Your physical therapy treatment will last for a finite amount of time, and it’s important to remember that the goal of physical therapy is to set you up for physical health over the long term! Each patient leaves their last visit with a specific plan for what to do after they finish physical therapy:
Upon finishing physical therapy, it’s important to continue the exercises recommended by your therapist to maintain your progress. Staying active and monitoring any symptoms can help prevent setbacks. Consider scheduling periodic check-ins with your therapist or to ensure long-term success and address any concerns.
In this article, we’ll cover the top five “next steps” we recommend to patients who are wrapping up their physical therapy treatment plan.
What to do after finishing physical therapy
1. Establish a home exercise routine based on your discharge plan
During the course of your physical therapy treatment, you were likely completing a physical therapy home exercise program. Discharge from physical therapy will be no different.
Your physical therapist should give you a list of exercises to continue completing as time goes one, with some directions regarding frequency and progression over time.
We recommend sticking to your discharge plan as you go, allowing you to continue to recover as well as avoid reinjury moving forward.
2. Stay active
In the past, we’ve written numerous articles on why we think it’s important to stay active, especially as we age. Regardless of age, however, we recommend that every patient find a way to meet the physical activity guidelines for Americans.
If physical therapy is the way to recover from specific injuries and avoid reinjury, then general physical activity is the way to avoid general injury and health problems as we move forward!
Luckily, it doesn’t take a huge time commitment from us. Reading through the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, we can see that just few minutes per day makes a big difference over the long term. Staying active will pay dividends for years to come.
3. Monitor your symptoms
In addition to staying active and completing your discharge plan, we recommend monitoring the symptoms of your original injury and notifying your physical therapist when they crop up. One of our most important jobs is to advocate for our patients.
To that end, many of us will happily answer the phone and provide some guidance to a patient who has a question about an old symptom arising after they’ve completed their physical therapy treatment.
4. Maintain regular check-ins
Building off the point above, many physical therapists will offer free consults or “check-in” appointments to former patients (we do!). The goal of physical therapy is that you would remain healthy over the long haul!
If you’ve got a question, or you just want some feedback on your progress, set a check-in appointment with your physical therapist! We’d be happy to answer any of your questions and make any necessary adjustments to your ongoing exercise plan moving forward.
5. Consider complementary practices
In addition to the above, many of our patients have gotten great results by participating in complementary practices such as yoga, pilates, club sports, or any other activity that keeps them moving.
We’re particularly fond of yoga and mobility practices, as these classes / groups can guide you through various mobility movements that may be a little tricky to try and learn on your own.
A bonus is that participating in many of these types of activities can help you check the box of staying active as well!
Do I have to finish physical therapy?
Ultimately, everyone finishes physical therapy. Unlike some of the practices mentioned above, physical therapy isn’t a lifelong endeavor like mobility work or strength training. Remember, we set out in the beginning to meet a specific set of recovery criteria. Upon meeting these criteria, it’s important for our patients to be able to take it from there.
As we’ve mentioned above, finishing physical therapy isn’t an end to the relationship. In fact, we hope that you’ll continue to communicate and stay in touch!
Ultimately, the end of physical therapy should actually be the beginning of living a healthier lifestyle without the injury or physical issue that was hampering you in the first place.
How long does it take to finish physical therapy?
The length of time it takes to finish physical therapy varies based on factors like the nature and severity of your condition, your goals, and how your body responds to treatment. For some, therapy may last just a few weeks, while others with more complex or chronic issues might require several months.
The most common length of physical therapy is two to four months, assuming that you’re keeping all of your weekly scheduled appointments.
Your physical therapist will regularly assess your progress and adapt your plan to help you meet your specific needs as efficiently as possible.
How to finish physical therapy strong!
We’re sure we’re about to echo a number of things you’ve already heard from your physical therapist during your appointments, but our best tips for finishing physical therapy strong are:
- Stay consistent with your appointments for optimal results
- Follow your home exercise program
- Communicate with your therapist throughout the course of treatment
- Don’t get overwhelmed by setbacks
By staying engaged and committed through the treatment process, you can leave therapy with the best possible results and set yourself up for success that lasts for many years beyond your initial course of treatment!
