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Writer's pictureDoug Nelson

If the Devil is in the Details. . .

Precision Neuromuscular Therapy is nothing if not precise. In our training, we spend lots of time making sure that therapists understand and can execute the work that we present. It is common that we hear how the work is much more focused than their experience with other approaches.


I deeply appreciate this perspective and feedback, but that's only part of the picture. I don't know to whom to attribute the quote, (I heard it during a biography of Bach and I'm pretty sure J.S. didn't say it!) but if the devil is in the details, then God is in the greater context.





For me, this happens on at least three levels. First is the "why" behind what we do. What is your purpose for doing the work? Is it your job or is it your mission? For me personally, I see so many people with musculoskeletal pain who just fall through the cracks of the healthcare system. They drift through the system or simply attribute their pain to aging. Once the pain isn't explainable or visualized on a diagnostic image, the provider is unsure what to do and the patient is left to figure it out on their own. That scenario plays out with almost every new client I see. My mission is to provide real results and thus hope and empowerment for clients in that situation.


Secondly, why do we therapists study? Is it a goal or a mission? I just took a call from a therapist who said they were very impressed and intrigued by PNMT, but they already had enough continuing education credits for this year. Is your learning a continuous process of self-development to be the best therapist you can be or is it a goal with an endpoint that can be achieved? Those who study with us realize there is no end point; it is a lifelong process. Every person who achieves our certificate, which is a significant process and achievement, feels like they still don't know enough. It is just another base camp on a continuous journey up the learning mountain.


And third, in the context of treatment, when treating any muscle, you need to understand what role this particular muscle is playing. No one muscle does anything by itself. Who are its friends? Who sets the stage for this muscle to do what it does? Who works for the other side? What neural relationships exist? What other muscles are fascially connected? You cannot change an outcome unless you deeply understand the process that created it. In our early education, the focus is on detail complexity. As you practice more, the focus changes to dynamic complexity. Welcome to the real world, where boundaries get blurred and the lines aren't so clear. It's the real world of the clinic, where difficult cases challenge us to grow and be creative.


Thank you to all the therapists that have joined us in this endless journey of learning and discovery. We do so to serve our clients to the very best of our ability. In doing so, our lives are enriched as well.


How great is that?

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