Making The Most of Your Physio Treatment
Seeing a physiotherapist is an important investment in healing and recovery from injury. Here are a few tips to help get the best outcomes from your treatment time.
Know what your goals are and ask questions.
If you are clear on what you hope to achieve through physiotherapy, this can help you and your therapist to work together to target treatment towards these goals.
Understanding your condition also plays an important part in recovery, it means that you can make better choices to protect and allow your body to heal, plus you will know better how to prevent future injuries. Before each treatment, it can help to take a few moments to prepare some questions and consider what your short and long-term goals might be.
Do your exercises.
Targeted home exercises are an essential part of your recovery as they help your body to support itself through healing and recovery. Strengthening weak muscles is one way to correct biomechanical imbalances and reduce excess stress on body structures, as well as helping tissues to strengthen as they recover.
Follow your therapist’s recommendations.
Throughout your recovery, your therapist will guide you as to which activities you should avoid and how much rest to take. Return to sport and activity should be gradual, so as not to stress the body too hard when it is still healing.
Rest is just as important a part of recovery as strengthening. Following the advice given by your therapist can ensure that you don’t injure yourself again and get the most out of your body.
Be patient with your progress.
It can be frustrating waiting for your body to heal. Returning to sport too early or giving up on treatment are common errors that lead to further injury or impaired healing. Recovery takes time, a general rule is that the longer a condition has been present, the longer it will take to resolve.
If there is a part of your condition or injury that you are struggling to understand, be sure to seek clarification with your physiotherapist. None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your condition.
Physio Direct is ACC accredited so you can come to us directly to get an injury registered with ACC without having to go to your GP first, followed by an assessment, treatment and follow up review, to ensure correct care and recovery. Physio Direct can also refer you directly for Cortisone injections, X-Rays and Ultra Sound Scans and on to Specialists if needed.
Please feel free to print out these news letters and put the in the staffroom and hand them out to your team. Understanding more about injuries, gives people the power to prevent an injury from occurring in the first place. Prevention and education is the key!