Hope ❤️
Introduction.
A belated Happy New Year to anyone reading this. I felt moved to write this blog article following a recent experience I had with a health professional whose work had a significant positive impact on me, both in terms of my physical and psychological wellbeing. There was, of course, the benefit of her technical skill, but this was all wrapped in a person-centred approach that made such a difference to my experience. If you want to know more about what happened, and where it's left me as a result, read on....
Background
If you're a regular reader of these articles, you'll already know that I have been disabled since 2019; I experience secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, with associated issues with mobility, pain, and fatigue, to name a few. This summer, on August 24th, I experienced my most significant MS relapse to-date, which basically put me out of action for five weeks and completely disrupted my start to the academic year. It also left me with even worse mobility in my left leg, increased pain and stiffness, and the psychological impact of dealing with (a) further progression in my disability; and (b) seeing how that impacts on my family. Everything has been much more of a slog, with me having to psych myself up to even get out of bed or go to the toilet; that is, until Tuesday this week, when I finally got to see an MS Specialist Physiotherapist through the NHS. (A disgraceful wait, really. I don't blame the NHS for that, given the funding they receive and the pressures they are experiencing; but I would ideally like the NHS management and, ideally, the government to take note that it took five months from the onset of my relapse for me to be seen by an appropriate practitioner - but I will deal with that through a separate route).
Finally: A specialist physio appointment
On Tuesday 9th January, my appointment with the MS Specialist Physio finally took place. I think the best way to summarise what happened is for me to share the email that I sent to her on Thursday 11th January. It's a relatively long read, but if you want to know what's going on for me at present, and to hear the value of a person-centred approach from a client's perspective, then please read on:
Dear [X]
Hi [X],
Thank-you for your prompt and reliable reply re the exercises, I really appreciate it.
There are two things, however, that I appreciate even more.
Firstly, the way you managed my appointment on Tuesday. You were warm, human, showed interest in me as a person (not just a patient to be done-to), respected me as a person and practitioner, gave me time, explained things clearly, were patient, responded to any questions I had, paced the session appropriately, helped me clarify my understanding, were thorough, knowledgeable, measured, kind, and - above all - helpful. You embodied a person-centred approach, which in my view and experience (and, indeed, as the research confirms) is the crucial context within which all other professional skills and knowledge must be located if one is to be truly, optimally effective. Technical knowledge or skills are of limited effectiveness or have less bearing on the client if removed from that collaborative, rapport-based interpersonal context. In contrast, you would have made an ideal model for the application of a person-centred approach if you were filmed, in my view. Thank-you.
Secondly - though not in order of importance - my wife and I cannot believe the impact that ONE session with you has had on my physical and mental wellbeing. I am pleased to say that since Tuesday I have experienced significant (this is of course relative) improvements in the mobility and comfort in my left leg. I still have difficulties, of course, but there has been some tempering of those. It's hard to be definite about what exactly was the cause, but I suspect that part of the session when you got me to incrementally move my leg a little more each time was the key. It seems to have either loosened something in some of my muscles, or enhanced the effectiveness of neural transmission to those areas (thereby affecting the tone in those muscles, as you explained, I believe). I have been able to lift my left leg some inches, have been walking with a greater range of freedom of movement, have been in less pain, and have not felt the tightness in my hamstring or the pain in my glutes to anything like the same degree as I have done for months. For my wife, children and I - who have only watched me get progressively worse since 2020 - this first sign of movement in the right direction is something to be celebrated, as well as being highly moving and emotive. As well as the immediate relief you have given me, you have given us HOPE of a present and future beyond that which I/we had come to envisage. In the context of three years of (at times) shared grief, loss, depression, anxiety, pain, limitation, and sometimes despair, this, you can imagine, is priceless. "Thank-you" seems insufficient in the circumstances. You are an angel to me.
I look forward to commencing the exercises and gently experimenting with the exercise bike. I don't know where we will go from here, but even if it only goes this far it's something I will gratefully accept.
With the sincerest gratitude,
Mark
PS If you don't mind, could you let me know the email address of someone at the hospital to whom I could provide the above feedback about your practice?
Thank-you for your prompt and reliable reply re the exercises, I really appreciate it.
There are two things, however, that I appreciate even more.
Firstly, the way you managed my appointment on Tuesday. You were warm, human, showed interest in me as a person (not just a patient to be done-to), respected me as a person and practitioner, gave me time, explained things clearly, were patient, responded to any questions I had, paced the session appropriately, helped me clarify my understanding, were thorough, knowledgeable, measured, kind, and - above all - helpful. You embodied a person-centred approach, which in my view and experience (and, indeed, as the research confirms) is the crucial context within which all other professional skills and knowledge must be located if one is to be truly, optimally effective. Technical knowledge or skills are of limited effectiveness or have less bearing on the client if removed from that collaborative, rapport-based interpersonal context. In contrast, you would have made an ideal model for the application of a person-centred approach if you were filmed, in my view. Thank-you.
Secondly - though not in order of importance - my wife and I cannot believe the impact that ONE session with you has had on my physical and mental wellbeing. I am pleased to say that since Tuesday I have experienced significant (this is of course relative) improvements in the mobility and comfort in my left leg. I still have difficulties, of course, but there has been some tempering of those. It's hard to be definite about what exactly was the cause, but I suspect that part of the session when you got me to incrementally move my leg a little more each time was the key. It seems to have either loosened something in some of my muscles, or enhanced the effectiveness of neural transmission to those areas (thereby affecting the tone in those muscles, as you explained, I believe). I have been able to lift my left leg some inches, have been walking with a greater range of freedom of movement, have been in less pain, and have not felt the tightness in my hamstring or the pain in my glutes to anything like the same degree as I have done for months. For my wife, children and I - who have only watched me get progressively worse since 2020 - this first sign of movement in the right direction is something to be celebrated, as well as being highly moving and emotive. As well as the immediate relief you have given me, you have given us HOPE of a present and future beyond that which I/we had come to envisage. In the context of three years of (at times) shared grief, loss, depression, anxiety, pain, limitation, and sometimes despair, this, you can imagine, is priceless. "Thank-you" seems insufficient in the circumstances. You are an angel to me.
I look forward to commencing the exercises and gently experimenting with the exercise bike. I don't know where we will go from here, but even if it only goes this far it's something I will gratefully accept.
With the sincerest gratitude,
Mark
PS If you don't mind, could you let me know the email address of someone at the hospital to whom I could provide the above feedback about your practice?
Closing comments:
It's always interesting to be in the client role and notice how the things that people do or don't do impact on you. If you're learning coaching skills, for example, I'd recommend finding an opportunity or opportunities to be coached so you can experience what it's like from the participant's perspective. In this case, I very much felt the power of the person-centred approach in action (in itself, and most certainly in comparison to some other experiences I have had).
Final note; After months of inaction, I completed a series of six calf- and quad-stretching exercises yesterday, and then did 10 minutes on the exercise bike at a very gentle pace (more to enhance the range of movement in my leg than to develop any power or cardio benefit). For a former avid cyclist and exerciser like me, this was massive.
Thank-you X, and thank-you to the NHS.
Here's to hope.
Mark
Final note; After months of inaction, I completed a series of six calf- and quad-stretching exercises yesterday, and then did 10 minutes on the exercise bike at a very gentle pace (more to enhance the range of movement in my leg than to develop any power or cardio benefit). For a former avid cyclist and exerciser like me, this was massive.
Thank-you X, and thank-you to the NHS.
Here's to hope.
Mark