Boost Recovery with Physical Therapy

A physical therapy program can help improve, restore or maintain the necessary level of function for a fulfilling life.

Physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapy assistants (PTAs) educate, motivate and support patients to speed recovery after surgery or illness, improve independence at home or prevent the recurrence of a chronic injury.

As you begin rehabilitation, understand your baseline limitations and communicate recovery goals with your physical therapist to get the most from your program. Be sure you and the PT agree about reasonable, attainable goals and a plan to reach them.

No injury or condition affects everyone the same way. The PT customizes a plan of care to help you achieve your maximum functional potential and reduce the risk of future disability. Follow these steps to get the most from your personalized plan:

• Make time to dedicate to rehabilitation. Participation gets results, not good intentions.
• Communicate your expectations.
• Ask about your exercises/tasks. Understanding the reasons for them will encourage your participation.
• Honestly and accurately report how treatments affect you, in case your PT and/or physician need to adjust the treatment plan.
• Perform your tasks at home, too. Two or three one-hour rehab sessions per week isn’t usually enough for optimal recovery after a major injury or illness.
• You can optimize recovery—but you can’t rush it. There is a rationale for the frequency and intensity of a rehabilitation program. Perform only the tasks you are assigned, as they are assigned. Doing more may have a negative effect on recovery.

North Shore-LIJ’s physical therapy professionals provide care in outpatient centers, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and at home. Call the North Shore-LIJ Rehabilitation Network at 888-734-2203.

This post was written by Daniel Vaknin, PT, MDT, senior director of the outpatient rehabilitation network, STARS (Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Services) for the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

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