Overcoming "Never"

This post was borne out of a conversation I recently had with one of my clients.  A couple of weeks ago she was diagnosed with a meniscal tear in her left knee.  When she came to class, I asked her how it was going with her therapist.  She proceeded to tell me that her therapist told her that her injury would never heal and that she would simply have to modify her lifestyle and manage the condition for the rest of her life.
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When my client began worrying about things she wouldn't be able to do, her therapist asked her what specifically was she concerned about?  My client told her that she still wanted to be able to get down on the floor with her kids and eventual grandkids to play with them.  Her therapist's response was simply, "Well, there's plenty of people who can't sit down on the floor", as if this was enough reason to accept the inability to do so. Frankly, I was appalled by this response from a health practitioner.
I suggested to my client that she seek a second opinion.
 
Any time I need to seek out the advice and expertise of a health practitioner, my initial search involves asking others I trust for recommendations. Additionally, I do my own research online checking their credentials, experience, and reviews if there are any. 

When I schedule and go to my first appointment, I expect them to give me a complete assessment for whatever I am seeing them for.  What they may not realize is that I am quietly assessing them as well.  Specifically, I am observing with my eyes and ears their "bedside manner" and the language they use regarding my "issue" and the approach they are suggesting for treatment.  If I hear any absolute negatives (i.e. "You'll always have this problem", "People don't recover from this", "This will never fully heal"), I am already looking for another practitioner. Because the reality is that our body and its cellular structure are ever changing, renewing, and evolving. 

I believe that there is always the opportunity to heal and recover when it comes to our bodies and injuries.  I refuse to see any practitioner who simply "settles" on limiting thoughts around healing, because I know that they carry that limited mindset into their healing practice.  And I refuse to limit my ability to heal and "tiptoe" around my body's perceived limitations.  
 
Of course, when we are injured, we are limited for a period of time; days, weeks, months, or longer.  Of course we need to listen to and heed our bodies' signals as to what it is capable of and what feels good to do at any given moment.  This too, is ever-changing and evolving.  My point is simply that when we are choosing any health practitioner, avoid going in thinking that "they're the expert" and immediately hand over the reins.  Assess them too and listen to the language they use in their approach to healing.  If it's not leaning toward the positive, hopeful, empowering and solution-oriented, I would strongly consider looking elsewhere for treatment. 

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