Physical Therapy Stretching Between Appointments
I’ve been told I am a physical therapist’s dream patient. It’s because most people don’t take sessions to heart or do as they are told by the therapist, between sessions.
I have been to occupational and physical therapy many, many times over the years. I learned a lot from my sessions and have kept the handouts they have given me. I have a notebook full of back stretches, exercises, and such.
The key to PT working for you is to keep up the stretches and exercises that the therapist has assigned to you. If you can rig up a way to do something as you use the equipment in the sessions, add those in. I do my given routine every day and have made much progress in each session – usually shortening the number of prescribed sessions and healing faster.
Physical therapy stretching should become a daily part of your day, for most days. It will keep those areas of your body on good shape and healthier for years. Physical therapy targets the areas of concern but do more overall body maintenance stretching to feel good and strong all over.
For my knee (which was hyperextended and damaged), I rigged up a step exercise in the garage where the step is only ½ as high as a regular step. This allowed me to practice the exercise that I did in PT on the low exercise step. I also was on a balance board in PT – I had rigged up such some years prior, for my daughter. I had a 3’ 2X4 board, and a small block of wood. Laying the 2X4 on the block, I was able to do the same balancing and strengthening exercise as I did in PT. Now I use a balance pad to challenge my balance.
For my back, I bought a large exercise ball and am doing the strengthening exercises at home. There are other stretches I do with what I’ve bought or rigged up. I bought a handheld sonic massager and a TENS unit. I have a Theracane to self-massage my levator scapulae muscle and other areas that I can’t reach.
Weights and bands are PT tools to help stretching and workouts.
Be sure to discuss any home care with your therapist. He/she may not want you to do certain ones at home or may feel it is dangerous or detrimental to do so unsupervised. The therapist can talk to you about how to rig up a comparable system, or tell you you should not.
When doing stretches, make sure to do them slowly and purposefully, not a jerk and quick repetition. Keep it under control, and slowly stretch, slowly do the repetitions with proper breathing.
In summary, I continue to do my routines at home, according to what a therapist tells me (many people just do the routines at therapy without continuing between sessions, so progress is much slower). I work at getting better and healing.
P.R.
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