We’re often asked, “Are the at-home exercises my physical therapist shows me how to do at home really necessary?” It’s a fair question. After all, you already spend time during your physical therapy appointments completing exercises. Does the extra “homework” really make a difference? As it turns out, it makes a world of difference for recovery time, pain management, and so much more.
It’s important to realize that your physical therapy journey isn’t only relegated to the time you actually spend at one of our clinics or directly working with your physical therapist. Instead, the physical therapy homework and at-home exercises your physical therapist assigns could help you improve your recovery timeline, improve the efficiency of your in-person visitations, and help you reduce the pain you experience.
When you receive some physical therapy homework to conduct some at-home exercises or stretches, it’s important that you try to complete them to the best of your ability, as your physical therapist wouldn’t have assigned them otherwise. Often times, physical therapists will assign at-home exercises to help you supplement what you’re doing the actual visitations and sessions. In doing so, you can make more progress than you would be if you were only doing the exercises when you’re visiting.
These are the most important reasons to complete your at-home physical therapy exercises recommended by physical therapists.
While there is a multitude of reasons as to why you should always work to complete and finish your physical therapy homework, we’ve identified some of the top reasons you should implement the recommendations and homework from your physical therapist.
We see it time and time again. Those who take the time to complete their physical therapy homework feel better faster and make much more significant progress during the course of their physical therapy treatment than those who do not complete the at-home exercises, and it’s easy to see why.
These at-home exercises are tailored to your specific needs, and each one is intended to do one of the following:
When you neglect to complete these exercises, you’re increasing your chances of sustaining further injuries and complications and prevent your body from being able to heal as quickly and efficiently. The first few days after a surgery or injury are crucial for rebuilding strength and regaining mobility. The at-home exercises your physical therapist creates are intended to make the most of this time period by combining supervised treatment sessions with at-home exercises that can help get you back to normal as quickly as possible.
One of the first things that your physical therapist will do with you when you start your treatment program is to identify what areas need to be improved. This includes an analysis on your range of motion, your pain areas, and your overall strength and conditioning. Throughout the course of your physical therapy, your physical therapist is continually evaluating your progress and taking active steps to help you get on the pathway to a successful recovery quicker. Therefore, if your physical therapist believes that you should be given some at-home exercises or stretches to do which might improve your recovery, you should take them seriously and implement them into your routine.
Only exercising at physical therapy appointments will set you back in recovery if you neglect to follow through with your at-home exercises. Consider this. If you only complete a handful of exercises one to two times a week, your body will lose this progress by the next session you attend. Completing your physical therapy homework builds stamina and strength, and you’ll continue to see improvement if you follow the treatment plan outlined by your physical therapist.
Your physical therapist will outline how often they’d like you to attempt to do the exercises before your next session. Sometimes it can be daily or a few times a week, it depends. Listen to your physical therapist and follow their recommended guidelines. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask or give us a call, we’ll happily assist you.
The controlled movements you undergo in your physical therapy sessions and in your at-home exercises will help alleviate soreness and discomfort in the same way that taking pain medication as prescribed by your physician can help control pain. If you continue to take your pain medication but neglect to complete your physical therapy homework, you may find yourself experiencing more pain and discomfort than is normal given your injury.
The at-home exercises that your physical therapist recommends as part of your treatment plan are designed to help you improve your function, restore your flexibility, increase range of motion, and help alleviate some of the pain that you’re experiencing. Physical therapy homework can help you adjust to some of the new exercises that you’ve been doing while in-person or through our telehealth services, and will help ensure that you’re doing all you can to help control the pain you’re currently feeling and prepare you for the upcoming sessions.
One of the many reasons your physical therapist assigns exercises to complete at home is to enable you to have more control over your recovery process. These exercises can be completed even after your physical therapy sessions with your therapist are complete. This allows you to have a plan in place for pain management and recovery long after your surgery or injury.
Many individuals feel like they wish they could be doing more to get on the pathway to recovery faster, and that’s exactly what the physical therapy homework will help you do. By following the recommended guidelines and completing the assigned physical therapy homework, you’re doing all you can to make sure that you’re getting better faster.
We’ve already covered the importance of completing your physical therapy homework. Even though it can feel like a chore in certain scenarios, completing your physical therapy homework is a crucial step in making sure that you’re doing all you can to get better faster. Staying motivated, getting used to a routine, and sticking to your physical therapy treatment program is important. Now, we’d like to share a few tips on how to stick with your physical therapy routine to keep you on track to heal and recover as quickly as possible.
Individuals undergoing physical therapy treatment who have a motivating end goal are far more likely to stick to and complete their physical therapy homework. You may, for example, want to get back on the golf course, enjoy the daily walks you once looked forward to, or you may look forward to being able to travel again in order to spend time with children or grandchildren.
It can be a useful technique to identify what motivates you to complete your physical therapy homework. Identify what’s important in your life and what activities you like to do that you’ll be able to do once again by going through and completing your physical therapy treatment program. When it’s time to complete your physical therapy homework, remember the importance of completing your exercises, and keep your motivation in mind.
Creating a routine can help you stick with your physical therapy homework. Completing your exercises at designated times of the day can make it easier for your mind and body to cooperate and send signals to your brain that it’s time to complete your exercises. Try to coordinate activities you enjoy with your at-home sessions. For example, if you enjoy starting your day with a cup of coffee or watching your favorite TV show in the evening, complete your exercises during or soon after. This way you’ll have something to look forward to and get into the habit of completing one activity at the same time as another.
In addition, when you create a routine, you’ll find it’s far easier to stick to your physical therapy program over time. You won’t feel like you are forced to reserve time throughout the day or week to do some at-home exercises or stretch. Instead, you’ll feel like it’s part of your normal routine and you’ll seamlessly start to fit it into your schedule throughout your PT program.
One of the main reasons people fail to complete their at-home physical therapy exercises is that they miss one or two sessions and feel as though there’s no reason to continue. The opposite is true. Missing one or two sessions is understandable. Life gets busy, and things get in the way, but healing and recovery should be a priority in your to-do list, and if you miss a session or two, staying consistent and completing as many as possible can help get you back on track to prevent swelling and inflammation and help increase mobility.
When you build your routine as we’ve mentioned earlier, you’ll find that you will end up missing fewer sessions because you’ve made it a priority in your schedule to not only do the at-home exercises but to attend and go through the in-person PT sessions regularly.
Are you healing from an injury or recent surgery and looking for the best exercises to regain strength? Schedule an appointment with a physical therapist at one of our many locations to work with a certified physical therapist who can create a treatment plan that efficiently targets each of your areas of concern so that you can be on the road to healing and recovery in no time at all.
