The Alphabet Rule for Rehab

I’m in a session with a really lovely client of mine, who has fastidiously learned the language of her body, with some bumps along the way. She had come to me, several months after her car accident and initial rehabilitation with physio, frustrated that she still wasn’t better. In this session we reflect on all of the improvements and awareness she’s gained and I say  “You were trying to go from A to G but skipping B and C.” We laugh and it feels really good because she’s come such a long way.

Recovering from a motor vehicle accident means that you not only navigate your body in a way you haven’t before, but the landscape has changed, the radio is playing too loudly, and this was not a road trip you were intending to take, nor did you necessarily learn how to drive until now. What could possibly go wrong?

I accidentally got a Diploma in Adult Education (a long story) from UBC shortly after my Master’s of Physiotherapy, while working at UBC Hospital full time and I am so grateful because not only was it a wonderful way to debrief from the pressure cooker I had been in, but it also set me up to truly understand that every Health Professional has a secret superhero identity (cue phone booth costume change) as an Educator/Mentor. We are in the business of helping people get better and lifting them up to be their own healthcare hero. Understanding where people are coming from, their knowledge, fears, values, experiences and dreams, and scaffolding onto that foundation these moments of ‘ah ha’ and deeper awareness, is a forever gift, and really where the magic happens. We tackle it, one alphabet at a time.

As important as having the humility and the self-compassion to tread patiently through A, B and C is feeling supported when you are in some ways starting at G (with the occasional relapse to B), is feeling heard and seen when you used to be at Z, and not feeling like you’re on your own, once you get to E. The art of scaffolding comes down to communication and translating knowledge in a way that is meaningful (if not profound:) every step of the way.

Mary Stern

Registered Physiotherapist