Jillene Lund PT, OCS, CMP

A Clinical Example of Self-Development

2011-12-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

A clinical example of how physical therapy can lead to patient self development:

I had a patient that I evaluated and treated for low back pain from a work injury. She stated that over the last few years she had gained a lot of weight, been depressed from living with an alcoholic for years, and was so fatigued from having to drive so much for work. She faithfully came into physical therapy for manual therapy treatment and exercises. We talked a lot about her finding a room or a space in her house that could be her own space to exercise, do self corrections, and knit. She called it her “happy apartment”.

We also talked about different things she could do to bring more positive people and activities into her life. She was very compliant to her home exercise program and felt good about doing something positive for herself. After about 12 visits she came in and was so proud that she joined a gym and had started attending three times a week. She also stated since coming to physical therapy she is more confident and is feeling better which gave her the courage to ask for a transfer at work to allow less driving and so she could attend her gym more frequently.

She had 24 visits authorized for physical therapy but only used 14 of them before being pain free and compliant with attending her gym 3-4 times a week. She had started going out with friends, playing golf and was enjoying her new work schedule. She frequently stated that she was so grateful to have someone that would listen and encourage her to take care of herself and improve her life. She said she plans to stop by in 4 months to show me all the weight she had lost. Not only did she return to work full duty pain free, but she was able to return to living and caring for herself.

Self-Development a Cornerstone for Patient-Centered Care

2011-12-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

Self-development: Improving patients’ therapeutic outcomes by focusing on being the best therapist you can be.

Self development is about growth and responsibility. It is being dedicated and open to learning new things about yourself, willingness to grow professionally and personally, and becoming more compassionate towards yourself and others. It is in this growth that you can let go of your ego and be more present to improve a patient’s experience and outcome. If you are not working on improving yourself it is difficult to help empower others to improve circumstances that may be resulting in their physical complaint. Without a commitment to self-development, it is difficult to see further than your own personal and professional problems making patient-centered care less than a reality.

A Clinical Example of Self-Awareness

2011-12-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

A clinical example of how self awareness has improved a therapeutic relationship for me is as follows. I was performing an initial evaluation of a woman complaining of (it has just dawned on me that in our notes writing of a patient’s complaints or what they are complaining of is a very negative almost condescending way at looking at what they are sharing with us) L hip pain and low back pain. Her past medical history included multiple scelerosis (MS). She presented with gait deviations, balance deficits, decreased range of motion, weakness, and lumbopelvic movement dysfunction. In my mind I was thinking (like many other health care providers before me) that most all of her symptoms are probably related to MS how I can really change the progression of her neurological deficits.

I became aware that my previous minimal experience of successfully treating patients with MS and my fear of not being able to help this patient had potential to make my ears deaf to what she was really sharing with me. I decided to let go of my insecurities, listen, and really hear what she was saying to me. What I heard was that she wasn’t convinced that her L hip and back pain symptoms were results of her MS, but she was struggling to find a health care provider that would listen and look further than her MS. Her reality was she could tell that her pain was from a musculoskeletal source not her MS. She seemed very passionate about what she felt, so I believed her.

I evaluated and treated her like she had an orthopedic problem not related to her MS. After a few sessions she nervously shared with me that she was reading a book called “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay and that she had found that part of her balance problem had to do with her left side of her body and her right side of her body not working together, her left side being her feminine side and the right sided being her masculine side. I told her I knew exactly what she was talking about, because I was also reading the same book. I then looked at her as she stood with all her wait primarily on her L lower extremity and having to hold on to the table, and said “Yeah, it looks like the way you stand you are two separate people”. She was unable to even weight shift onto her R foot without losing her balance. I taught her a couple of exercises to do to her improve balance and then she left.

When she came back the next week, she said on her way home after the last P.T. session it all made sense. Her left and right side were like two different people and she was so use to her mom (left feminine side) doing all the work for her dad, and men (right masculine side) were never to be trusted or counted on that was why she couldn’t put any weight on her right leg without losing her balance. So she said she wrote an affirmation about her left and right side of her body working in harmony and practiced the exercises I had given her. She then got up to show me since doing the affirmation and the exercises for a week she could now stand on her right leg without holding on and losing her balance. She had a miraculous recovery and after a few weeks was able to walk normally, go up/down stairs without difficulty, balance on one leg, and walk on uneven ground without a cane. I let go of my ego and let her reality and inner wisdom guide me. Throughout the treatment sessions we both became more aware of ourselves and how we could heal.

Self-awareness during Patient Care

2011-12-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

Self-awareness: Awareness of your emotional state and nonverbal language during interpersonal interactions is necessary in creating an open successful therapeutic relationship.

A subjective evaluation is all about verbal and nonverbal communication. The better the communication the sooner a successful plan of care can be established and implemented. Parts of a subjective evaluation are performed every time we ask someone how they are doing, feeling, and progressing each time we see them in the clinic.

