5 Ways to Make the Most of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is an injury treatment method that helps patients recover and find pain relief by strengthening their muscles, improving function, and increasing mobility. Taking part of physical therapy should be done under the guidance of a licensed therapist. A licensed professional will help guide you, watch your form, and show you proper techniques so you can work on your exercises at home as well. If you’re thinking about beginning physical therapy – or already trying it – here are 5 ways to make the most of physical therapy:

1. Remember Your Goals 

Physical therapy is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to know that physical therapy doesn’t take the same amount of time for anyone. For one patient, you could see results in a month, for others it could be about eight weeks before your soft tissues have healed. When you begin your physical therapy journey, be sure to remember your goals and what you are working towards. Sometimes, patients get discouraged at the beginning because they’re not seeing the results they desire right away. Our bodies need different amounts of time to reach optimal health. 

When deciding your goals, be sure that they are realistic. Talk to your physical therapist to see what is and isn’t possible with your current condition. Some patients have injuries that might never get them back to their level of original mobility and activity, however, physical therapy can help get you to your new normal at a much quicker rate. 

The American Physical Therapy Association lists some of the top goals of physical therapy to include: 

• Promote a patient’s ability to move
• Reduce pain
• Restore function
• Prevent disability 

Whatever your personal goals are in physical therapy, write it down and check in from time to time. Reminding yourself of your goals each week can help keep you motivated to continue on with your program when you’d otherwise feel stagnant.

2. Schedule Time at Home

Physical therapy isn’t just done in the clinic. When you embark on your physical therapy journey, your therapist will discuss with you what you need to practice at home, along with other lifestyle changes that will best help you find relief from your condition. You might not think that working on homework given to you by your physical therapist is important in the grand scheme of things, but it is. Trust us, when you work on your mobility exercises at home, you’re more likely to recover much more quickly. In addition, you’re also building up more strength, keeping pain at bay, and preventing further injury from happening.

When assigning exercises for you to do at home, your therapist will talk with you about proper form, and when to quit doing an exercise. For example, if you begin feeling new or worsening pain, you should quit doing the exercise to prevent further injury.

3. Push Yourself

When an exercise becomes too easy, be sure you talk with your physical therapist about what you can do to further advance your physical therapy experience. While you shouldn’t push yourself too hard, you should be working to better yourself each time you’re working on your exercises. This can be trying to go further in a stretch, doing a few extra reps, and more to help slowly rebuild your stamina as you move forward. 

NBC News gives some warning signs to look out for if you feel like you’re pushing yourself a little too hard:

• Your body is overly sore
• The soreness is one-sided
• You’re working out too much 
• You exercise infrequently and push too hard
• Over indexing on one type of movement 

All of these can play into extending an injury or causing a new one. If you notice any of these warning signs, talk with your physical therapist. They will be able to provide you with advice on how to move past this and get your routine back on track.

4. Track Your Progress

Since physical therapy can span over a couple of months, it can be common to forget where you started. We recommend taking pictures and keeping a journal of where you started and how you end each week. Tracking your progress like this will help you see just how far you’ve come, rather than trying to rack your brain and remember how you’ve progressed each week. You’ll be surprised by just how much progress you’re making when you track and reflect each week after your sessions.

5. Be Honest with Yourself 

Only you know what your body is capable of. If you find that exercises are too easy and you’re not being pushed as hard as you need to be, be honest with yourself. Talk to your therapist and tell them you feel like you need more of a challenge. Alternatively, if you feel like an exercise is too difficult, don’t try and continue to push through the pain as that can risk further injury. Being honest with yourself throughout your journey will be more valuable to you and your progress. 

Physical Therapy with Texas Spine & Sports Therapy Center

If you have an injury and have been looking into physical therapy, look no further. Dr. Shaner and our team of professionals here at Texas Spine & Sports Therapy Center know just what is needed in a physical therapy routine to provide optimal results. Along with that, our other physical medicine services provide you with a number of options in one convenient, comfortable office. Call today to learn more: (512)-806-0015.