At Central Orthopedic Group, diagnosing and treating sports injuries is our daily practice. As Long Island’s foremost orthopedist, we maintain a passionate commitment to the complete recovery of our patients. Of course, in many cases, physical therapy is an exceptional solution. However, how can you be confident you’re navigating physical therapy the best possible way?
Obviousy, we’ll never discourage any of our patients from trying physical therapy. First and foremost, it’s an all-natural, non-invasive and painkiller-free treatment. Therefore, it’s one of the safest ways to recover from injury, sprained ankle or chronic pain. In this post, we’ll discuss some reliable tips to getting the most out of your physical therapy. Applying these tips will help you to have a safer and healthier 2021!
1. Ask Lots of Questions
Of course, this rule applies to just about any endeavor you can imagine. Communication is key with any pursuit! Therefore, when discussing your individual treatment plan with your physical therapist, ask any question that comes to mind. Also, when describing your symptoms, make sure you’re as specific as possible, no matter if it’s a dislocated hip or shoulder pain. Basically, no information is too trivial to either mention or ask about.
If you’re open and can actively communicate, you’ll be a lot better off. Honesty and the freedom to ask questions will ultimately lead to a much smoother and more effective treatment regimen.
2. Commit to Your Appointments
Obviously, we understand the temptation to skip your physical therapy appointments. When dealing with the stress and chaos of work and home life, it’s easy to feel like you couldn’t possibly add another obligation to your mounting list. However, it’s imperative, when using physical therapy to recover from injury or chronic pain, to not skip any appointments. Unfortunately, way too many patients assume that simply performing the exercises alone at home will bring them to a complete recovery. In fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Physical therapy sessions are overseen by a licensed, certified expert. Therefore, they can monitor, guide and adjust the therapeutic exercises as necessary. In addition, skipping appointments can also lead to severe setbacks, and leave you in worse condition than before beginning physical therapy. So whether you’re receiving treatment from a ski injury or persistent aches and pains, commit to your appointments!
3. Don’t Try to Rush It
When you reach a full, complete recovery, that’s generally when you can safely conclude your physical therapy. However, at no point before that should you consider yourself fully restored, healed or recovered. A lot of patients recklessly try to rush through the treatment process, attempting a number of misguided ways to speed the process up. Usually, this involves performing the exercises alone, often overdoing them, or returning to strenuous activities like cardio before they’re ready.
In the end, if you simply exercise patience, you’ll reach the finish line much faster. And of course, you’ll achieve a complete, resolute recovery. If you try to rush the process, you could wind up seriously hurting yourself, slipping/falling or worse, and find yourself in worse shape than when you began!
Conclusion – Central Orthopedic Group
Physical therapy is, hands down, one of the best things you can do if you’re recovering from an injury or chronic pain. However, it’s essential to stay committed, communicate with your therapist, have patience and give yourself the chance to recover properly. With the right guidance and treatment program, you’ll receive innumerable benefits from the process.