If At First You Don't Succeed....

This summer my 4 year old son, Charlie, participated in swim lessons… although come to think of it “participated” is not the best choice of word. Charlie’s swimming report card detailed he was “not excited” and “not making progress" after his first 2 weeks in the pool 😂. (In consolation, the instructor did note he was always smiling and helped to put the pool toys away.)

After two weeks of apathetic interest with swimming, we decided our little buddy needed a different intervention to take the plunge (pun intended).

Over the course of a few weeks, we frequently brought him to the local DC pools (Jellef turned out to be his favorite 👍). Each session, we gave him appropriate parental guidance to immerse himself in the water.

We practiced getting into and out of the pool, played sharks and minnows, and pretended to be motor boats. Within no time, he was flaunting his new confidence and strokes to any attentive observer exclaiming, “watch me swim” as he paddled across the shallow end.

Upon return to swim lessons, the instructors were impressed! They observed Charlie maintaining his amiable demeanor, but this time he was beaming with joy as he expressed his newfound love for swimming and his remarkable advancements in the pool.

Other than to celebrate my parenting win, I share this story because sometimes we all need to try something different!

There are two cohorts of individuals to whom this applies. The first are those who take the wait and see approach to their pain. They hope their issues go away in time with rest. They may try an exercise or stretch yet mostly proceed without changing any routines that led to the pain. Rest is not rehab. Rest is rust.

The second cohort comprises individuals who fail to see immediate progress with PT. One of the most enjoyable aspects of our profession is our ability to engage in introspection, solve complex problems, and think critically. Every examination and treatment method we utilize helps to uncover the underlying source of discomfort, allowing us to determine the most effective approach for alleviating symptoms and providing relief. This ensures we achieve our client’s goals in the shortest period of time possible so they can return to the recreation activities they love!

Help us, help you! Anyone in your life who is putting their life on hold due to pain? Let them know we can and will help!

Enjoy the start to your Fall! 

Warmly,

Joe