St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and while luck and good fortune are the focus of that holiday, they have little to do with how strong of a recovery you’ll make after an injury or surgery. We can’t control every single aspect of your recovery and progression, but a strong recovery certainly doesn’t happen by luck. Increasing your likelihood of a strong recovery and improved physical function comes down to a number of key factors during your recovery, and we’re going to spotlight those factors in today’s blog.
You – Not Luck – Will Help Dictate Your Outcome After Injury Or Surgery
How you approach your rehabilitation period will be the biggest driver in the success or failure of your functional recovery after an injury or surgery. So how can you avoid leaving things up to chance and set yourself up for success? Here’s how you can help dictate your outcome after an injury or surgery.
- Physical Therapy Is Key – Connecting with a physical therapist is oftentimes the single best thing you can do to keep your recovery on track and help you make the strongest recovery possible. Every session, your physical therapist will be assessing your strengths and deficits and setting you up with individualized exercises to keep your recovery moving in the right direction. They’ll also set you up with some exercises that you can perform from the comfort of your home between sessions to build on the success you’re experiencing. You likely don’t understand the best ways to help your body heal and become the best version of itself after an injury or surgery, but your PT will, so connect with one and never skip any sessions.
- Early Activity – You’ll want to talk with your doctor and your physical therapist, but know that early activity is typically recommended to help with your recovery. You’re not just going to lay in bed for weeks taking pain medications and magically find that you’re full strength once you step out of bed. Movement and activity can help to increase circulation and speed up your recovery, so expect to be active early during your recovery period as recommended by your team.
- Push Yourself – Don’t push yourself outside of the restrictions set forth by your doctor or physical therapy team, but get used to pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. As we’ve said on the blog in the past, physical therapy should never be painful, but at the same time, don’t expect it to be easy and comfortable. If exercises are too easy, you’re not challenging your body and making the most gains possible. It’s not always easy, but get comfortable being uncomfortable, because that is when your body is becoming strong, stable, flexible and functional.
- Find A PT You Trust – A great physical therapist will find different ways to get the most out of their clients, because everyone is different. Some people need more verbal instruction, others are visual learners, while others do best when their exercises are disguised as games or fun activities. It’s our job as therapists to learn how to get the most out of our clients. If you don’t feel like your physical therapist is a good fit for your situation, consider switching to a different clinic. Working with an experienced and trustworthy PT is essential for getting the most out of your rehab.
If you can do all of the above and you are willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone, we’re confident that you’ll be working to remove bad luck from the equation and take more ownership of your recovery. And if you want to partner with a team who will help guide you and push you to make the strongest recovery possible, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.