One thing we often mention to our patients to maximize their recovery and their results is that they must be an active participant in the physical therapy process. After all, what you do in your sessions is only half the battle; what you do between sessions can be just as important:
After a physical therapy session, it’s important to stay hydrated, follow any home exercises prescribed by your therapist, and get plenty of rest to allow your body to recover. Additionally, monitor your pain levels and communicate any concerns with your therapist moving forward.
In this article, we’ll cover some of our recommendations for what to do upon the completion of your physical therapy treatment sessions, to ensure a speedy and comfortable recovery.
1. Follow your home exercise program
If you’ve had even one physical therapy session, you’ve heard a physical therapist harp on the importance of the home exercise program.
While saying the home exercise program can “make or break” a physical therapy treatment plan may sound dramatic, it’s really that important. Note that when your therapist writes up your plan, they account for the fact that you’ll be completing your exercises at home within the plan.
You may be attending physical therapy sessions two or three days per week, but home exercises are intended to be performed every day (and sometimes twice per day). When we add up the recovery value of someone who recovers two to three days per week with someone who recovers seven days per week, we begin to see the wide gap in results created by a patient who is consistent with their home exercises versus one who isn’t.
2. Rest and recover
While the advice to rest and recover may seem like a no-brainer, consider the old adage, “you don’t get stronger by working out, you get stronger by recovering from workouts.”
Deliberate recovery is a part of the healing process, and it includes a few sub-topics:
- Take appropriate days off from full-blown physical therapy sessions (see our full article on physical therapy rest days)
- Get plenty of sleep, with the knowledge that most of your body’s natural repair and recovery processes occur when you sleep; more is better in this regard (see our full article on good sleep and physical therapy)
- Follow a good diet, including plenty of protein, fruits, and vegetables; the foods you eat are the building blocks your body uses to build back stronger (aka “recover!”)
We recommend at least 7-8 hours of restful sleep per evening, taking a day off between sessions, and following a diet that makes sense for you (individual variance and preferences can vary quite a bit in this regard).
If you’ve got particular questions about any of these areas, ask your physical therapist to make specific recommendations for you.
3. Stay hydrated
Earlier, we mentioned that we recommend to stay hydrated. While this is generally good advice for anyone, it is especially important when recovering from some kind of physical injury.
Hydration can reduce swelling, improve blood flow, and helps to deliver valuable nutrients throughout your body. It can also reduce soreness, if you’re noticing that you’re tight or sore after sessions (note: if you are tight or sore after your sessions, mention this to your therapist for some feedback).
How much you should actually drink can vary quite a bit depending on your situation and the level of strenuous activity you’ve engaged in, but our boiler plate advice for folks in our area would be to aim for 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day.
4. Apply ice or heat as needed
Depending on your specific condition, your physical therapist may recommend applying ice or heat after your session. Ice can help reduce inflammation and numb any lingering pain, while heat can relax tight muscles and improve circulation.
Be sure to follow the guidance provided by your therapist on which method to use and for how long.
5. Monitor any pain or discomfort
Though it can be normal for physical therapy to “feel” worse before it feels better, it’s important to monitor any physical discomfort or pain that arises as the plan unfolds over the weeks and months.
As we go through the process, the plan changes, exercises get swapped out, the resistance increases, and the repetitions increase. This is normal, but it can also open up the door to unexpected reactions in the body.
As physical therapists, we rely on our patients to let us know which portions of the plan are (or are not) working for them (see: what to do if physical therapy isn’t working for you).
Watch for:
- Sharp or persistent pain
- Reduced ranges of motion
- Increased stiffness
- Tenderness
- Unexpected swelling
- “Pins and needles” sensations that arise
If these crop up, mention them to your physical therapist in your next session.
Which brings us to our final point:
6. Communicate with your therapist
We frequently mention to our patients that the amount we can truly help you is fairly dependent on the quality of the feedback we get from you on a session-to-session or week-to-week basis.
As we’ve mentioned already, we’re constantly tweaking the plan; the exercises and modalities that worked amazingly two weeks ago may not be stimulating enough for you today. Remember that we’re engaging in a process.
Discuss concerns, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to mention to your physical therapist if you feel that something isn’t working out for you. We’re here to help, and listening to our patients is just as much a part of our job as anything else we do!
