As part of the healing and recovery process for a major injury, individuals can find that they are being referred to physical therapy providers. However, they may not have any understanding as to what they should be expecting from these treatments.
Physical Therapy Can Be Essential For Your Long-Term Recovery
One of the most important things for patients to keep in mind is the fact that physical therapy can be vital for the long-term recovery of the patient. Without this type of therapy, a person could find that they may never fully recover from their injury. This is due to the fact that physical therapy will focus on restoring strength and range of movement to the injured area. Unfortunately, the injury as well as the lengthy recovery can leave a patient weakened and stiff, but physical therapy can dramatically improve the range of movement and strength that a patient will have.
Your Physical Therapy Sessions May Last For Weeks
While physical therapy can be extremely effective, individuals will need to be aware of the reality that it can be a relatively slow recovery process. In many cases, patients will need to undergo these sessions for at least several weeks or longer before they start to see sizable benefits from them. This is a result of the body's relatively slow recovery rate for major injuries to joints, tendons, and ligaments. Throughout this process, the physical therapist will need to periodically assess the progress that the patient has made so that they can adjust the treatments being done or even clear the patient to stop receiving treatments. This can allow for both the therapist and the patient to better understand the progress that has been made in recovering.
Home Exercises Can Be Almost As Important As Full Therapy Sessions
Most of your physical therapy work will be done under the supervision or by a trained physical therapist. However, it is also common for patients to be given a series of home exercises to do. Some patients may not take these exercises as seriously as they should, which can lead to them slacking off. In reality, these home exercises can be almost as important as a session with your physical therapist. This is due to the fact that the home exercise will typically have a goal that works in congruence with what the physical therapist is doing during your sessions with them. For example, it can be common for patients to be given stretching exercises to do so that they will stay loose and flexible between sessions.
For additional information, reach out to a company like Hands-On Physical Therapy.