We're Teaching People to Wait. And It's Making Them Sicker.

Let's raise the level of "Standard Care" together!

A man in his late 40s falls off a ladder. Fractures his elbow in multiple places. Surgery. Cast. Sling.

The doctor's orders? "Wear this for 8-12 weeks. Then go to physiotherapy."

That's it. No guidance. No plan. Just... wait.

Wait while your muscles atrophy. Wait while your cardiovascular health declines. Wait while your body becomes weaker, stiffer, more deconditioned.

And we call this "standard care."

The 8-12 Week Black Hole

Here's what frustrates me most as a Physical Therapist:

We tell patients to wait. And waiting makes everything worse.

This man had one injured arm. But he still had:

• Another fully functional arm
• Two working legs
• A heart and lungs that needed movement
• A body that desperately needs blood flow to heal
• A mind that requires movement for his mental health

But no one told him what he COULD do. Only what he couldn't.

So he waited. For 12 weeks. Getting weaker. More deconditioned. More disconnected from his body.

Then he went to hospital outpatient physiotherapy - the standard 4 visits, focused only on his elbow extension.

Then he was discharged.

One Year Later

This man came to see me a full year after his fall. He had been a previous client a few years back. I was shocked that he had fallen off a ladder and waited this long to see me!

His elbow still couldn't fully extend. Not even close.

His reason? The doctor said he's good to go.

No pain - so technically "successful" by medical standards. But here's what he couldn't do:

❌ Ride his bike (one arm bent, one straight - try it, it doesn't work)
❌ Lift a heavy pot out of the oven with his wife
❌ Do basic daily activities without restriction

His quality of life was limited. But he had "no pain."

So according to the system? He was fine.

"Do You Have Pain?"

I asked him what his surgeon said at the follow-up appointment.

He told me: "He asked if I had pain. I said no. That was it."

That was the end of the discussion.

He didn't tell him about the limited range of motion. He didn't tell him about how he struggled to lift the pot out of the oven (his wife had to save him from dropping it!) and that he couldn't bike with his kids anymore.

Pain or no pain. That's the metric.

Not quality of life. Not function. Not prevention.

Just: Are you in pain?

This Isn't the Surgeon's Fault

Let me be clear: I'm not blaming the surgeon.

Our healthcare system is so slammed with reactionary care that we literally don't have time for prevention.

We don't have 2 minutes to talk about what a patient can do during recovery while in a sling (or at least, educate them on resources so that they don't feel lost and alone. Physical Therapists and other practitioners have a role in preventative health; not just treating pain).

We don't have time to discuss long-term function. We don't have resources to empower people to stay strong while they heal.

We're too busy putting out fires to prevent the next one.

And patients? They suffer for it.

Preventative Health Isn't Sexy. But It Works.

Here's what could have been different for this man:

During the 8-12 weeks in a sling:

• Guided exercises for his other arm and legs to maintain strength
• Cardiovascular conditioning to support healing (movement = blood flow = faster recovery)
• Core and postural work to prevent compensation patterns
• Education on what he COULD do, not just what he couldn't
• Watch this VIDEO for examples!

During physiotherapy:

• Focus on full range of motion, not just "good enough"
• Functional goals: What does he want to get back to? Biking? Cooking? Living without restriction?
• Discharge when he's THRIVING, not just "pain-free"

At the surgeon follow-up:

• Two minutes to ask: "Can you do everything you want to do? What are you still struggling with?"
• Referral to guided and supportive exercises with an experienced physiotherapist or other health care practitioner

That's it. That's preventative health.

Not fancy. Not expensive. Just proactive instead of reactive.

We Need to Stop Normalizing "Good Enough"

"No pain" is not the same as "healthy."

"Healed" is not the same as "strong."

"Standard care" should not mean "wait until you're worse, then maybe we'll help."

This man wanted to ride his bike with his kids. He wanted to cook with his wife. He wanted to live without restriction.

That's not too much to ask.

But our system treated it like a luxury. Like function and quality of life are bonuses, not essentials.

So What Do We Do?

If you're reading this and you've ever been told to "just wait" - here's what I want you to know:

You don't have to wait.

Even if you're injured. Even if you're in a cast, a sling, recovering from surgery.

