Unfortunately as Physiotherapists we are sometimes expected to be miracle workers or one treatment wonders!
Unfortunately when it comes to injury rehabilitation, recovery takes time… Whether it’s a couple of weeks for an ankle injury or a couple of months for post-operative recovery, the bodies healing process takes time and we do what we can to speed this up!
Here are 5 simple ways to get on the same page as your therapist and ensure your recovery goes as planned!
Do your homework!
Our pet hate as a physio is patients who want to get better but ‘forget’ or choose not to complete their exercises at home! No matter how good your therapist is, we are only with you for a few hours a week! Your recovery will always be prolonged if you’re not doing anything in your own time.
So how to make it easier…
- DO’s
- Set aside 30 minutes a day to sit and complete your exercises
- Write down your exercises and how many times they should be completed along with reminders on technique
- Set aside 30 minutes a day to sit and complete your exercises
- DON’T’s
- Wait until the day of your next physio session to complete your exercise for the first time
- Don’t tell us you’ve completed them if you haven’t (often it’s easy to tell when someone hasn’t been doing them)
Ask questions
Sometimes during a session we get carried away and tell you a bunch of things which probably go in one ear and out the other! So how are you supposed to remember a bunch of weird exercises you may have never seen before??
The best thing you can do to better understand your recovery plan is to ask questions. You are more likely to do an exercise if you know how it is contributing to solving your pain, strengthening your muscle or fixing your biomechanics.
Asking questions will also put you on the same page as your physio. When it comes to treatment we’re on the same team working towards the same goal. Sometimes we might give you an exercise for your hip when your pain is in your foot… as a therapist we know why we do what we do but you may not. So ask the question!
Trust your therapist
Tip number 3 is simply to trust your therapist! These days it’s far too easy to jump onto Dr Google, type in some of your symptoms and then bam you’ve got yourself a diagnosis! But Dr Google can’t always give you the right answer and won’t always give you the right things to do to allow for proper treatment. Remember every body is different, we don’t give every person the same kind of rehab or the same kind of exercises. In most cases your treatment will be tailor made to you! And when it comes to exercises, technique is everything. From the number of reps, to the difficulty level of the exercise, to the position it is performed in… make sure you get a professional opinion on how best to get back to full function! Trust your therapist because they will always be treating you in your best interest.
Consider a holistic approach to therapy
When it comes to health it is vital to remember that wellbeing needs to be a holistic approach. Physiotherapy is just one part of your recovery. Don’t forget there a number of factors which may have contributed to your injury but will also contribute to your recovery!
Some of these may include your general fitness or nutrition and optimising all of the physical factors will go a long way to getting you back on track. There is also the spiritual, mental and emotional side of well-being. If you can at least consider or be aware that there is more to an injury than the physical than it will certainly allow for better healing and recovery!
Don’t expect miracles
Whether you’ve rolled your ankle or broken a bone, recovery takes time! This might be 2-3 weeks for a grade 1 ankle sprain or 2-3 months for a rotator cuff tear. Whatever it is, in most cases you can’t expect the issue to be resolved in a few treatments.
One of the best ways to avoid confusion about the prognosis is to follow step number 2 and ask the question. Ask what the likely prognosis is for your injury but remember that everyone heals differently and there are always other factors involved such as how well you complete your rehabilitation.
