Guidance
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Speaker: [00:00:00] so I am thinking about like my upbringing, which, um, was pretty rough. It's rough for most people I know, but let me tell you about my experience. So I'm one of. And I learned quite a lot from my, uh, I'm one of six. I learned quite a lot from my five siblings. Um, they were extremely, extremely helpful and that they made, most times they would do something stupid.
Um, and I, I would watch this of course, and I just wouldn't do that thing that they did and they got me out of a lot of trouble. Um, so I'm the middle child. So I was able to see like my, my older siblings still like going through middle school, high school and you know, one might be super involved into sports, but, uh, didn't care too much about its grades or maybe the other one was like getting into fights and [00:01:00] just wasn't going to school.
Like, like by choice, like just playing hooky and skipping school. Um, and those are like my, my two older brothers and. I'm just like, all right, well I'm definitely going to stay in school and I would take it seriously. And, uh, there were enough kids on campus who would call me, you know, by my, my older brother's name, his name is Brian.
He say, oh, you are Brian's little brother. And there was always this want to kind of get out of their shadow. And I kind of like make a name for myself, uh, with my younger siblings. Naturally took on this sort of like, like parenting role, you know? Um, so I am looking after what they're doing and in a way kind of policing, uh, what they're doing because I just don't want them getting into any trouble, right?
So I've been a little brother who's watching what not to do, and now I'm taking a look at my, my [00:02:00] younger siblings and I'm saying, Hey, you should probably do this instead. And. When I, and I've, I just, this has been me like since then. So like since, since I was knee high I've been doing this. Um, so been through, uh, high school into college, like undergrad.
Um, I heard about and would hear from, you know, seniors or juniors who are really, really close to graduating, who hadn't received like a lot of pt, um, uh, experience. So like before we apply to grad school, they look at our application. They want to know like just how many hours have we spent, how many at, at, how many different facilities have we gone to to get that, those hours?
And they kind of use that to say, okay, well it seems like this person is very. Anxious. You know, they, they, they've done the work [00:03:00] to, to make sure that yes, this is what they want to do. Not just going into school or getting into the program, but I mean, you spent like 500 hours at the school nursing facility.
Like that really shows that you are dedicated, you know, this is something you want to do. So, uh. I heard from the seniors, I heard from the, from the juniors. And of course like counselors, like, okay, like I'm going to make sure I get as much experience as I can. And now, you know, not now, but when I got into like my junior year, my senior year now looking at some of the younger people and I'm like, man, like, they're like really slacking and having a hell of a lot of fun.
And I naturally like started to do that too. Um, look, I, I put my head down a lot through, through undergrad. Um, I, I didn't take a, we, we ran on a quarter system. I never took a quarter off and it was always like [00:04:00] 22, 24 units, um, um, that, that I was studying for e each quarter. So by the time senior year came around.
You know, I'm taking all electives. It's only elective. I did swimming, uh, table tennis and like ping pong. Uh, I did this sort of, um, it wasn't exactly acting, but I had to like, put together a stage and it for like a show, like a performance at our program. And it was awesome. It was so cool. Right? Because.
I'm, I'm taking in again, like, what, what is this crowd doing? What is this crowd doing? And, and I kind of like merge in the middle. I, I take the best of both worlds, right? And when I got into grad school, um, I was part of this sort of buddy system and in this buddy system, uh, the. It wasn't the graduating class.
I felt like it was just just one class [00:05:00] above us. Uh, they, one person in the class above us will be linked with someone in the class below them. Um, and this guy, he was from, um, slo. This is, um, San, San Louis, a Bimo, um, really, really nice area. This guy was super chill, super duper chill. And I remember.
Because I'm like in the thick of my class. It is a class of like 84. It might've been, might've been more than that. We, we had a couple people, Dr. Drop out, uh, but it was, I, I believe it was a class of like 84, 83 people. And so quite a few, and our labs were, were divided and, you know, be part of like team A, where there might be a team B, C, or D.
And. All the teams, everyone was going crazy about our anatomy course, and they're going crazy because our professor, Dr. [00:06:00] Ken Irons, Dr. Stacey, Ken Irons, she is just methodical, right? Like she has her ducks in a row. Everything's scientific. Everything is, uh, it is sharp. It's organized. It's, it's, uh, meticulous.
