October is here, and while everyone loves to be scared a little bit during this spooky month, one thing you should never be afraid of is your physical therapy sessions or your physical therapist. We understand a physical therapy program can feel a little intimidating at times, but it should never be scary. In today’s blog, we explain why you should never be scared of your physical therapy program or the PT who is leading it.
Don’t Be Afraid Of Physical Therapy
Below, we take a look at some of the reasons people may be hesitant or even a little afraid to pursue a physical therapy program after an injury or surgery, and why they really aren’t a big deal.
- Afraid It Will Hurt – Some people are afraid that a physical therapy program will be painful because they are moving and strengthening injured structures, but that’s a common misconception. Physical therapy should never be painful, but it may be a little uncomfortable at times. We need to push you out of your comfort zone a little bit in order to get the best results, so while it won’t always be easy to do the exercises, they should never be painful.
- Afraid Of How Long It Will Take – Some people are a little uneasy about throwing themselves into a physical therapy program when they learn they’ll need to stick with it for multiple weeks or even months at a time. But when you think about it, time is going to pass at the same rate whether or not you do your physical therapy routine, so you might as well be healthier, stronger and have improved physical function by doing your exercises over that time period. If you don’t, you’ll wish you had.
- Afraid Of A Setback – Some people believe that the best thing they can do for their body after an injury or surgery is rest, and typically that’s true in the immediate short-term. After a couple days or so, your body will actually get more benefit from a targeted strength training routine. You’ll actually reduce your risk of a setback by working with a professional who can guide you through some safe and effective exercises based on your specific injury. Don’t be afraid of suffering a setback during PT, be afraid of a setback because you skipped PT.
- Afraid Of Their PT – We try to be as open and welcoming to all our patients as possible, but we know that sometimes the patient and provider just don’t seem to click. You should never be afraid of your PT or skip your sessions because you’re not seeing eye-to-eye with them. You can always request a different therapist if you think there’s a better fit elsewhere. Just know that you have options to find a different provider and that skipping PT because of it isn’t your best move.
- Afraid Of Commitment – Finally, we know that some people really fear commitment, and we do ask that you really commit to a therapy routine before you jump in. As we mentioned above, you’ll get out what you put in, so you’re only cheating yourself if you only commit halfway to a PT program. These exercises are designed to make you as physically fit as possible, and the only thing you have to commit to is yourself. You owe it to yourself to fully commit to a better version of yourself, so don’t be afraid to commit to your health.
If there’s anything else that’s giving you pause about committing to a PT routine, just reach out to our team to see how we can alleviate those fears. Give the team at OrthoRehab Specialists a call today.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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