Feedback

Last week I texted my client two days after the massage session, as I always do to find out how they felt and if they noticed any improvement after the treatment. They said they were very grateful I reached out, they were feeling pretty good, their shoulder felt better but they still had a little pain but it was the last sentence in their response that struck me. “No other person has followed up, thank you “ 

I reach out to each client two days after a session for multiple reasons. First and foremost I want to know if my treatment had an effect, and if so, what sort of effect. I also want to know if my treatment had any side effects, like soreness. I reach out two days later because of this. Two days after the session I would expect any soreness to have dissipated and isn't dominating the client’s attention. This does not mean that every client feels soreness, in fact many do not which is ideal. Two days also allows the client to “test” things out. If they hurt when they run, it gives them time to take a run or two to determine if there have been changes.

I need data points to find out if my treatment plan is working. If I treated their tensor fascia lata in the last session I want to know if that treatment worked and they're feeling better or it didn’t work and they feel the same. Because manual therapy treatments are not often a one-and-done process, gathering data points is a great way to problem solve and recalibrate toward the client’s goals.

The other very important reason I follow up is because I want my clients to feel cared for. This is a feeling our clients often experience when it comes to pain management and our medical system. I want to communicate to my clients that I am paying attention and I am on the road of healing with them. 

Some clients don't respond to the message, which is fine. They often apologize at the next session and I tell them not to worry that the message is more for them to have a self check-in. No one has ever been upset that I reached out to find out how they were feeling. Priorly I used email to communicate but now that text is ubiquitous I have switched. In many ways I don't think it matters how you communicate as long as you're communicating. Finding what works for you to allow for feedback and demonstrate client care is what matters.

Importantly I do not wait until their next season for feedback. Even if I see the client a week later, if I wait for the next session the client is going to have lots of trouble recalling the progress or lack thereof from the treatment. They may not be able to remember whether the pain was completely gone and gradually came back, or if we just made some progress and one day it came back with avengeance. Those two situations (slow dissipation of progress, compared to quick return of pain) give me very different information about what may be the source of my client’s pain, what is contributing to the pain and most importantly what my next plan of action would be.

It is not easy to put oneself out there to hear honest feedback. There are many times I receive feedback that is not demonstrative of progress from my treatment. It is hard to hear that a treatment I gave didn’t work. It can make you feel at a loss, or worse defensive. Regardless, it’s important to do. Clients often do not feel cared for in while they navigate their medical, especially pain, complaints. Following up and getting feedback will not only make your future treatments better, they will make the client feel cared for and validated. Something that is desperately needed by many of our clients.