That's the word I'm looking for. It's very meticulous. Right. So I remember coming outta this class and I'm like, fuck, I don't know if I'm gonna, I don't know if I'm gonna pass this. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't, you know, and this is at Columbia University, right? So they're, they're not like letting anybody in.
I, I, I had some pretty stellar grades, if you will, uh, in undergrad, but still. When you're in a room full of people who have only received stellar grades and they're all kind of freaking out. Yeah. It kind of makes you wanna freak out. So I'm talking with my, my mentor and he says, um, perspective.
[00:07:00] Perspective, dude. And that's it. That's all that it needs to tell me. It's a single word. And for me at that time, that word meant. Slow down, breathe just like everyone else, right? Slow down, breathe just like everybody else. And when I, when I leaned into that, when I said, all right, everybody else is in the same boat, like it just worked, right?
And because I couldn't see what the older. Classes were doing. Um, and because I was in the, the lowest tier of the class, you know, it's only three years, we were first year students. Um, I couldn't really look back at what are some of the, um. What are some of the other people doing, the younger people doing, uh, or underclassmen doing?
[00:08:00] And I was forced to, and I guess this really speaks to, you know, Columbia and having this foresight, uh, and uh, even assigning these sort of buddies is that I was forced to lean on someone to gimme some direction. Action. Right. You probably know what I'm getting at with this by now. Um, so I, I, I feel like.
Direction is, is really what we're after as we're, as we're going through life. And again, I've been fortunate to have five siblings and they're still providing me with direction on what to do and what not to do. Um, but now that I'm like stepping into this, this new space, you know, and kind of being, becoming a, a business owner and, um.
You know, paying more than just one rent right before it's just my home and now is it's, and I'm paying rent for the business. Um, yeah, I, I could get a business mentor, absolutely I could. Um, but the mentorship that I could have [00:09:00] received as a, as a physical therapist is kind of gone. Kind of, you know, uh, I can still reach out and, and link up with someone who, who has more experience with me, uh, more experience than me and, and get some experience.
I still meet up with a group of guys, uh, not every weekend, but, you know, we, we would meet pretty regularly. Uh, a bunch of PT pee. And, uh, we, we talk, you know, physical therapy, everything, physical therapy, jargon. But what I really want to get at is like, I, I was, I was forced into this new space and I just needed some type of guidance.
And when I think about that, and then I start to think about my patients and what they might be looking for when they are seeking guidance, when they are seeking treatment for whatever ailment or condition that they're looking for. It, it, it really stops me in my tracks and makes me think, have I been doing this wrong?
So [00:10:00] when I was working at Orthology, uh, downtown, um, because we had so much backing, like financial backing, uh, we could, and I definitely did. Um, treat people as, as few times as possible, right? We were the very opposite of a meal. If I can get you better in one or two sessions and I never get to see you again, awesome.
Leave a great review. Tell everybody and like that. That's just something that I kind of like held onto, and now that thinking is kind of shifting a little bit in a sense of. When people come to me now, I'm considering, okay, well they're coming to me with knee pain and it's because of the way that they sit and all they need to do is stretch.
And if I can give them some stretches and they can be consistent, uh, with doing it, then that pain can go away. And when I think [00:11:00] of it in terms like that, I'm like, all right, how could I get them out of the door? The fastest way possible. Well, it sounds like really the, the biggest, uh, limiting factor is the knowledge or education that all they have to do is stretch and they can do it as many times as you, as they like in terms of frequency and, and, um, and duration, but maybe not temping.
Um, but that's it. You know, if you know you can stretch a lot, go on a stretching spree, get rid of the knee pain, leave a great review. Tell everybody. And the shift is now starting to look like this person is coming to me because they sit quite a bit. And yes, they're sitting in this funky, uh, position, um, and that's causing tightness surrounding their knees.
So I could give them stretches and I will, of course, I will. And I do want them to be informed and in the know about, Hey, this is what I can and should be doing. This is what I should be [00:12:00] avoiding. I'm still gonna go on a stretching spree and I'm gonna get rid of this knee pain. But why do I have to sit for so long?
