Development as a professional

Working with people who live with persistent pain stirs up a lot, both thoughts and emotions.

It can be extremely rewarding, getting to be part of someone's journey as they make progress towards the activities that matter to them. It can be humbling too, hearing how thoroughly pain can uproot a person's life. And I often feel blessed and privileged to be in a position where people trust me with their stories, their emotions, the deeply personal stuff they don't tell many people.

But I'll be honest about the other side of it. It can also leave me feeling overwhelmed and, at times, inadequate. I don't have any magic, and no special power to take someone's pain away. A lot of the tools I was handed early in my career turn out to have mixed results when it comes to pain. Coming to terms with the fact that I can't often give someone what they most want has been difficult.

What I've come to realise is that the discomfort of not having the answers is exactly what keeps me learning. It drives an eagerness to keep developing, to be that little bit better each time someone walks through the door. Luckily, that's not really a chore for me. I actually love reading the research and the editorials, which helps.

None of us here pretend to have it all figured out. Even the so-called ‘experts’ in the field can’t agree on some of the fundamentals. What we do is keep learning and developing, so we're a little bit better every time.

Written by

Samuel Bulten

Exercise Physiologist | Masters in Medicine (Pain Management)

Director, Adapt Movement

Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. These blogs are written by Sam Bulten and represent his opinions and insights and are based on his experience and interpretation of the research. As Sam is a human, these opinions and insights are not absolute truths.