There is ALWAYS something you can do. Try these basics like practicing full functional breathing (which regulates the nervous system and promotes healing), XYZ spine (3D movement of your spine, which houses all your nerves that innervate your whole body), and postural practice (neutral spine posture is one of the most underrated tools for alleviating pain).

Keep your cardiovascular system healthy. Improve your posture and strength. Ask questions. Advocate for yourself.

Don't accept "good enough" when you deserve "thriving."

And don't wait for the system to tell you what you can do. Take ownership of your health now.

To My Fellow Healthcare Providers

We can do better.

We can spend 2 minutes asking about function, not just pain.

We can give patients a plan for the "in-between" time, not just tell them to wait.

We can discharge based on what they want to DO, not just whether they hurt.

Preventative health doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be intentional.

Why Collaboration Is the Future of Better Health Outcomes

One of the core principles of the Preventative Health Awareness Movement (PHAM) is the belief that no single practitioner holds all the answers — and no single discipline can fully support recovery on its own PHAM was intentionally created to foster collaboration, cross-disciplinary learning, and respectful co-care, with one shared goal: improving health outcomes for everyday people. In traditional healthcare models, individuals are often encouraged to wait; wait until pain becomes unbearable, wait until function is lost, wait until symptoms are severe enough to justify intervention. This reactive approach not only delays healing, but frequently creates secondary issues that could have been prevented with earlier, integrative support. PHAM challenges this paradigm by promoting a holistic lens of health — recognizing that recovery and resilience are influenced not just by physical structures, but by mental, emotional, and even spiritual well-being

The Hidden Cost of “Waiting” After Injury

When someone experiences an injury, the physical impact is only part of the story.

The mental and emotional fallout can be significant:

• Fear of re-injury
• Loss of confidence or identity
• Anxiety around movement or performance
• Disrupted sleep and stress regulation

Left unaddressed, these factors can slow healing, alter movement patterns, and negatively affect long-term outcomes. This is where PHAM’s collaborative model becomes powerful.

Rather than working in silos, PHAMbassadors actively welcome insight from other trusted professionals, creating more comprehensive, patient-centred care pathways. Collaboration in Action: Elevating Care Through Co-Care

Physiotherapists like Tatianna Graham value the opportunity PHAM creates to collaborate with professionals across disciplines, including counsellors, optometrists, massage therapists, nutritionists, cardiologists, and integrative medicine practitioners to elevate treatment plans and empower patients.

This collaborative approach allows practitioners to:

• Address both physical injury and nervous system regulation
• Support mental health alongside physical rehabilitation
• Optimize nutrition, sleep, and cardiovascular health during recovery
• Reduce recovery time while improving confidence and outcomes

When patients feel supported as whole humans, they heal more efficiently and more sustainably.

A powerful example of this integrative philosophy can be seen in the work of PHAMbassador Dr. Vineeta Ahooja, a cardiologist who also practices Ayurvedic medicine. Her perspective bridges modern cardiovascular science with ancient, preventative wisdom, reinforcing PHAM’s belief that the best outcomes often emerge when disciplines work together, not in competition, but in collaboration

You can explore her integrative approach to heart health here

Building a Health System That Works Better for People

PHAM isn’t about replacing the healthcare system, it’s about strengthening it through connection, prevention, and shared responsibility

By encouraging collaboration across disciplines and empowering individuals to take action earlier, PHAM helps:

• Reduce the long-term burden on healthcare systems
• Improve recovery timelines and patient confidence
• Elevate health literacy and health esteem
  

The Bottom Line

We're teaching people to wait. To accept limitations. To settle for "no pain" instead of full function.

And it's making them sicker. Weaker. More dependent on a system that's already overwhelmed.

Preventative health isn't about adding more. It's about doing what we're already doing differently.

Proactively. Intentionally. With the goal of thriving, not just surviving.

Your health can't afford to wait.

So don't let anyone - not a doctor, not a system, not even yourself - tell you to just sit back and see what happens.

Take action. Ask questions. Move your body. Own your health.

Because "standard care" isn't good enough.

You deserve better.

About the Author

Tatianna Graham is a Physical therapist, Yoga teacher, and passionate advocate for preventative health. She started The Move With Ease Method, a program for women 40+ to build strength from inside out, learn mind-body connection, and age with intention - because waiting for problems to get worse is not a healthcare strategy.

Grab Tatianna's free guide that she gives ALL her physical therapy and women's health coaching clients HERE.