What does it mean to be aware of your emotional state and nonverbal language during interpersonal interactions? To me it means being open and present in the moment not judging, but listening and taking note of what the other person is saying, while being aware of how your emotional state or previous experiences are influencing what you are hearing and seeing. It means being aware of your preconceived notions of the patient’s reality, but to be quiet enough to realize the patient’s reality of their pain and/or injury at that present moment.

Importance of Self-Care

2011-12-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

The biggest reward to me as a physical therapist, is when a spouse or family member of one of my patients goes out of their way to tell me how I have changed their life, because I have helped their spouse feel so much better. That kind of gratitude and ability to help change lives is why being a physical therapist means so much to me and why I am so dedicated to taking care of myself, so that I can physically, emotionally, and mentally continue my career for years to come. Healing through the art of caring is about empowering others to heal by giving them the tools to perform self care, self awareness, and self development through using creativity, compassion, and intuition to create a therapeutic connection in the clinic that promotes healing.

Empowering others through Self-Care

2011-12-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

Self-care: You need to take care of yourself, in order to empower others to take care of themselves.

After 5 years of being a very productive physical therapist doing a lot of manual therapy all day, I started feeling the aches and pains of over using my body to make other bodies feel better. One day I was driving home from work, my neck was so wrenched up creating a severe headache that I could barely drive. I hit a bump just right, jarred my neck and I threw up. At that moment I began to realize I needed to start taking better care of myself. The next day I talked to my mom and she was very concerned about how bad my neck had gotten since a former sports injury in high school. She stated “Have you ever thought about seeing a chiropractor?” That one question changed everything for me. I came to terms with the fact that I was good at making other people feel better, but I wouldn’t be able to do that very long unless I started to take of myself. I knew that if I could make other people’s necks feel better, I could make my own neck better. I just needed to take the time to take care of me, and adapt all of the techniques I used on other people to taking care of myself. So from that day on I have been creating and practicing self care techniques, exercises, and corrections to improve my posture, flexibility, and mobility.

For the past 6 years, I have successfully improved my posture, flexibility, and almost eliminated my headaches while developing an amazing mind body connection. Once I found over time my collection of ZenShuk self care techniques, exercises, and corrections successfully working for me, I started to share them with patients teaching and empowering them to take care of themselves. It has been truly amazing how well my patients have responded. They are so grateful to be taught ways to take care of themselves at home. The techniques have allowed patients that felt they had no control over the pain in their body to start having control and no longer be dependent on others to make themselves feel better. It has also allowed for a quicker recovery than just having manual therapy performed two to three times a week on them. Instead they can do the manual therapy corrections multiple times a day whenever they need to, minimizing the amount of time in pain and improving rehabilitation outcomes.

What sets a ZenShuk class apart from other continuing education classes?

2011-11-28T16:20:00.000-08:00

ZenShuk classes are focused on continually engaging participants in learning activities to allow immediate application of research based evidence to the clinical setting. The information is presented in a combination of a slide show, discussions, and hands-on activities. The slide show is created using images and a very brief statement on each slide to reinforce the information being presented in a more memorable and engaging format as compared to slides filled with words. Research has shown that participants remember and are able to apply information better that is presented using both images and words that highlight the images as compared to slides with primarily words on them. Hands-on activities and discussions are focused on addressing all 5 senses and are a combination of indoor and outdoor activities to excel the learning experience and to promote easy application of class information to the clinical setting. The hand-outs are created in a fashion to be easily accessible and enhance the application of class information in the clinical setting as compared to hand-outs printed from wordy slide shows. The hand-outs include diagrams and talking points that can be used in the clinic to facilitate application of class information to direct patient care.

I want to engage you in the learning experience so that the information gained can be applied easily into the clinical setting. Instead of leaving and feeling that you are overwhelmed with all of the information and need to review it a lot before applying it to direct patient care. That is why I have incorporated so much time into the class to practice applying the information to the clinical setting. I believe your time is very valuable and my goal is to present information in a format that you feel that every minute in this class was a valuable use of your time.

Upcoming ZenShuk Level I Course

2011-11-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

January 14-15, 2012 is the next scheduled ZenShuk Level I Course.
The class will be held at Wellspring Spa & Retreat in the Tum-Tum Yurt in Ashford, WA near the entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park.
Space still available so please register at www.zenshuk.com for a great experiential learning experience.
Check out www.zenshuk.com for more information regarding class description and agenda.

ZenShuk Principles described as Learning Topics

2011-11-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

Self-Care: Anatomy review with discussion on the importance of self-care. Instruction and practice of self-care exercises and self-care manual therapy techniques during class to implement in patient and therapist self care.

Self-Awareness: Autonomic Nervous System review. Discussion on how the stress response affects cell biology.

Self- Development: Central Nervous System, epigenetics, quantum physics, psychoimmunology, and neuroscience related to physical injury and healing.

Compassion: Discussion and practice in improving listening skills during subjective evaluation and patient care.

Creativity: Discussion and practice in developing individualized treatment programs.

