Vancouver Chiropractor Defines “Great Patient”

May 5, 2009 by Dr. Carla Cupido

Caitlin Griffin: Professional Dancer & Great Patient (http://caitlingriffin.zoomshare.com/)

There are many factors to consider when defining “great patient”; my list includes the following:

1. Dedicated to getting better
2. Committed to their exercises
3. Want to learn about their injury
4. Understand the importance of their involvement in getting better
5. FUN personality (this makes appointment times GREAT)

I have now had the pleasure of treating a number of professional dancers.  What I have learned from these experiences is obvious, but noteworthy: without healthy bodies, dancers cannot make a living.  For this reason, among many others, dancers make GREAT patients for they have no choice but to possess numbers one through four from the list above.

Dancers are more in tune with their bodies than average individuals and recognize when they require treatment and when they can manage things with self care and previously prescribed rehabilitation.  Many of the dancers I have treated are on limited budgets, but still make an incredible effort to look after their bodies properly.  The dedication they demonstrate to their health is admirable and I wish I could inject this into everyone I know!

Thank you to all of my patients; you have all been a joy to work with.  Let us all try to become “great patients” based on the definition above; I will work on this as well!  Feel free to ask me if I have been doing my exercises the next time we see eachother!