Why use Manual Medicine / Manual Therapy?

This is an unedited letter from Harold, who has gone on to progress his practice in the USA:

Hi…good day Dr. Strix, Seniors and most importantly my fellow manual therapist. I may not be in the Philippines and with The Manual Medicine Group still I continue to support the group and its advocacies for one main reason and that is to bring all your thinking out of the box…he he he! Well I don’t know how to start but I would say that the first time I worked here in US the first two words came in my mind is WTF and Amazing. Let me say this before I start anything.

My Intent:

1. To tell you guys that your in the right place and time

2. That your not wasting anything

3. All things that you’re going to learn from that MMG will not be just bound or usefull in the Philippines but also here in the USA

3. That before starting to learn something new clear your intent that you guys come to this workship because of the skill that will make your patient better and not because of the certificates and extension that you’ll be waving in your FS and FB

Hmmm..my discoveries started when I got my orientation in the facility when the rehab coordinator told us that things here in America are a lot different and that experience will count but will not weigh..hmmm…on my thought I felt sad because after years of experience seeking new skills so that I can be competitive here are gone or is just a waste of time and effort but things got a little different when they assigned in an outpatient clinic where I met Dr. Turovets, Dr Randall who are by the Chiropractors and Efren who is a massage therapist. I saw How they treat patients which gave a burning desire to go on head to head with what they’re doing because I saw them checking leg length, spine alignment and doing soft tissue…to my senses hey I could do that better..the way Doc strix bastardize all the manual techs..so I begun to see my patient. To my amaze before I start the patient it is usually the massage therapist who does the soft tissue mobilization (mind you guys they’re damn good!!!) then I asked efren whats next,,,he answered me to correct them or adjust…so I did what I do best manipulate…he he he! After two days I was surprised that when the secretary at the reception talked to that most of the patient where requesting me to treat them…I said ok but the OK was not ok because they were 60 patient lining up for me that I was not aware of WTF…. After a week of work the two chiropractors talked to me because they were intrigue of what I’m doing, I told them that I was doing DORN, NDS, METS, RDTS, MFR, EASE etc but general its just a manual therapy…then they begun discussing their system….from there we begun to synthesize our skills that they are willing to teach some of theirs. On PICTURE 1 – they call this the adjuster in which instead of using your hand doing HVLA we just position the segment and point this one. TOOL 1 I don’t know what they call this but its very helpful in mobilizing the facets instead using your thumb. THAMPER AND THAMPER 1 the very same tool that we are using in treating patient when doing home visit, Dr strix has this one. ME thats my picture going to work (mag-isa lang kaya solo shot..he he he!).WORKPLACE that the loby of my clinic..he he he!that’s my ride he he he!(joke lang)

Bottom line is that with the skills that I acquired from MMG helped me a lot that in adjusting to my work (that is of course if your going to work in an OPD and musculoskeletal not in sub-acute or nursing home). Certification are good but even your not certified but if you know what you doing it is good rather than being certified but does not know of what your doing(SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE THAT)..ewww…that’s nasty!!!!...Currently I’m learning their system of spine adjustment (that’s what they like to call it not manipulation). Basically as of know the basis of their treatment is not on the leg length and pelvis but more of neck. Hopefully I can share this with you guys but of course through MMG and through the graces of Dr. Strix. I hope that even I’m not their, all of you guys will continue to practice and evolve our skills together and not be satisfied of what we know but rather see thing a an infinite set of skills that needed to learned, discovered and utilized for the benefits our patient.