Is pain just part of the job in veterinary medicine?

When Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, asked approximately 500 veterinary professionals at a veterinary conference session how many regularly worked in pain because of the physical demands of their jobs, every hand in the room went up. The response highlighted a problem that Shaw and co-host Jennifer Edwards, DVM, PCC, CPC, ELI-MP, say has become too accepted in veterinary medicine. In this episode of The Resilient Vet: Mind and Body Strategies for Success, they explore why veterinary work can take such a physical toll and discuss the roles of ergonomics, body mechanics, and strength training in helping veterinary professionals build more sustainable careers.

Below is a partial transcript, which has been edited for clarity.

Shaw: …It's heartbreaking, really, to see so many people who are at a conference because they're passionate about what they do—they love taking care of their patients, they're super smart, super motivated people—and yet to have everybody raise their hand basically saying they're getting beat up by the job that they love.

It's a testament that something's wrong. Something is wrong in the profession. There's a hidden-in-plain-sight problem that is leading, in no small part, to people who change their roles in vet med because they can't tolerate the same work through the years. Even more sadly, some people have to leave the profession entirely because they can't do it. So I think it was surprising and heartbreaking, but also, because of my skill set, encouraging before people totally break down and leave. I want to say, "Okay, wait a second. Give me a little bit of your time. Let me try to help you through this."

Edwards: Yeah, and that makes sense. One of the things that really stood out to me in your introduction when you were telling us your story was how you said that it doesn't have to be inevitable, because I do think that a lot of us just resign ourselves and accept the fact that it is inevitable. It's like, "All right, how long am I going to last? Am I going to last longer than her?" So I think, like you said, there can be an intentionality to lessening the impact and prolonging how long we do have a sustainable career.