A Guide to Good Health

What To Do During Physical Therapy To Ensure Success

If you have a painful musculoskeletal condition that you have been dealing with for some time, then you may want to think about whether some advanced care is necessary. Physical therapy is possible and may be helpful to heal your condition. There are a few things that you should do during the therapy to ensure that your treatments are successful. Keep reading to learn what they are.

Communicate Your Discomfort

Physical therapy is meant to encourage healing through the use of stretching and strengthening techniques. Stretching helps to release contracted muscles and strengthening bulks up the tissue to prevent a new injury. 

And, you should expect to feel some level of discomfort when you start the therapy. Soreness, pressure, and aching sensations are common. However, you should not feel any sharp pains or a constant throbbing sensation. If you feel these things, then you need to tell your physical therapist immediately. In some instances, the exercises may cause muscles to tear. Not only will this make your situation worse, but if you continue with the therapy, more of the muscle tissue can become injured. 

Speak with your physical therapist before your appointment to find out how much discomfort is considered normal during the treatment. Use a pain scale from 1 to 10 to gauge your pain level. For example, if your therapist says that your discomfort level should be about a level 2 during a certain type of stretch, then you should notify him or her if you experience discomfort above this level.

Understand Your Condition

Musculoskeletal problems can be quite complicated and they often involve a number of tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles. And, your issue may also be associated with an abnormality such as a joint deformity or a bone spur. You should make sure that you have a complete understanding of your condition to best understand what is being done to treat it. Ask to see X-rays or MRI images of your own body and also suggest the use of anatomical models to assist with the description of your condition.

A full explanation can help you to understand how to best position your body, walk, or cushion a joint in the best way.  For example, if you can see a clear bone spur along the heel, then you can choose shoes that place little pressure on this part of the foot. 

An understanding of your problem should also include an explanation of the treatment plan. Models are especially helpful in learning about the tissues that will be stretched and strengthened during the treatment. For more information, speak with a professional who offers physical therapy services.