The younger patient

Hey guys

Onto the last prac, I hope that everyone is enjoying the placements so far, not long to go now.

The next patient I would like to share with you is a young teenager with patellafemoral pain. She came to the clinic with her mum accompanying her each visit. The mother was very pleasant however, often overbearing and demanding throughout the assessment and treatment. She often answered all of my questions, explained all about her daughter’s pain and finished her daughter’s sentences. Unfortunately, during the second treatment I found myself directing everything toward the mother rather than the patient!!

I could sense quite a lot of frustration on the daughter’s behalf. I understood that the mother wanted to be involved however I could see that the patient wanted to take control of her own injury. I was beginning to find the situation a little frustrating.

I decided it was time to change the way I approached the younger patient and her mother. Firstly I positioned the patient so that I could sit directly in front of her. I would then sit the mum in a chair away from the patient. I started asking questions directly at the daughter waiting for her to answer the questions. If her mum answered them, I would ask the question again and keep asking until the daughter answered. Slowly, the session changed. I got a lot more out of the daughter and a lot less from the mother. The most rewarding thing was seeing the daughter’s whole personality change. She went from being timid and shy, to taking control of the treatment session. She asked lots of questions and got more involved in trying to learn her HEP properly. It was definitely a big lesson for me on how to approach the younger patient to ensure that they are in control of their injury and that they guide the session.