Y3S2W4: Language

Nau katoa

(Welcome everyone) 

Ko te wiki o te reo Māori

(It's Maori language week)

  He reo Māori tōu? 

(Do you speak Maori?)

 Because we're celebrating the Maori language this week in New Zealand, I thought it would be appropriate to get on google translate and translate some common physio instructions or techniques. If google translate is incorrect, please let me know!

 Relax = wātea

Breathe = whakangā

 Massage = romiromi

Exercise = mahi

Pain = mamae

Good effort = kaha pai

How did that feel? = Te aha i ite?

We were expressing language in other ways this week too... such as motivational interviewing and testing cranial nerve function.

The motivational interviewing lab for 355 on Monday was good fun. We were given the challenge of motivating our peers to change their identified health behaviour ambivalence. These were personal health problems so it was important to practice being non-judgemental / acceptance and confidentiality. Throughout the interview we could only use reflective statements and occasionally open questions. Open questions are helpful when your reflective statement closes the conversation down. The idea is for the patient to solve their own problems - we could not offer any solutions because patients are more likely to act on their own solutions than that of another person. Here are some examples the class done together before being split into peers to change our personal health problems - have a think about what you would say and you'll see that it's not an easy exercise.

• Patient: I know you want me to exercise and I can see it would be good but it's just not me.
• Physio: Exercise is something you don't currently do, but you can see how it would be good for you? How do you think exercise would be of benefit to you?

And

• Patient: I have been thinking about walking but I wouldn't like to push it, I've just had a heart attack you know.
• Physio: So you've been thinking about being more physically active but you're scared that you'll hurt your heart if you do become more physically active. What physical activities have you been thinking you could do?

 Here is how you might shut the conversation down... then save yourself with an open question.

• Patient: I've been wanting to go swimming but I don't have time to get to the pool.
• Physio: The time it takes you to get to the pool is the biggest barrier to going swimming
• Patient: Yes.
• Physio: Okay... What about the 'time it takes you to get to the pool' is your biggest barrier?

The first lab of integrated studies had us screening case studies for red flags (and risk assessments) specifically for vertebral artery and carotid artery deficiency. Part of the lab involved checking cranial nerves 7, 9/10, 11 and 12 integrity on our peers. We were watching for different things: symmetry, weakness and air leaking sounds. Needless to say, we had a good laugh at making each other wriggle their tongues, looking down to their throat while they made noises and asking them to repeat funny sounds. Here's what we did:

• Cranial nerve 7: have the patient say "pa, pa, pa".
• Cranial nerve 9/10: have the patient say "ka, ka, ka" then wriggle their tongue in and out and side to side, then have them tilt their head back and say "ahhhhhh...".
• Cranial nerve 11: resisted muscle tests for upper trapezius & sternocleidomastoid.
• Cranial nerve 12: have the patient say "la, la, la".

The second lab of integrated studies focused on Sport Physiotherapy and acute care management... mainly acute care management. We were reminded about Ottawa rules for ankle and knee, and the Canadian C-Spine rule for the neck - these rules guide referral of the patient for an xray. We had a few situations to work through such as testing chronic versus acute compartment syndrome of the leg and involvement of fracture and haematoma. We looked at multiple methods for reducing a shoulder dislocation and how we might teach somebody to reduce their own shoulder dislocation.

Cardiorespiratory labs allowed us to reassess our patients (peers) and then hand in two assignments (patient assessment and spirometry assignment). We've got two presentations to focus on now, for me that's SNAGs for neck stiffness, and a group presentation about peripheral vascular disease.

Poroporoaki hoki inaianei

(Goodbye for now)