Making It Through The Physical Therapy Plateau

Health & Medical Blog

Physical therapy is a necessary treatment for many people to go through in order to ensure that they are able to regain their full range of motion and lead a full and satisfying life. However, many people become frustrated with the fact that they feel as though they are not making any progress in physical therapy. They might slack off on their exercises at the physical rehabilitation center or at home because it seems like there is no point. Here are some ways to push through this plateau and ensure that you get the most out of your physical therapy experience.

1. Talk to Your Therapist About Your Concerns

It can be disheartening to feel yourself getting stronger for the first three weeks of physical therapy and then not see any more progress. You becoming disheartened can seriously jeopardize your recovery because it can result in you being less motivated. If you find yourself feeling this way, talk to your physical therapist. Your physical therapist might be able to assuage your fears by showing you signs of progress that you might have missed before or reassuring you that everyone goes through phases like this and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Often just talking to your physical therapist can make you feel more hopeful and like all of the effort that you are putting in is worth it.

2. Make a Commitment to Yourself

Another way to make it through the plateau in your physical therapy is to make a commitment to yourself to do all of your exercises, no matter how pointless they seem. If you are scheduled for six weeks of physical therapy and you start to plateau at week three, plan little rewards for yourself to be given to you once you finish week four and five. These could be anything from renting a movie that you love to sleeping in on the weekend. At the end of week six, plan something a little bit bigger, like buying yourself a new vinyl that you've been desperately wanting at the record store. Do not give yourself these rewards if you don't give physical therapy your full attention and effort.

3. Schedule Something at the End

If you really love to play basketball and used to play games with your friends casually, this can be used as a motivator. Talk to your doctor and physical therapist to confirm your end date for physical therapy. The day or week you get out of physical therapy, schedule a basketball game or other physical activity. Your goal is to regain your motion and strength by this point.

For more information, contact Nick Roselli Occupational Therapy or a similar location.

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16 July 2015