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Have you ever wondered if the "assessment" you just received from your provider was worth the wait?
Lets dive into our world of assessments and see what the differences look like.
Ever felt like you're just a nameless case at a doctor's office, shuffled along a conveyor belt of standard treatments, where your unique health experiences and goals seem to go unheard? Ever felt labelled by your symptoms rather than treated as an individual? If so, it's time to rethink the medical journey. In this blog post, we delve into the power of comprehensive, individualized assessments, and why they're the critical first step in the journey towards optimal health and performance. Let's uncover the secret behind the medical 'You Are Here' marker and reveal the path to healing that's uniquely tailored to you.
In this blog, we're about to embark on a journey that underscores why quality assessments are instrumental to your health and well-being. Let's dive into the details:
Your Body's Story
Have you ever been to a doctor’s appointment for knee pain? We’ve all been there. We have a quick 60 second conversation of what’s going on, our knee gets a quick touch, we are given a diagnosis, and we immediately begin talking about x-rays, imaging, or even steroids. This can often lead us to the belief that we are that diagnosis and have a tough journey ahead.
One huge part that is missing from appointments like this is the art and importance of the assessment. Assessments aren’t meant to only find the “diagnosis,” but to find the root cause of the pain or performance issue. Pain is actually one of the last things to show up when we have dysfunctions in our biomechanics and that specific pain may not even be in the site of dysfunction.
The Assessment
The assessment also allows us to understand where you are currently in regard to daily activities, tolerated movements, provoking tasks, and other key indicators. Imagine going to an amusement park you’ve never been to and you're trying to find the ride everybody is talking about so you take a look at the park map. Without that little red dot saying “You Are Here” you truly have no idea where you are and how to get to where you want to be. This assessment allows you to find where you currently are and guides you in creating a pathway of your next steps.
“He who treats the site of pain is lost” -Karl Lewit
EveryBody is Different
By understanding where you are, the root cause of the issue, and where you are going, it allows the care to be personalized and individualized for YOU. Everybody is different. Every BODY is different. Each person has their own dysfunctions, history, background, daily tasks, and goals they are trying to achieve. Without a proper and in-depth assessment, you may be following the wrong path that won't take you to the end result you are looking for.
It All Begins with the Provider
Quality assessments can look different depending on who you ask, but there are some common factors seen in the neuromusculoskeletal space. It all begins with the provider listening intently and truly taking the time to learn about you as a person and as a human body. This isn’t a time consuming process, but it is one of the most important parts of the entire assessment. Next, a functional component dives deep into dysfunctions and how the biomechanics of the body are interacting. By using techniques such as range of motion measurements, 3D movement software, or the trained eyes of the provider, we can further assess areas of dysfunctions, compensations, or asymmetries. Third, there is so much that can be learned from a hands-on assessment. Our connective tissues tell us their state of health and what they need through trigger points, adhesions, congestion, swelling, gliding and sliding, and much more.
Conclusion
The assessment is the first step of a very important journey to getting you back to functioning optimally and reaching your peak performance. A high quality assessment includes many key components that not only address the body in a static state, but also a dynamic state along with the psychological and social component of health. No two people are the same and neither should their plan of care be despite a common “diagnosis.” High quality assessments yield high quality treatment ultimately leading to faster results and prevention.
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