We help patients in all walks of life dealing with a wide range of foot and ankle issues, but one type of patient we welcome with open arms is the overwhelmed and exhausted patient. For one reason or another, they are frustrated or at their wit’s end when it comes to their foot issue, and they are battling a range of physical, mental and emotional challenges as a result of their discomfort.
Many providers turn these patients away or simply try to appease them by offering them a script that will do more for their symptoms than their underlying issue. We welcome these patients because we know how to best help them, even if providing the right type of care won’t be easy. In today’s blog, we shine a light on how we work to help treat the overwhelmed and exhausted patient.
Helping The Exhausted Patient
If you’ve tried a number of different treatments or visited a few different doctors with no success, come visit Dr. Silverman. Here’s what sets his care apart:
1. We Give You The Time You Deserve – Too many medical centers force their doctors to see as many patients as possible, but that’s not how Dr. Silverman and his team operates. We strive to give every patient the time they need to have their needs met when they come in for care. We’re not going to rush you out of the exam room or kick you out because we have another patient to see in five minutes. Our consultations will take as long as they will take because in order to provide the best care, we need to truly understand what’s going on, and sometimes that can’t be uncovered in exactly 15 or 30 minutes.
2. We Listen – Another way that we work to connect with the fed up patient is by really sitting down and listening to their concerns. In medicine, it can be common for the doctor or the care team to do most of the talking. And while it’s important to be able to convey key information to the patient, it’s also incredibly helpful to stop talking and listen to what the patient has to say. Imaging results can tell a doctor a lot about the physical state a person is in, but they can’t do much to diagnosis the mental and emotional state. By listening to the patient, we can work to find a more comprehensive treatment plan that addresses all aspects of their injury. Oftentimes patients are exhausted and overwhelmed because they don’t feel like they are being heard by their physician.
3. We Won’t Choose The Easy Route – We’re not just going to write a script and hope that you’re happy with mild symptom relief. We’re going to work to find the best treatment path forward for your individual condition. Whether that means rest followed by physical therapy or a minimally invasive procedure and rehab exercises in a walking boot, we’re ready to get our hands dirty and help address the root cause of your discomfort. We don’t want to calm the symptoms, we want to treat the root cause of your pain so that it can be resolved once and for all.
4. Validation – Another reason that many patients feel frustrated with their care is because they don’t feel validated by their doctor. Pain is isolating enough without trying to treat the problem without having your feelings validated by your care provider. We believe you when you say your foot hurts or you’re struggling to walk normally, and we can empathize with how difficult that can make everyday activities. Connect with a provider who will validate your concerns.
5. Adaptive – Finally, we’re always ready to adapt if a first course of treatment fails to yield the expected results. If you’re frustrated with your care, there’s a good chance you’re not dealing with a simple issue, so don’t get overwhelmed if your initial treatment isn’t a rousing success. We’re willing to pivot as we see fit, and we hope you will too.
Let us help bring relief to your exhausting situation. For more information, reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.