What Should You Do After Physical Therapy?
All good things come to an end, which includes physical therapy. Physical therapy isn’t a good time or particularly fun, but you may come to miss it when it’s gone.
Injuries suck, and so do your first few days of physical therapy. If you are hurt, or just out of surgery, the last thing you want to do is have someone force you to do strengthening exercises and then vigorously massage, scrap with metal tools, or stick needles into the area bothering you.
At the “box” physical therapists’ offices, you only get to spend about 15 minutes with your therapist (“box” refers to big box or large PT franchises). The rest of the time is spent with a college student getting their hours or a minimum wage employee. Often therapists at box PT facilities will be juggling three clients at the same time. Add that all up to having to drive to and from the facility, spending 15 minutes of your session just sitting with an ice pack on, and it is hard to imagine that you would ever miss going to physical therapy.
However, not all physical therapist facilities are created equal. There are plenty of therapists available that will spend the whole hour with you and still bill your insurance for 100% of it.
In addition, mobile concierge-style therapists are also becoming more popular. These therapists meet you in your home or office and because they don’t have to pander to insurance companies, they are able to spend all of their time focused on you and what will get you the outcomes you desire without worrying about insurance limitations. If you are in the Chicagoland area, my friends at Montri Wellness, Dr. Richelle Caya, PT, DPT, and Dr. Daniel Robinson, PT, DPT offer this service and more.
PT is as much about accountability as it is about the exercises and manual manipulation. No matter where you do physical therapy, one of the best things they do for you is forcing you to do what’s necessary to recover fully.
It is no secret, a good percentage of people in physical therapy do not do the exercises at home that they are supposed to do. The therapist knows it, the client knows it, and the owners of the facilities certainly know it.
That is why they book you for three days a week post-op and try to get you coming back as long as possible. It is beneficial for you, and if your insurance is covering it, it’s a big win-win.
The therapists are your tour guides on the road to recovery, and they get you through the most challenging spots. What surgeons and doctors don’t tell you is that recovery takes a long time.
After surgery for my labrum tear, the doctor told me I’d be back to normal in 6 months to a year. I wasn’t back to normal for at least 18 months, and I diligently performed every recommended exercise every day for the entire 18 months.
Once you finish the month of physical therapy covered by your insurance, there is likely still a long way to go. Physical therapy takes you from injured to uninjured but pretty much stops there. If you broke your ankle, when you are done with physical therapy, you will be walking, not running marathons, or jumping off diving boards.
You’ll know what exercises you need to do to get back to your desired activity, but they aren’t going to take you all the way there.
Depending mainly on your insurance or what you can afford, Physical Therapy can get you different results. In general, with average insurance, Physical therapy will get you back to functional. Functional may sound like a good result, but it isn’t.
Is it good enough to be able to lift your arm over your head pain-free? Or do you want to be able to lift your kids over your head again?
When therapy ends, there is still a lot more work to be done.
So, what should you do after physical therapy ends?
If needed, ask your physician for more sessions
Often your insurance provider will tell you you’ve done enough PT. However, a quick chat with your doctor can yield you a few more covered sessions.
Ask your therapist for more homework
Every PT sends patients home with homework. And when you finish your last session, it is no different. Your therapist will likely give you a folder of exercise to continue with at home. They won’t, however, tell you what to do after unless you specifically ask.
Do not stop!
The worst thing that you can do once you finish physical therapy is to stop. Your PT didn’t do all that work for you to become completely sedentary. Even if you aren’t yet ready to return to competing in American Ninja Warrior, there is plenty you can do to stay active regardless of your injury.
Hire a personal trainer
It isn’t cheap but hiring a personal trainer is probably the best thing you can do post physical therapy to help you heal. When returning to strength training from an injury, the last thing you want to do is hurt yourself again.
The second to last thing you want to is fall off the wagon. Personal training holds you accountable for your staying on the path to glory. Luckily I know a great trainer that you can meet from the comfort of your home. (Hint: It’s me)
No matter what you decide to do once your therapist clears you to work out again, you have to continue with your physical therapy exercises, or you could end up feeling worse than before the injury. Plus, your goal shouldn’t be to return to functional. It should be to become stronger than before the injury to ensure that it never happens again.
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