If you’ve attended physical therapy before, you know that your care has many phases. Following evaluation, your physical therapist develops a care plan to begin care at the right phase for you, which can include:
Stage 1: Recovery
Based on the severity of the injury, this can be the longest stage. The goal of the recovery stage is to recuperate and allow your body to begin healing.
Stage 2: Repair
Once healing is complete, the repair stage begins with a focus on recovering mobility and movement. By gently easing your body back to pre-injury function, you can be sure to stay on track with the anticipated recovery timeline your physical therapist has provided you.
Stage 3: Strength
As the range of motion is returned, the next stage of strengthening is crucial. Injury is likely to recur without the necessary strength to support your normal range of motion. Following your physical therapist’s instructions – particularly when it comes to your home exercise program – is essential for achieving your rehabilitation goals.
Stage 4: Function
With pain diminished, range of motion returned or improved, and strengthening in full swing, the final step toward discharge from care is the process of restoring function. What do we mean by this? To reduce the possibility of re-injury, achieving higher levels of movements and tasks is important. This ensures that the actions you perform frequently are not beyond your level of safety.
Follow These Steps to Reach Your Physical Therapy Goals
Attending your appointments to complete your physical therapy care plan is important for several reasons. Each appointment is designed to help you recover or progress your care; not attending them can hinder your outcomes. Here are some specific reasons why it’s important to stay on track with your physical therapy care plan:
Consistency is key
Skipping appointments can disrupt the forward momentum you and your physical therapist have made and make it more challenging to reach your goals.
Your therapist can assess your progress
Attending all your scheduled appointments allows your physical therapist to make real-time adjustments to your care. This can help ensure that you get the most out of your physical therapy and that your treatment is tailored specifically to your needs.
You can learn new exercises and techniques
Your care plan may include starting a new exercise regimen or adapting your long-term routine to meet your newly identified needs. Your physical therapist will be providing you with the exercises you need now and letting you know how to safely advance them to continue challenging you even after your “graduation’ from their care.
You can ask questions and get feedback
We already know that no two people are the same, so when you have questions, it’s important to ask someone that you know and trust, and that knows you and your body. Staying on track with your care plan gives you the greatest chance of getting the answers you need to feel safe and satisfied with your progress.
You can stay motivated
Recovering from an injury or surgery is hard work, and the road can sometimes feel long. So, it can be easy to lose motivation. Your PT is by your side, helping you understand the recovery process, and prepared for what is next in your care plan.
The Pain Has Stopped, but You Shouldn’t
It can be tempting to stop attending physical therapy when your pain stops, or you’ve been able to return to some of the activities you used to do. However, it’s important to remember that physical therapy is about more than just relieving pain. Think of it this way- getting rid of the pain is like painting over the water spot on the ceiling. You must continue the work to fix the leak in the roof!
While pain relief is certainly a benefit of physical therapy, the ultimate goal of your care plan is to improve your overall function and mobility, decrease the likelihood of recurrence of this injury, and put you on the road to health and wellness. There is still work to be done when your pain goes away. By continuing with your visits, you are investing in your health and wellness, something we all can do to empower a life full of motion!
Call any Bay State Physical Therapy location near you to schedule or complete the form below to request an evaluation.
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