Episode 64 – Boyd Etter, Part 1: Shamed Into Growth

Boyd Etter PT, Dip MDT, OCS

Mr. Boyd Etter is originally from Minnesota in the USA and is now in Reno, Nevada. He’s a graduate of the College of St. Scholastica with a bachelors in Physical Therapy and a Diploma in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy  from the University of Otago, New Zealand. He is also a board certified orthopedic clinical specialist.  He has specific interest in spine care and has been heavily involved in the Nevada Physical Therapy Association and the American Physical Therapy Association.  He and his wife have 3 children.

Show Notes

Personal Background

Boyd grew up in northern Minnesota mostly in a mining region and enjoyed that part of the country specifically the winters where he spent a good amount of time cross country skiing.  His family was very influential on him especially his father from whom he’s acquired much of his character and attitude.  He’s married and he and his wife, who’s also a physical therapist, have three children.

Professional Background

Boyd started traveling as a physical therapist in Michigan.  He was exposed to the McKenzie method early on but didn’t take that experience to heart.  Another occasion he was shamed or  humbled by a therapist filling in for him, as she quickly helped many of his patients and even discharged them prior to him returning.  He traveled many other places and has ended up in Reno Nevada in private practice.  Boyd has been involved in his state’s PT chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. 

Quote

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Struggles

The fact that in healthcare, we pay for stuff and not for quality or an outcome.  With his current practice behavior he sees that assessing and treating with a mechanical emphasis where modalities and additional services or procedures are not frequently administered is a great challenge.  He believes that one way to make an impact to improving our position is to work with our national association (at least for those of us in the USA) and make a presence there instead of just criticizing what that association does or has done.

Memorable Patient experience

Boyd reflects on an elderly woman who was quite poor and always encouraged Boyd to “do good to others.”  Boyd learned to have a positive attitude and to be grateful no matter the circumstances.

Another patient he remembers was a man who’d been injured in a body surfing incident with “electric-like” pain in his arms and legs. He had profound loss of cervical motion and Boyd observed his motion and pain improve a great deal through repeated movements and using  test-retest procedures.

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