Managing the Complex Patient – When the Body Chart Is Full

Tough to Treat

In this episode, Erica talks about how to approach care when a patient has a long history of injuries and a body chart that seems to be "lit up" everywhere. It can feel overwhelming—for both the patient and the clinician.

She focuses on the importance of prioritization: identifying what’s most clinically relevant right now. This involves connecting the dots to perhaps an old injury to what the current problem is.

In this particular case, frequent bilateral ankle sprains, an ACL reconstruction plus a continued pattern of bilateral issues help you nail down your focus to what is important for you to assess and what is important for the patient to feel.

These patterns not only shape your clinical focus—helping you decide what truly needs assessment—but also give the patient a clearer sense of what their body is trying to communicate. What is relevant to you may not be important to them. It's up to you to explain to them why.

Key takeaways include:

· Avoiding the trap of chasing every symptom.

· Establishing a hierarchy of concerns using patient input and objective findings.

· Acknowledging the complexity of the history without letting it dictate the entire plan.

Related links:

• Tough To Treat Website

• Erica’s Website

• Susan’s Website