There are many things you should consider when beginning physical therapy. You may want to think about how often your sessions will be and how much they will cost, for instance. However, you should also think about what you consider to be the “best” results from physical therapy.
Each person tends to have a slightly different perspective on this. Some people think they are getting the best results when their pain is being decreased. Others think it is gaining an increased ability to walk, stand up and do other normal activities. Once you’ve established what your best physical therapy results are, there is something else you will need to consider: what you need to do to achieve those results. Fortunately, your physical therapist can help you learn some things you need to know to get the best results from your sessions.
Doing these three things can help you get the best results from your physical therapy
People turn to physical therapy for many reasons. For one thing, physical therapists are highly trained to help people address a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders. That being said, you are not just a condition to them. You are a person. That means they are ready to do everything they can to help you get the best results from your physical therapy. But physical therapists can’t do this all by themselves. Some things that you will need to do to get the most out of your treatment include:
- Being prepared to be an active partner — There are many times when you enter into an active partnership with someone else. Working with a physical therapist should be one of those times. Why is that? The answer is pretty simple: The more you put into physical therapy, the more you get out of it. Medical studies support this conclusion. One study on patients recovering from hip fractures found that active rehab participants achieved up to 18% more hip function than less active participants.
- Asking if virtual physical therapy is an option — Lower costs. Increased convenience. Reduced pain. All these benefits are ones that people can get from doing virtual physical therapy (PT) sessions. Yet many people aren’t even aware that there is a virtual PT option. That’s why you should get in touch with your physical therapist and ask if they offer this option and if you can use it for your injury or condition.
- Understanding that you will get homework — You probably thought that you left homework behind when you got out of school. However, it will likely show up again while you’re working with a physical therapist. Why? It has to do with time.
There is only so much that you and your physical therapist can work on in your in-person or virtual sessions. But a greater part of your time is outside of PT sessions. Physical therapists may give you exercises or other recovery “homework” to do to take advantage of this out-of-session time. Doing your homework can also help you be better prepared for your actual sessions and help you reach your recovery goals faster.
Back in Motion is ready to help you get the best possible results from your physical therapy
At Back in Motion Physical Therapy, our team is focused on helping you achieve the best possible physical therapy results. That’s why we don’t use the same treatment plan for every patient. Instead, we carefully craft a treatment plan that’s designed to fit your specific condition and recovery goals.
Contact us today for more information about all the physical therapy services we offer or to schedule your initial appointment.