop apologising to your Physio!
Please stop apologising to your physio!
On the back of last weeks story (for those who’d didn’t read a patient revealed to me they where having an affair, their husband was in the waiting room!) it got me thinking about “things that patients apologise to me for but they absolutely don’t need to”. I also was seeing someone this morning who said sorry to me for one of the below exact points (for future reference, it’s the toenail one!)
It’s so common, patients say “sorry” to me allllll the time in the clinic! It’s always fine, these are things I never think about nor should you need to apologise for!
Here is a brief list but honestly, I could come up with 100+ things!
- Sorry I didn’t shave my legs
- Sorry I’ve got so much going on
- Im so sorry I Googled it
- Sorry about my toenails
- Sorry I’m crying
- Im so sorry I’ve just come here straight from the gym
- Sorry my back is so tight (as in, sorry you have to work hard)
- Im sorry I didn’t follow your advice, I played anyway
- Sorry Im probably wasting your time
(This one would have to be the most common that physiotherapists hear!)
Sometimes it’s exercises. Sometimes it’s walking. Sometimes I’ve told someone to temporarily stop doing something and they’ve done it anyway. Sometimes we’ve agreed on three gym sessions and they’ve not done it.
You absolutely do not need to apologise to me (or any health practitioner!)
I think sometimes people feel like they need to be a “good patient”. They want to come back and tell us they did everything we asked, their pain improved and they followed the plan perfectly.
You’re not going to get in trouble. I’m also not personally offended that the calf raises I lovingly prescribed you haven’t been touched since you left the clinic. Actually, knowing that you didn’t do something is useful information.
Maybe I gave you too much. Maybe the exercises were annoying. Maybe you didn’t understand why you were doing them. Maybe work was cooked that week. Maybe your kids were sick. Maybe you just couldn’t be bothered.
All of those things matter because the best rehab program in the world is completely useless if it doesn’t fit into your actual life.
I’d much rather you tell me the truth so we can work out something that DOES work.
And I think that probably applies to healthcare more broadly. You don’t need to impress the person looking after you. We’re there to help you, not grade you.So please…Don’t shave your legs for me.Don’t stress about your toenails.Come in sweaty.Bring me your ridiculously tight back.And if you didn’t do your exercises… just tell me.
