The Characteristics of Effective Physical Therapist - Humility

Physical therapy is an important part in the recovery process of patients who have experienced some form of trauma that left them impaired. This impairment may be physical, mental or psychological. A physical therapist, or PT as they are commonly known, works with those patients who have physical impairment. Physical impairment usually has a lot to do with loss of the ability to do what one could previously do easily and effortlessly. These activities include walking, talking, eating, standing, etc.

The physical therapist works with these patients in trying to restore some these impaired functions to some form of previous normalcy. This is a hard and grueling task. The patients are usually in a state of despair and more often than not, tend to be very difficult to motivate. This is why one of the characteristics of an effective physical therapist is humility. As the PT works with these patients on a regular basis, some situations usually arise that require a high level of humility from the physical therapist.

In one instance, the patient feels like they are lesser persons due to the condition they find themselves in. As they look around them and see other people doing, effortlessly, what they could do but now cannot, they tend to get an inferiority complex. Battling with depression and such thought of inferiority tends to spill over to the physical therapist. Due to the proximity of this recuperative care professional, they tend to bear the brunt of many a bout of negative emotions. Humility in this instance allows the physical therapist to understand where the patient is coming from and not retaliate. As they patiently and humbly respond to the patient, the patient is able to continue on their path to recovery as well as dispel any bottled up negative emotions they may have.

Physical therapists deal with diverse patients and this is another area that requires humility. Understanding that no matter how impaired the patient is, they are still a precious part of humanity is important. This enables the PT to treat every patient equally and accord them their utmost effort and attention. This essential characteristic in a PT cannot be slighted and must in fact be cultivated by any aspiring PT.