Rehab

Home
- » Rehab Main Page
  - » e-Newsletters
    - » Rehab Regs

Article of the week: Self-care is essential for therapists

Rehab Regs, April 11, 2008

Why taking care of yourself will make you a better provider

It's a therapist's job to make his or her patients feel better. But what happens when the rigors of the rehab industry take their toll on therapists themselves? Self-care should be an important part of your routine, both to keep you healthy and ensure that you provide the best quality of care possible to your patients.

Why do therapists tend to ignore the symptoms they treat in others-like back and neck pain, repetitive injuries, and other discomforts? Therapists often tend to help others even at the expense of their own physical wellbeing, according to experts. Additionally, few therapy programs include self-care in their curriculum because there is so much other information to teach.

But self-care doesn't only mean taking care of physical pains and strains. Therapists also suffer from burnout and need time to de-stress and regroup. "We're told to take care of everybody else," says Heidi Ceplenski, COTA/L, LMT, owner and founder of Mobility Works, a holistic therapeutic rehabilitation and wellness center in Essex, CT. "We're constantly physically and emotionally draining ourselves, and we're not taught how to replace [that energy]."

Physical strain

Many therapists develop compensations as they conduct lifts and transfers or work around beds and wheelchairs, says Ceplenski. Over time, your body may sustain injuries due to these repetitive motions. From back injuries to hand injuries, few therapists are likely to seek out therapeutic activities for their own wellbeing.

"As therapists, we educate our patients about ergonomics, but we don't practice it ourselves," says Ceplenski. "Most of us work through the pain."

Sometimes, stress or pain that accumulates in one place spreads to others if individuals don't seek relief, says Amy Proctor, OTR/L, an occupational therapist with Mobility Works. "We do a lot of trigger-point release and acupressure," says Proctor. "Therapists carry a lot of stress in their hands, which then spreads to their forearms."

Mental and emotional strain

Often, therapists face productivity quotas due to economic factors within a facility, Ceplenski says. Not only does this put a greater premium on their time, it can also create stress. You want to give each patient the best care possible, but if you are unable to spend extra time with someone who needs it, you may begin to feel like you are being efficient at the exception of effectiveness.

"Cuts in staffing force some therapists to quadruple their workloads," says Ceplenski. "It creates a lot of frustration."

How to help yourself

To counteract the instinct to put your needs last, consider the following steps toward better self-care:

Education. The next time you sign up for continuing education courses, consider alternative therapy like Reiki, acupuncture, acupressure, yoga, tai chi, or Pilates.

"I always encourage therapists to seek out alternate types of therapy," says Ceplenski. "You've got to try different things because everyone is different."

Awareness. As alternative therapies become more popular, outpatient facilities also need to be able to meet the demands of their patients. If your clients ask you to incorporate Reiki into their treatment, you should consider adding it in some form to your offerings. "If the public asks for it, at least you'll have the education about it," says Ceplenski. "They're looking for alternatives to prescription drugs and Cortisone shots."

Bodywork. If you never get massages, Ceplenski suggests getting one every week for six or eight weeks. If you aren't in pain, she then suggests additional massages at least once a month to keep your muscles relaxed. At her facility, Ceplenski requires staff members to do "massage exchanges" once a week in place of a staff meeting so employees are less prone to injury.

Massage therapy and manual soft tissue treatments can help a therapist eliminate muscle compensation and imbalances, as well as counteract the effects of gravity on muscle tissue. "Our bodies start to compensate to one side or the other," says Ceplenski. "Pain can lead to joint problems and ultimately arthritis or gait disturbances."

Diligence. Therapists should practice what they preach. "[Therapists] know they should be doing stretches, but they don't," says Proctor. "Just like we tell our patients, we should stop every 30 minutes to stretch to avoid injury."

This awareness can also come in the form of modifying your stance when working with patients. For example, sit and stand square to your patient rather than diagonal, try to stay within close range of your patient to avoid shoulder strain, and use tables that are at a height that allow you to avoid bending at the waist. If such a table isn't available, try to bend at your knees instead, says Proctor.

Become a better therapist

Learning about self-care can also help you pass along helpful information to your patients. Ceplenski integrated yoga into her clinic and can now instruct patients in therapeutic stretching for various body parts.

Once you've learned about a new type of therapy, you may want to offer a class at your facility or a nearby senior center or health club. Not only will you be teaching others, but you'll also be squeezing in exercise for yourself.

And don't forget lunch. "Lots of therapists skip lunch so they can catch up on their notes," says Proctor. "But if you take time to relax and talk to co-workers, you'll feel a lot better at the end of the day."