Donna asked some of her veterinary contacts: if they could ask a physio 1 question, what would they ask? When one of them asked “How do you maintain owner motivation with physiotherapy?” Donna felt this was such an important question, that she should answer it live as well.

It is so important to treat both owners and the animals patients as individuals and ensure we listen to them without judgement. This way, we can understand their individual circumstances, resources and motivation for starting physiotherapy in the first place.

It is also really important to understand how these things can change over time. Motivation can wax and wane, but also change entirely! This can be down to people’s priorities changing (or the animal’s needs) or even their life circumstances. It is important to remember that fatigue can set in, but also that some may find themselves with the ability to do more thanks to life changes or becoming more experienced with physio exercises!

So flexibility, adaptability and regularly “checking in” to continuously listen to the owner, helps us know the best way to enhance motivation for a specific person.

There’s loads and loads of ways to motivate your clients and patients. It’s just a case of being compassionate and remembering that everybody is human, everybody has got their different places in the world.

Donna Wills

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