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Interviewer: All right, it's time for Seven Questions for a Specialist. Today our specialist is physical therapist, Tamara Dangerfield. Are you ready to play?
Tamara: I think so.
Interviewer: All right, here come your seven questions.
#1: What's the Most Common Question You Get Asked When Somebody Finds Out What You Do?
Interviewer: You're at a party? What do they want to know?
Tamara: It's usually, "Oh, I've been having this pain right here." What can I do?
Interviewer: And then they point at it.
Tamara: And then they point at it.
#2: Why Did You Specialize in Physical Therapy?
Tamara: I was interested in physical therapy when I went to physical therapy. When I was young, I was a dancer and had an injury, and was prescribed physical therapy, thankfully, and it always kind of stuck out in my mind as a really fun way to make a living and help people learn about their bodies and movement, and how much joy it can bring them.
#3: What's the Most Common Reason You Hear that People Don't Seek Out A Physical Therapist?
Tamara: In my line of work, when I ask people that question, they usually say, "My doctor didn't tell me to."
#4: Why is Physical Therapy So Awesome?
Tamara: Because it allows people to feel better, truly really better, function better, and get more out of their lives.
#5: What Can Physical Therapy Do That Most People Are Unaware Of?
Tamara: Physical therapy can treat pain. There are many modalities that are actually for the treatment of pain. There are electrical modalities. We have a new option in the State of Utah to do dry needling, which is a very useful tool, it's, again, not the only tool. So I think the most surprising thing for a lot of people is that it treats pain.
#6: What Can't Physical Therapy Do?
Tamara: Physical therapy can't immediately make all your pain go away. It's not a quick fix, and it's not a cure. I think that's important for people to know too. There's no cure for pain. Pain is part of your body's process. And if it's not working well, you have to work on the way your whole body is working.
#7: What Do You Know About How the Body Works that Everybody Should Know?
Tamara: I know that movement matters. I know that movement is as important as nutrition. Many, if not all of our body processes, depend on movement for cellular regeneration and function.
updated: September 7, 2023
originally published: September 6, 2017
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SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR A SPECIALIST