All right,
this episode isn't necessarily about
stretch labs.
It's not about assisted stretching.
It's not even really about physical
therapy.
This episode is about what's on your
website.
What claims are you making?
Because here's the thing.
If you're a healthcare provider and you've
ever criticized another healthcare
business,
another subsector of healthcare for making
misleading claims...
you should probably audit yourself first.
Here's what I mean.
Earlier today,
a physical therapist on LinkedIn posted
about assisted stretching studios,
stretch labs and organizations like that.
And honestly, it was a fair critique.
They talked about short-term relief being
marketed as long-term solutions.
They talked about claims like eliminate
chronic pain,
They talked about lack of regulation,
lack of accountability in their words.
All valid concerns.
So then I just asked one simple question.
Do we,
as a profession of physical therapists,
make similar claims?
And that's where things got interesting.
Because here's the truth.
Most people don't want to say out loud.
Most physical therapists aren't lying.
But we are implying,
and implication is where expectations are
born.
I promise I'm going somewhere,
just stay with me.
We don't usually say,
this will permanently eliminate your pain.
We don't say that, typically.
But we do say things like,
the gold standard, the best,
the only evidence-based solution,
fix the root cause, get your life back.
Now those aren't lies.
But they're not neutral either.
Here's the thing.
Stretch labs and places like them sell a
future where I think physical therapy
typically sells credentials.
One is about them.
The other is about us.
So let's talk about claims for a second,
because not all claims are created equal.
Some are safe, some are sloppy,
and some are just downright dangerous.
Now that's a spectrum, green, yellow, red.
Now green claims are boring,
but defensible, may help reduce pain,
can improve mobility.
Evidence suggests benefits for some
people.
Nobody screenshots those for Instagram,
but they also won't get you in trouble.
Now,
yellow claims are where things start to
drift, fix the root cause,
long-term relief,
finally address your pain.
Not always wrong,
but highly dependent on who's reading them
and what they think you are promising.
And then finally,
Red claims their outcome promises
eliminate chronic pain, pain-free again,
permanent relief.
And here's the uncomfortable part.
If Stretch Studios shouldn't say things
like that, neither should we.
So if you do nothing else after listening
to me ramble here, do this.
Go to your own website if you own
a business or the organization you work
with and audit your own website.
Not emotionally, not defensively.
Try not.
But practically.
And ask yourself these seven questions.
You ready?
I'll put them in the show notes so
you don't have to write them all down.
Here are the questions.
One.
Does this sentence promise an outcome or
describe a process?
Two, does a claim imply permanence?
Three,
would this be true for every patient or
just some?
Four,
could I back this up with evidence without
cherry picking?
Five,
would a frustrated chronic pain patient
read this as a guarantee?
Six,
would I feel comfortable defending this
sentence to a regulator, an insurer,
or an attorney?
And finally,
the seventh question you should ask for
any of the statements you make on your
website may be the most important one.
If Stretch Studio or a chiropractor or a
different healthcare provider said this,
would I criticize it?
That last one, that's the mirror test.
Now,
here's the thing most clinics don't want
to admit.
People don't leave physical therapy
because it didn't work.
They leave because what they expected
didn't happen.
Your expectations are out of alignment.
And expectations aren't just set in the
evaluation.
They're set by language long before many
patients even walk in the door.
Marketing doesn't just attract patients.
It doesn't just put butts in seats.
It preloads belief.
It sets expectations long before your
provider ever introduces themselves.
Now, here's the thing.
Stretch studios aren't winning because
they're evil.
I think they're winning and doing well
because their promise is simple and their
experience matches the expectation that
was set long before somebody walked into
the door.
And their message is about the person
reading those promises,
not the profession providing the
experience.
You don't need to lie to compete.
You don't.
You need to be honest and compelling.
Both of those things.
It's possible.
So the question isn't,
are you mad that stretch labs or other
healthcare providers are doing what
they're doing?
Or are you mad that they're doing it
better than you?
But hey, what do I know?
That's it for this one,
but we're just getting warmed up.
Smash follow, send it to a friend,
or crank up the next episode.
Want to go deeper?
Hit us at pgpinecast.com or find us on
YouTube and socials at pgpinecast.
And legally, none of this was advice.
It's for entertainment purposes only.
Bullshit!
See, Keith?
We read the script.
Happy now?