Aging Gracefully and with Great Health

Five Mistakes You Don't Want To Make When You're Undergoing Physical Therapy

7 May 2019 by For Content

Undergoing physical therapy is essential for overcoming a wide variety of different injury types. It's important that patients get the most out of each of their physical therapy sessions to recover as quickly as possible.

The following are five mistakes that it's important for patients to avoid while undergoing physical therapy to maximize their chances for success and a full recovery:

Failing to keep careful records of your treatment

When you put effort into documenting your treatment, you're better able to see the progress you're making over time. Things you need to document include your movement range, pain levels, treatment types and dates, and amount of any painkillers or medication you're taking.

Not setting clear goals for your treatment with your physical therapist

Having goals in mind is important because it shows the progress you're making and helps to determine which treatments in particular you need. Your goals will depend on your particular injury and lifestyle.

If you are an athlete and want to get back to competing, your physical therapy treatment is probably going to take a little longer than if you were just working toward being able to walk the dog or handle everyday living tasks independently. However, if you're recovering from a severe injury, you might need to work hard just to regain a normal range of movement and level of strength. 

Getting into the habit of canceling appointments

It's essential that you're committed so that you can stick to all the appointments you have. Every time you cancel an appointment, it sets you back in your physical therapy treatment. You therefore need to make each and every one of your appointments a priority to stay on track as your condition improves. 

Neglecting to do any recommended exercises at home

Generally speaking, physical therapists recommend that their patients do some exercises on days when they don't have appointments at home. It's important to keep up with these recommended exercises in order to maintain both joint movement range and muscular strength. 

Being too shy with your physical therapist

The better you communicate with your physical therapist, the more successful your treatment is likely to be. You need to listen to all the information your physical therapist gives you so that you're educated on how to heal yourself. You also need to feel open about asking any questions that you have regarding your treatment. Be sure to speak up and express any concerns regarding how you're feeling. 

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