This Week, I Was the Patient

A few days ago, I injured my back.

Nothing dramatic.

No pain shooting down my leg.
No numbness.
No loss of strength.

Just good old-fashioned mechanical back pain.

The kind where you move in a certain direction and suddenly regret every life decision that led to that movement.

Getting out of bed was difficult.

Rolling over was difficult.

Putting on my shoes was difficult.

And for a brief moment, I had the same thought many patients have:

"Should I take an MC?"

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The First Thought

After all, if my back hurts this much, am I fit to work?

But almost immediately another thought came to mind.

That would be a little silly.

Not because I wasn't in pain.

I was.

But because I knew something many patients forget when they get injured:

The answer is rarely complete rest.

The answer is usually the right help.

And fortunately for me, I happen to work with a team of physiotherapists I trust.

People I have trained with.
People I have taught.
People who understand how I think.
People who understand my body.

So instead of staying home, I came to work.

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Adapting Through the Day

Was it a difficult day?

Absolutely.

I was fully booked.

Every movement reminded me my back wasn't happy.

The first thing that happened that morning was that some of my physios treated me.

• Needling.
• Taping.
• Movement advice.
• Protection strategies.

Not magic.

Just good clinical care.

Then I started seeing patients.

My patients were incredibly understanding.

I modified some of my techniques.

I arranged assistance where needed.

I adapted.

Not because I wanted to be a hero.

But because people had booked their time, trusted me with their concerns, and deserved the best session I could reasonably provide.

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Still Able to Contribute

And the funny thing is this.

One of the reasons I still came in was because I knew I could contribute.

That day, I reviewed a patient I had not seen for years.

A patient whose journey required careful discussion about rehabilitation, expectations, and future options.

Could that conversation have waited?

Perhaps.

But helping people make important decisions is still part of my job.

Even when my own back hurts.

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Treating Myself Like a Patient

What was interesting was that throughout the day, I treated myself exactly the way I would advise many patients.

I didn't get one treatment and magically expect everything to be fixed.

I had treatment before I started work.

I kept moving.

I protected the irritated area.

I modified what needed modifying.

Then I had another treatment later in the day.

And another round of treatment after work.

By the end of the day, one of my team members mobilised my back.

And suddenly something changed.

For the first time in several days, I could move freely again.

I could walk properly.

I could rotate.

I could get out of positions without negotiating with my spine first.

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What It Reminded Me Of

And that reminded me of something I tell patients all the time.

Frequency matters.

Specificity matters.

The right treatment at the right time matters.

And perhaps most importantly:

You do not have to do it alone.

As physiotherapists, we spend our lives helping other people recover.

But every now and then, we become the patient too.

And when that happens, we are reminded of what recovery actually feels like.

The uncertainty.

The frustration.

The limitations.

The fear that movement might hurt.

And the relief when the body finally starts moving again.

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Grateful to Be in Good Hands

My back is still recovering.

But this experience reminded me why I believe so strongly in guided recovery.

Not because injuries disappear overnight.

But because having the right people around you makes the journey shorter, clearer, and far less frightening.

This week I was the patient.

And honestly?

I was very grateful to be in good hands.

Marcus, The Physio.