165: Pain, Psychology and Physical Therapy w/ Dr. Eric Kruger

Pain is an epidemic in so many countries around the world and physical therapists are uniquely qualified to be front line practitioners to help to quell this epidemic.  This episode will give you more information about how you as a healthcare worker can begin to tackle pain and create a safe place for your patients to excel. In this episode I sit down with physical therapy and Phd candidate Dr. Eric Kruger.  Eric and I have known each for a few years and it was great to sit down and talk with him about his decision to go back to school for his Phd and all things pain and psychology.  In this episode you will hear:  * How his studies in applied experimental psychology changed his personal perception of pain.  * How has his coursework changed the way he would treat his patients in future.  * The importance of motivational interviewing.  * The importance of our expressions and behaviors as clinicians and how they may influence our patient's pain (positive or negative). * How can we change the narrative around pain for our patients.  * How can we as practitioners help our patients plot a course through the uncertainty of pain. * What is valued living for the patient. What is the difference between a value and a goal.  * How can we properly build a solid foundation to treat our patients in pain.  * The importance of collaboration with mental health practitioners in the PT world.  * Why being like Ray Donovan or Olivia Pope might not be the best way to practice PT. Eric is so relaxed and thoughtful with his responses it makes it very easy to learn from him and stay engaged with his thought process.  This was a fun interview so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Have a great week, Karen