Slow is smooth and smooth is fast – the secret of injury recovery

Reflecting on this quote from Jeff Bezos made me think that so much of a physio’s job is about explaining this concept to patients.

Patients want to get better fast and it’s our job as physiotherapists to get them better as fast as safely possible. That’s just what we do.

​To enable this we have to convince patients that SLOW gradual incremental increases in exercises, training and/or activities like sitting, standing and walking is the SMOOTHEST and therefore FASTEST way to recovery.

​Unfortunately in our fast paced lives doing anything slowly and smoothly does not come naturally so it is a skill that physios have to nurture in themselves in order to then enable the same skill in our patients.

​Otherwise what happens is demoralising for all concerned – multiple flare ups and inconsistent recovery will put a dampener on anyone’s life,

It leads me to wonder if this seems as logical and obvious to me as it does to you? Or am I falling into that trap of presuming someone understands something just because I understand it? After all that ​understanding has come from fifteen years of seeing thousands of patients going through similar journeys (albeit of various lengths.)

​Your thoughts would be appreciated.