Jonathan Collier Injury Rehabilitation

Now it goes without saying, smiling and laughing won't speed up healing of a muscle strain, increase the rigidity of a ligament or reducing the inflammatory response of Osteoarthritis. But I feel as though it is an invaluable skill to have to be relatable to your clients.

Anyone reading this who has visited a sports injury clinic will know that you're usually in some sort of pain or discomfort upon arrival. It's not normally something you look forward to but what it should be is as pleasant as possible. It may come as a surprise to some but I am no superstar. I'm no better or worse than you at home reading this. I am a normal lad from the North of England who adores the job he does and loves hearing everyone’s stories whilst telling a few along the way.

Like a lot of people, in my younger years, going through college and university I spent 4 years working in a local pub in Wigan. And still to this day I'm adamant it provided me with one the biggest transferable life skills I have. Communication. The ability to talk about something and nothing or absolutely everything with different people from every walk of life. It's a skill. I'm certain of it. Going from a conversation about boxing to a conversation about Coronation Street within the hour.

Now, this may seem totally pointless, but it isn't.

Trust is a huge thing. If you don't trust your therapist you won't adhere to what he or she has to tell you. You won't follow through with your rehab as it "all a load of rubbish" and you won't believe in his or her ability to make you better. This is where communication comes into it.

If you develop a healthy rapport between you and your therapist and you'll trust in their knowledge and expertise.

You're more likely to enjoy your time with a friendly therapist than dread your sessions with a misery. It's about making good from a bad situation at the end of it all. Nobody enjoys being injured but it doesn't stop you from taking some enjoyment out of your treatment and rehab session.

To conclude I'll go back to my earlier point, at the end of the day, a therapist who can't fix your problem but can make you laugh is still a poor one. But one that can do both will get results.

JPC