Top 5 Patient Mistakes
Top 5 Reasons Patients Don’t See Results from Physical Therapy
Hear me out. As a physical therapist, I have learned the best ways to get my patients' best results. If you follow the path I create, you will leave feeling pain-free, ready to return to the activities you love!
On the flip side, I have also learned the most common mistakes patients make along that path that usually cost them the results they hoped for.
So, if you’re thinking about starting your physical therapy journey, TAKE NOTES!
Here are my
Top 5 Common Mistakes Patients Make
Not Following Their Prescribed Plan of Care
This seems obvious but it is one of the most common mistakes I see.
Patients who don't abide by their personalized care plan are far less likely to achieve the best results. I promise your physical therapist doesn't create your care plan to torture you, they are trying to set you up for the best possible outcome on your healing journey.
Follow your plan of care like a treasure map and it will lead you back to doing the activities you love, pain-free.Not Scaling Back Strenuous Activity
If you injured your shoulder doing a specific movement, it's probably wise to avoid that movement until you've fully healed... right?
Despite that seeming logical, patients often insist on returning to the strenuous movements that caused their injury way before they should. This typically causes them to re-injure themselves, often doing more damage than before.
Remember, the purpose of physical therapy is to get you back to doing all of your favorite activities without pain, you just have to be a patient patient to get there!Avoiding Weight-Bearing Activities
On the other hand, sometimes patients go to the other extreme of not moving enough after their injury.
If you are seeing a PT for an injury, you are likely at the point where movement is the best medicine. Staying sedentary can cause joints to become stiff, scar tissue to build up, and your healing process to be impaired.
Movement is your friend! You and your PT should talk about what exercises and weight-bearing activities will benefit you most.Not Drinking Enough Water
Hydration plays a massive role in the body's ability to heal and recover.
Your body needs to rebuild muscle after an injury through a process called protein synthesis; protein synthesis requires the muscles to be properly hydrated to rebuild.
Drinking enough water also allows your body to flush out any toxins, reduce inflammation, and relieve muscle tension & soreness after an injury.
Hydration is a silent superhero when you're recovering from an injury.Not Getting Enough Sleep
This is another one of the silent superheroes in injury rehabilitation.
On average, we sleep for 1/3 of our day. This is our body's chance to heal and recover from any stress or strain we've experienced. When we are recovering from an injury our body goes into overtime while we snooze to repair the damages and help us heal faster. It is crucial to get quality deep sleep, this is when your body will really put in the work and address any damage.
Not getting the right quantity or quality of sleep can massively impact your rate of recovery and healing from an injury.
Whether you are just starting your healing journey or nearing the finish line, try to avoid these common mistakes to achieve the best results from physical therapy.