THE SECRET SAUCE YOU NEED TO FEEL BETTER

The secret sauce you need to feel better

by Troy Vander Molen, PT, DPT

In 1993, my wife Stephanie and I found ourselves in Willmar, Minnesota at a Christian rock concert. For about $10, we heard a handful of popular artists, like the Newsboys, perform great songs. After all these years, though, the most unforgettable experience of that night came from a guy I didn’t know prior to this event.

Josh McDowell is a youth speaker who grew up an agnostic. That night he spoke about the heinous acts of physical violence his father committed against his mother, a model that drove him away from his heavenly Father. Over time, and despite subsequent acts of rebellion, he began to experience the call of God on his life. It wasn’t until he understood that he must forgive his father – even though his father hadn’t asked for it – that he came to understand the deep impact of true Love and real, intimate relationships.

That night, Josh McDowell, a man who has given 27,000 talks in 125 countries and is believed to have spoken to more kids than any other man in history, spent a considerable amount of time exploring this principle: rules without relationship lead to rebellion.

Building a trusting relationshipThis simple fact applies to all of our relationships. If parents bark out commands to kids but don’t spend time developing a loving, trusting relationship with them, a rebellion to those commands is likely to occur. The same principle is true in health care, and it strikes me how “health care” can be a very ironic phrase. Many health care experiences we hear about from our clients’ experiences elsewhere are neither about health nor care.

At Kinetic Edge, we believe that people don’t care what we know unless they know that we care. We don’t expect you to trust us or to try out our recommendations unless you first know us and like us. In our world, rebellion might look like halfhearted commitment to the rehab process. Therefore, relationship building is the most important and fundamental principle of our success.

Building a trusting relationship is our secret sauce.

The next time you see or hear a health care provider promoting the newest technology or gadget, have an appreciation for it, but recognize that these items are only tools. The newest and coolest treatment fad – whether it’s a colorful tape, a vibrating plate, or a $100K piece of equipment – is only as effective as the provider using it and her ability to care for you.

Astym on heelAt Kinetic Edge, we too have some of these new and cool treatment options like trigger point dry needling and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (i.e. Astym), and we promote them because they are great tools. But the tool is only effective if it is held in the hand of an empathetic health care provider that demonstrates genuine care and compassion for your individual needs.

Physical Therapists Larry Benz and David Browder performed an extensive study to determine what patients most wanted in their physical therapy experience. Here’s what they discovered mattered most to patients:

  1. A knowledgeable therapist
  2. Friendly staff members
  3. Clear instructions from the therapist
  4. No or very limited waiting time
  5. Recommendation from their physician

Notice, none of the responses mention stretchy tape, needles, a specific piece of equipment, or cutting-edge treatments offered to Olympic athletes. A majority of these five most important factors are related to how people are treated relationally, not how they are treated medically.

At Kinetic Edge, we focus on these five important factors with every client encounter. Like Josh McDowell encourages, we strive to develop deep and trusting relationships so that the right therapeutic activity occurs at the right time, which yields the best results. If rules without relationship lead to rebellion, then health care outcomes are directly tied to relationship.

If you want to learn more about Josh McDowell’s message about the importance and benefits of relationship building, click here. And if you want to spend a brief 20 minutes with one of our licensed therapy providers to understand how a relationship with us can yield positive results for your musculoskeletal problem, just call us today at 866-588-0230 to set up a free screen.