When you see a Physiotherapist, you will walk out of the appointment knowing what the problem is, having had some hands on treatment and with Home Exercises. This program will be on a piece of paper, in your hand for you to take home and read, think about and follow.
A Home Exercise Program is not just ‘exercises’ but also includes advice on the best things you can do at home to help yourself.
A Home Exercise Program helps to stop the knock on effect of secondary problems. When you are in pain movement is compensated by other muscles and joints, you will automatically limp, injured muscles will turn off and become inhibited and sleep is often interrupted.
Gone are the days of going to physio, having hands on treatment and then handle the problem as best you can until the next appointment. Now we focus on making sure the patient understands their injury, how long it will take to get better, activities that will make it feel worse, activities that will make it feel better and what to do to help themselves.
Some of the things we focus on in Physiotherapy that make massive difference on how quickly someone gets better;
1. Helping to understand what medication to take; how often, the best time of the day and for how many days. If a Doctor has prescribed medication, then follow those instructions. However, most pain is controlled with simple over-the-counter medication and Physiotherapy can help outline the best thing for you to do at home.
2. Home Exercises – where the choice of exercise is a bit of an algorithm depending on the diagnosis and how long the injury has been present; Some exercises improve movement, some reduce pain, some activate inhibited muscles and some strengthen muscles. Sometimes you hold a muscle contracted, other times body weight is needed, you need to use a heavy weight or incorporate jumping and landing.
Different exercises at different times for the same injury.
3. Recognising signs that your body needs to stop and rest OR if can be pushed more;
o When pain is a response to training overload, patients can keep running their >10km as long as they have a rest day.
o Injuries due to a muscle tear need to rest for the inflammatory period and then they have to progress from basic movement to full-on weights.
o Pain can be due to arthritis and a certain level of pain is acceptable and you don’t stop unless the pain creeps up. If it does creep up, modify your exercise and keep going.
At Active Solutions Physiotherapy you will walk out of Physiotherapy with a list of instructions, which yes, usually involve home exercises – as we treat joint and muscle problems, of course you have exercises. But you will also have other instructions to help you manage your injury in day-to-day life as part of your Home Exercise Program, with the purpose of helping you recover faster.
