“It’s almost liked the system is designed to keep people in it"
This quote comes from colleague Nick Hoopes in a Twitter discussion between him and Dr. Ryan Pawloski from a week ago
I think he has hit the nail on the head here when it comes to our medical system.
The reality is that If you are seriously ill or seriously injured the United States is the best place in the world to be. Our system is the best in the world for saving and preserving life
But if you are trying to maintain your health or are dealing with a non-life threatening chronic, condition, well that is a different story. Our system does a poor job of properly treating patients in these situations. The reality is if you are a reasonably healthy person, and you get put into the system you are doomed. As someone who has worked in medicine for almost 15 years, it is so disheartening, and requires a completely new approach
Therefore, it is my goal to get to people before they get into the system and keep people out of the system in the first place
Our healthcare system is focused on telling people what is wrong with them more-so than telling them what is right/normal. We focus so much on what people cannot do and ignore all the things they are still capable of
Some of those in rehab go so far as to make up stuff that is wrong with them:
Your vertebra is out of alignment
Your pelvis is twisted
Your posture is terrible
Or how about Those in the medical field constantly telling patients what they cannot do:
Do not lift overhead
Do not bend over
Do not lift heavy
This is where my passion lies.
My goal is to reach as many people as I can before the get embedded into the medical system
I want to educate and promote wellness, strength, activity, better healthy habits at an early age and get in front of people before they are sent to me for an issue.
I want people to be able to reach out to me and be seen as soon as they experience an issue or have a question that way it can be addressed right away whether they are 5 or 500 miles away.
I want to circumvent the natural pathways of they system and insurance requirements to be able to provide education, treatment and reassurance immediately in less time and with less overall cost.
In my opinion this approach will not only decrease overall cost through limiting unnecessary doctors’ visits and test but speed up the recovery process and keep people active throughout that process.
I want to promote strength and function as people age. Frailty and debility in the elderly population is a huge issue in out system, I have encountered this numerous times in my experience doing home health PT unfortunately encountering those only after they are in extremely poor condition
I want to educate and help build the habits of strength training and daily activity in those at an earlier age as well as get to those who are aging before it is too late.
I want to help other busy parents find time to take care of themselves and prioritize their health and well being as much as their children’s
Lastly, I want to help athletes continue to be athletes for their entire lives and even if they no longer play sports to still train like athletes. I believe we are all athletes regardless of where our passions lie and training like one will keep us healthy and functional
We as providers need shift our narratives to a way that empowers the patient to know that things can be corrected.
We need to shift to a positive mentality and focus as much, if not more, on what the patient is capable of.
Dr. JP Guidry DPT TPI
P.S. If you would like more information on my wellness, performance and PT services you can set up a free call at the link below.
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