Unresolved Trauma Of Pain Essay

For my final reflection paper, I would like to discuss vicarious trauma and its implications. This topic has stuck with me ever since we learned about it earlier in the semester. It is something that I fear will impact me during my work as a counselor. While I do not intend to deal exclusively with trauma patients, I cannot control who walks through my doors so it is in my best interest to understand ways to protect against vicarious trauma. My initial reaction to this topic was, “oh that does not bother me” or “I won’t have a problem with that,’ but as trauma seeped into my personal life it became apparent hat it does in fact bother me. Dealing with my cousins’ trauma this semester and trying my best to be helpful and supportive has proven to be more difficult then original thought.

Physical therapy takes a more direct pathway towards a more specific problem with the human body. Physical therapy is a rehabilitation that works towards a goal of helping patients maintain, improve, or recover their physical abilities, most often times after an accident causing traumatic injury or arthritis (Mayo School of Health Sciences). Patients of a physical therapist often come in solely for the purpose of regaining their movement, not the health aspect involved behind it. Most patients of this therapist have suffered sports injuries, traumatic accidents, over even simply a problem of weakening with age such as those who suffer arthritis or other weakening of the joints and muscles. With step by step sessions focusing purely on strengthening the muscles and joints required to perform the movement functions, the patients rebuild their way from movement with pain, to no pain or suffering involved in everyday activities. When a patient begins therapy, they more or less begin with baby steps such as stretches and hydrotherapy to allow the body to relearn the movements without pain (What is Physical Therapy?). As the patient increases in strength

Life can change in a split second when an unanticipated injury or disease hinders someone’s normal daily life. Modern medicine, physicians and families can only do so much but physical therapy can help recoup the life many of us take for granted. It often isn’t until we lose something that we as humans realize what we had such as the value of our body’s ability to take us through each day. A physical therapist is the person who stays with a patient for the duration of the rehabilitation process. A physical therapist leads the patient through the process of regaining physical strength and helps the patient regain control of their future. Much like many careers that involve interaction with individuals, physical therapy reaches beyond

I believe impacting the lives of other people positively in the society is a great achievement. As a physical therapist in future, I will leave an impression by helping patients to obtain maximum health care through rehabilitation. Furnished with knowledge from a program of physical therapy specialist, I will help patients to manage pain, improve their movement, limit or prevent permanent disabilities and restore functioning (Porter and Teisberg, 2006). My aim is to offer high quality care that will eventually help patients to promote their health and fitness through active

The term “Psychological trauma” refers to damage wrought from a traumatic event, which that damages one’s ability to cope with stressors. “Trauma” is commonly defined as an exposure to a situation in which a person is confronted with an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to self or others’ physical well-being (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Specific types of client trauma frequently encountered by which therapists and other mental health workers frequently encounter in a clinical setting include sexual abuse, physical , or sexual assault, natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis, domestic violence, and school or/and work related violence (James & Gilliland, 2001). Traumatic

As a PTA I have been given a breath of knowledge in regard to the profession of physical therapy. However, I am not satisfied with this breath of knowledge. I yearn for the opportunity to gain a further understanding in terms of “how and why” physical therapy is successful at restoring function to individuals seeking

K. H., St Marie, B.,J., Nordstrom, T. M., Christensen, N., Mongoven, J. M., Koebner, I. J., . . . Sluka, K. A. (2014). An interprofessional consensus of core competencies for prelicensure education in pain management: Curriculum application for physical therapy. Physical Therapy, 94(4), 451-65. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/1522798459?accountid=8289 This article puts the blame back on the uneducated or miss education of physical therapists.

In the words of Field (2007), "physical therapists develop therapies and exercise modalities to help patients ease pain, recover from injuries or illness, or regain use of body parts." The relevance of physical therapy as a health care profession cannot hence be overstated. This is more so the case given that due to injuries, accidents, old age or disabilities; individuals could at some point need intervention designed to alleviate pain, improve mobility or even restore function.

Trauma occurs when a child has experienced an event that threatens or causes harm to her emotional and physical well-being. Events can include war, terrorism, natural disasters, but the most common and harmful to a child’s psychosocial well-being are those such as domestic violence, neglect, physical and sexual abuse, maltreatment, and witnessing a traumatic event. While some children may experience a traumatic event and go on to develop normally, many children have long lasting implications into adulthood.

For this I interviewed an individual who has cancer. He is older than me, different race, cultural background, ethnicity, religious beliefs and socioeconomic status. Un-fortunality, an integral part of his pain experience is the fact he also has a long history narcotics and drug abuse. He spoke with me about his experience, once he is diagnosed with cancer and started to have severe pain. Sadly, a major barrier he has been facing is being labeled with “a drug addict”. He states “ ..doctors, pharmacists, nurses along common people hold this past against me and always are suspicious..”. Moreover, he adds “..I am smart enough to play everyone – like I did in the past - if I want, but believe me I am not trying to I am clean now and just want to have no pain”.

These experiences taught added more to the brave person I am today. Being able to overcome the fear that came with the traumatic experience taught me to be more open to experience even if they harmful. It taught me to see the brighter side of an experience; now I am in America a place where I am no longer fleeing for my own safety. I also learned that facing a problem is the only way to make sure you defeat it and making sure it does not become an obstacle in the future as well.

Physical therapy helps to build strength in the muscles, builds endurance, stability in the joints, and flexibility in the muscles and joints. Keeping a regular exercise routine will also help control chronic pain. Regular exercise from physical therapy will help people maintain the ability to move and function properly, and prevent people from becoming disabled by their chronic pain. The less a person moves, the more pain a person will experience. The more physical therapy a person receives, the more they learn to control their pain, the less pain they feel, and they’ll be more able to function in society.

Medicine is another cure for post-traumatic stress. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs are used to help individuals who are suffering from a traumatic episode in their life by helping to lower anxiety and depression (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, n.d.). There is also a way in which individuals can help take care for themselves in their recovery process from post-traumatic stress. Connecting with family and friends, relaxing, exercising, staying away from alcohol and drugs, helping those in need, and limiting time on social media are all ways in which a person can help care or themselves after being affected by a major traumatic event. Focusing on the well being of that individual person is critical through the healing process

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Physical therapy has grown increasing more useful as the years’ progress and more is learned about the human body and its movements, interactions, and mechanisms. Someone may go to physical therapy for injury, recovery, in order to maintain function, or even due to a stroke and is trying to work on walking again. Patients of a physical therapist can include, but is not limited to, elderly, children, accident victims, athletes, those with conditions such as arthritis or fractures, etc. The possibilities are endless for potential physical therapy patients (Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences).