P.T. Floyd Collins' perfect willingness to dive into dark, wet, slender holes in the earth is not something to which we can all relate. But in 1925, the caves of central Kentucky provided a steady livelihood that the land's surface could only fitfully ensure, what with the uncertainty of the weather and market prices. Floyd knew that the caves were a constant presence, and that if he discovered the right cavern, some of the tourist dollars streaming into nearby Mammoth cave would head his way. He knew as well that the narrow passageways leading to the larger spaces could be unstable. Often they would squeeze a caver until he found the courage and strength to continue or retreated in panic.
Some therapists are willing to see the kind of problems that others avoid whenever possible.
Typically these are disorders of the neural tissue represented by names like reflex sympathetic dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, CVA, chronic spinal and radicular pain. What they have in common is a persistent alteration in nervous flow that is as unstable and unpredictable as the passageways Floyd would wriggle through each day, looking for open space, and his fortune. One day while leaving a newly discovered cavern, Floyd lost his light, tried to kick himself forward and dislodged a boulder that trapped his left foot. Lying on his left arm, his right hand pinned to his side by an overhanging rock, Floyd knew he needed help and began to scream himself hoarse. I view neural problems as unique in their ability to mislead us, to hide their true nature until we have invested time in ineffective care or no care at all.