Experiencing a health crisis such as an injury or stroke leaves you feeling vulnerable until you regain the most use of your body as possible. In many cases, going to physical therapy soon after the health incident is a major factor in how well you recover. Using these six reasons for prioritizing your physical therapy sessions as motivation to attend them helps you get in the right mindset for healing.
1- Notice Improvements Faster
As a general rule, people who begin physical therapy as soon as they receive their physician's approval tend to recover faster than those who don't. Waiting too long to start physical therapy can allow your body to heal incorrectly. Prioritizing therapy can ensure that your muscles and ligaments don't get stiff and that you don't fall into bad habits such as poor posture to compensate for pain or weakness.
2- Save Money on Preventable Care
Sometimes, one injury leads to another. For instance, you might develop an injury in the alternate leg or arm if you rely on it too much to compensate for the weaker limb. Or, you could re-injure your body if you do too much before your body can handle the strain. A physical therapist can show you strategies to overcome challenges and introduce more movement to your affected body parts without causing harm.
3- Resume Your Normal Work Schedule Sooner
Some people may put off physical therapy due to their desire to avoid missing more work. However, this can lead to more downtime if you get hurt or experience a slowdown in your recovery. Going to therapy on a regular basis helps to push your progress further, which allows you to work and engage in your recreational activities faster.
4- Enjoy Greater Pain Relief
Even minor injuries can cause great pain. Physical therapy sessions often involve massage and the application of heat or cold to reduce pain, stiffness, and swelling. Depending upon your health care needs, they'll develop a personalized plan for pain relief that makes life easier again. While some mild pain is normal as you work through therapy, an experienced therapist will know how to reduce your comfort throughout your recovery.
5- Prevent Future Injuries
Experiencing an injury puts you at risk for new ones, especially if your accident involved poor posture or weakness in your body. A physical therapist will use information about your accident to create a customized plan for your recovery that also helps to strengthen your body against future injuries such as another broken bone.
6- Increase Your Overall Quality of Life
Having to sit out special events or spending less time with your family are two major drawbacks to experiencing an injury. While going to physical therapy will take some time out of your schedule, you'll find that the payoff is greater than what you might miss out on. Being able to attend that sporting event with stairs or getting to run around the park with your grandchild are experiences that make going to physical therapy worth the effort.
Prioritizing physical therapy is easier when you find a clinic that offers convenient scheduling. If you experience a setback or change in your routine, then let your therapy clinic know. Finding ways to overcome obstacles helps you make it to each therapy appointment that brings you one step closer to your best recovery.
