Undergoing physical therapy is an investment in your time and effort. You want your investment to pay off and as smoothly as possible. There are steps you can take to help your effort along. The steps aren’t difficult, and their rewards will play a huge part in your success.
At the office of The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center, our skilled physical therapists use a variety of techniques to unburden you from pain and get you “back in action.” We also incorporate soft-tissue therapies to provide a complete treatment plan to deal with everything from simple low back pain to other issues that affect your comfort, mobility and overall wellbeing.
Here are some pointers that will help you glide through physical therapy.
Take these to your first visit. Have with you a record of all of your medications, a list of your symptoms and when they started, which movements are painful, and any X-rays and MRI results related to your condition. Your physical therapist (PT) will need all of this information to plan your course of treatment.
Dress for success. Starting with your initial visit, wear comfy shoes with non-skid soles and loose clothes. Your PT might want you to demonstrate which moves are bothersome and how well you perform tasks such as walking and rising from a chair.
Decide on your goals and discuss them with your PT. What do you want the ability to do after your course of physical therapy? Take long walks? Resume your tennis game? Sit comfortably for long periods? Your PT will incorporate your goals into your therapy.
Put in the work at home. If your PT assigns you exercises between appointments, don’t shrug them off. Many benefits of rehab result from keeping up with your “homework.”
Don’t go overdo your homework. You won’t heal any faster if you do more than your PT designates. You might even hinder your progress or succumb to a new injury.
Celebrate your short-term advances. They are also important and will bolster your motivation.
The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center’s elite team of physical therapists has the ability, focus and flexibility to demonstrate unparalleled professional knowledge. We want you to succeed as much as you do! Please don’t hesitate to contact us for an appointment.