Are you one of many individuals who embark on a physiotherapy program each day? If so, congratulations are in order. You are taking steps toward a better, more active life, and that is something to celebrate.
Make the Most of Your Physiotherapy Program With These 4 Tips
Did you know that there are ways you can increase the gains you make during the time you spend participating in a physiotherapy program? Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your physiotherapy program:
1. Have the right attitude — You get from a physiotherapy program what you put into it. This is something every patient should know before they get started. Your physiotherapist will not be able to resolve whatever ails you without your participation in the solution. Which leads us to our next tip for making the most of your physiotherapy program: Be religious about your home program.
2. Do your home program — Physiotherapy appointments are critical. They are where your PT can give you specialized treatments and work with you in a hands-on fashion. But in-office visits aren’t where the magic stays. Major change happens when you regularly do your home program.
A physiotherapy home program is an exercise program you can perform at home. It it typically not strenuous and takes only a few minutes a day to complete. It can be tempting to put off until tomorrow, but if you want to get better, do it today and every day.
3. Create goals and share them with your physiotherapist — Your physiotherapist has goals for you as a patient, but having goals for yourself will help you get more from your program. These goals don’t have to be big. “Stand without feeling pain” is a fantastic goal, for example.
Make a list of at least 10 goals and share them with your physiotherapist so that he or she can help you reach them.
4. Tell your physiotherapist how you’re feeling — A physiotherapist is someone you can be totally honest with. Your PT is counting on you to tell them how you are feeling as your program progresses.
Your honesty in letting your physiotherapist know if you are noticing any changes at all or hurting more or less will help them tweak your program so that it will be more effective for you. That said, don’t worry about hurting anyone’s feelings. If you aren’t seeing results or are in excessive pain, tell your physiotherapist.
Are You Maximizing Your Physiotherapy Experience?
By having the right attitude, doing your home program daily, creating goals for yourself and keeping your PT in the loop about how you’re feeling, you will make the most of your physiotherapy program. If you’ve received physiotherapy services in the past, what are some ways you maximized your experience?