And while I'm sitting, what else could what? What else could I be making worse right now? Like it was just the knee that fell apart first, right? Like. We have like machines at home. I, I have a fan at home, uh, like a really nice, like v like a standing machine. Um, and I noticed like the first thing that really started to, uh, like fall apart on this thing, it's fairly new, but still, uh, it was just a single screw, right?
And it was just a screw that I fell down. I came down and now this thing kind of swivels, you know, in a way, like whenever it wants and. And now I'm starting to see like the wear on the bar, right? You [00:13:00] probably tell where I'm getting at it. This like, once one screw gets loose it's, there's gonna be more strain on other parts of the machine, right?
So you just felt the knees first. So I been kind of leading into, alright, well if you're sitting like this, right? Yeah. You, you're having some issues with your knee, that's why you're coming to me. Uh, but before you started having issues with the knees, you were in this sort of pre contemplated, uh, phase of change.
You didn't know you needed the change. There was even no pain to tell you that you needed the change. You were akay sitting in the position that you were sitting in and no issue until you started to have that pain. Boom. You're in a contemplated, uh, phase where you're like, I should probably. Do something about this, right?
And then you do all your research, you find me, blah. Uh, but now again, now I'm leaning into this. Okay. Now that the [00:14:00] knee has been addressed, what other pre contemplated phases might you be in? Because when you're kicking your feet up like that on that recliner, you know, your core muscles are kind of taking a break.
So yeah, I did tell you that, that you should, you know, stop sitting like that. You can get your knee back. Um, but I never took a look at your back. And it's likely because, well, you never complained about it. Not yet. But that core is still weak because you were sitting like that. And if that core is weak and you were to go and pick something up from the floor.
You know, that could lead to, I don't know, disc herniation, uh, that can lead to, you know, signs and symptoms of spinal stenosis because of the position that you're holding yourself in, you know? Um, so I'm, I'm, I'm beginning to think of all these things, and, and I am, I guess I'm, I'm reestablishing my role as a sort of lead, as a guide, as a sort [00:15:00] of buddy.
And I'm hoping, I, I, I, I have high hopes, um, that this will lead to, uh, fewer sort of back and forth trips to, to coming to see me as, as their physical therapist. Um, for any PTs listening, I hope that this could lead to fewer, uh, back and forth trips with patients coming to see you, that they can, you can be their one stop shop.
And I know sometimes insurance can get into the way of all of this, but. If we were to do this sort of full, you know, very thorough, uh, evaluation. Which I, I've definitely, uh, stepped away from since, since, uh, graduating, um, PT school. I've, I've become more hyperfocused on what the condition is and what sort of pattern it looks like.
So, you know, you come to me with the tire problem, I'm gonna fix your tire. Um, but that, it doesn't exactly work like that. Sometimes that tire problem [00:16:00] leads to a mal alignment. And that can screw up your, your rotors. And, um, sorry, I meant willow alignment. I said mal alignment, but same thing. Uh, it's gonna mess up your willow alignment.
It's gonna mess up the brakes, it's gonna mess up the, the wear and tear on the rotors and all these things. So, uh, yeah, j just something to think about, um, as you're, as you're coming to see me or your physical therapist. Um, how could you make it more of a sort of buddy system, if you will, where you're, you're in this new space, you're in this new environment, even if you had PT in the past before.
Um, I like to think PTs are changing or changing their approach. If, if they're anything like me, they're changing their approach. Um, like what, what could be done differently this time to ensure that you, you don't keep coming. For the same issue over and over and over and not knowing what to do about it.[00:17:00]
Oh, that makes sense. Um, yeah, just, just some food for thought. I want you to think of the people older than you, younger than you might've had some, you know, stellar pt, had some terrible pt. Uh, ask yourself, what, what about it made it stellar? What about it made it terrible? And what could you do next time to improve upon it?
You know, look at those around you. Take a look at the environment that you're in, and again, ask What could you do to improve upon this? And I am so, so excited to hear what, what sort of answers I get back for that. Uh, until then, I'll catch you on the next podcast. Uh, thank you so much for listening and yeah, I'll talk to you next time.
