Jeff Langmaid argues clinicians should ask patients what pain stops them from doing, not just where it hurts. Dig into how it affects daily life and why they came in. These deeper questions connect you to what actually matters to the patient.
So if somebody says they're coming in for the pain, don't just ask about the pain. You have to, if you want to connect with the individual and you want to encourage them and influence them to get the best results in your practice, it has to go beyond that. Well, what does that pain prevent you from doing? What's the life impact and life effect of the pain? I call it turning over the rock, and it's really, really critical for us as clinicians to always turn over the rock. Pain is the rock. It's really easy to see, can't miss it. But have you turned over the rock? Have you asked that extra question? How is that pain impacting you? What's it prevent you from doing? What really brought you in here today? Really great questions.