Intuition: Discussion and practice in improving verbal and nonverbal communications skills and introduction to quantum physics in relation to communication.

Connection: Discussion and practice in implementing elements of health psychology, good listening skills, individualized treatment, and effective communication during patient care.

Learning the Lund ZenShuk Approach is important:

2010-08-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Therapists strive to improve patients’ mobility. The mind and body are not isolated entities, they collaborate to create mobility. We (therapists) must understand the mind as well as the body, to improve mobility.

If therapists are to be known as the experts in assessing and treating musculoskeletal movement we must be educated and knowledgeable on how the mind and body respond to stress, physical injury, chronic pain, and emotional trauma. We need to look beyond our own narrow focus in science if we want to be experts. To effectively and ethically practice evidence based medicine we must be able to integrate research evidence from all of the sciences such as epigenetics, psychoneuroimmunlogy, quantum physics, and health psychology.

The best way to understand pain and injury is to draw on personal experiences as learning experiments in order to enhance the connection between therapist and patient. The better the connection, the more the therapist will be able to empower patients to achieve their goals.

Self-care, self-awareness, and self-development are crucial in becoming an expert in musculoskeletal movement. If you have a good relationship with your musculoskeletal, central and autonomic nervous systems, along with a concrete understanding of how they work together to create movement, you will be prepared to expertly assess and improve your patients’ mobility.

Evidence Based Approach

2010-05-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

The Lund ZenShuk Approach applies research evidence from the sciences of quantum physics, epigenetics, neuroscience, cardioneurology, psychoneuroimmunology, integrative medicine, and health psychology to an evidence-based practice of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Massage Therapy.

In future blogs I will cite and discuss many relevant journal articles as they relate to the Lund ZenShuk approach. I have read and reviewed over 150 research articles that relate specifically to the Lund ZenShuk approach.

Lund ZenShuk Approach

2010-05-31T19:00:00.001-07:00

The Lund ZenShuk Approach emphasizes the importance of genuinely connecting with patients and acting with compassion to facilitate efficient and effective evaluation and treatment outcomes.

The Lund ZenShuk Approach is a way of being balanced from within, allowing optimal listening, observing, and reaction skills to be applied to patient interactions and life events.

The Lund ZenShuk Approach helps guide others on their path toward healing.

Our Vision is Simple, Empower healthcare providers to become healers by bringing ‘care’ back into healthcare.

2010-05-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

A Fresh Approach
Our course, Healing through the Art of Caring, teaches PTs, OTs, LMPs, PTAs, and OTAs how to create stronger and healthier patient relationships.
The result – more referrals, fewer cancelations, and better long-term results.

Avoid Burnout
We also teach techniques to help avoid occupational burnout.
Healing through the Art of Caring is the only Washington state approved continuing education course teaching self-care techniques to physical therapists.

A Rejuvenating Experience
To compliment our unique course, we provide a refreshing instructional environment – Wellspring Spa and Resort, an eclectic and inspiring retreat located at the base of Mt. Rainier.
Healing through the Art of Caring is a two-day, 12-contact hour course.

Thank you for reading, see you next week.
Jillene Lund, PT, OCS, CMP

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Read More: http://www.zenshuk.com/

Welcome to my Blog

2010-05-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

I have created this blog to assist in sharing ideas and expertise regarding Physical Therapy, enhanced productivity and decreased cancel/no show rates. Each week (approximately) I will post information about ZenShuk (www.ZenShuk.com & please read full description below), Mountain Time Wellness (www.mountaintimewellness.com), Physical Therapy Research and my continuing education class "Healing through the Art of Caring".

Comments of all types are encouraged, and welcome from anyone, the more people that contribute, the more helpful this blog will become. All blogs will be saved, so that if you are just becoming aware of this resource, you can still go back and see what you may have missed. Information may also be revisited at-will if desired, perhaps to refresh or comment on a subject that may now be of interest to you.

To start off, this first official blog relates to my approach to Physical Therapy, and the accompaning. I call it the Lund ZenShuk approach, which is what I teach in my class, 'Healing through the Art of Caring'.

The logo (and name 'ZenShuk') above consist of a modern Zen Circle and an InukShuk symbol. The Zen 'Circle' has an opening indicating that it is not separate, but part of something greater, the 'imperfection' is an essential and inherent aspect of existence. It represents life, a distinct beginning and end, which continues to begin a new circle. Inukshuk, the singular of Inuksuit, translated from the Inuit language means "in the likeness of a human". Inuksuit, monuments made of 'unworked' stones are used by the Inuit for communication and survival. The traditional meaning of the Inukshuk is "Someone was here" and/or "You are on the right path." Thus, the combination of the Zen Circle and Inukshuk are perfect components of the logo and the name of this adventure, 'ZenShuk'.

Comments are welcome and encouraged. Please suggest this blog to anyone you feel could benefit. See you next week!

Regards,

Jillene, PT, OCS, CMP