I’m guessing that whenever you meet a physio, you have this undeniable urge to tell them about your shoulder that has been dislocated 100 times, your painful lower back that develops a disc bulge every time you lean forward, or your knee pain that becomes excruciating when sitting and watching a 2 hour long movie.
(N.B this is simply an educated guess based on experience. No need to feel guilty if the above scenario describes you. Just don’t take it personally when the physio replies ‘that’s nice’ and changes topics!)
Funnily enough, no one ever has an urge to tell me about the phlegm that has been stuck in their chest that they just can’t cough up!! Yet for the past 5 weeks I have been doing just that – helping people cough up secretions.
This may come as a bit of a shock to some of you, but yes, physios do more than just massage patients and listen to people whine.
My last practical rotation ever involves chest physio. It involves helping people take deeper breaths so their lungs don’t collapse. This means helping people cough up phlegm from their chest or in some cases, suction out the phlegm when they can’t cough. It involves mobilising patients who can’t walk by themselves as mobilising is one of the best treatments possible. It also requires the physio to know a hell a lot of respiratory and cardiac theory.
I have worked with patients post abdominal surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, patients with respiratory problems, ventilated patients in ICU (intensive care unit) and patients with spinal cord injuries.
It has taught me skills such as being able to listen to someone’s chest with a stethoscope, communicating with someone who is unable to talk because they are ventilated, coping with being labeled a bully and most importantly, appreciating the beauty of hearing a moist cough which is productive of lots and lots of phlegm! Seriously!
By all means, feel free to continue to nag a physio about your aches and pains, but also feel free to nag them about that damn persistent cough that won’t go away :)
Comments
Keren, your life is disgustingly fascinating. Your blogs are always such fun to read - far more interesting than my grocery shopping jaunts!
Posted by: Lauren | July 4, 2006 03:40 PM
Ughhhghghh Keren, I need you. I don't want to get too graphic, but I feel like I swallowed a kilo of clag glue. Mixed with honey. And a piece of old gum.
Posted by: Asako | July 4, 2006 11:33 PM