How Often Do I Need To Do My Physical Therapy Exercises?

Working with a physical therapist is a surefire way to optimize your body’s recovery from an injury. Physical therapy exercises help you mitigate pain in the affected area. Therapists develop a care plan using a targeted approach to achieve fitness. You end up healing completely and preventing the injury from re-occurring.

The frequency of your physical therapy exercise depends greatly on your attendants’ treatment plan for your condition. Most clinicians prescribe three therapist visits each week to optimize your fitness results. The visits coincide with the number of physiotherapy exercises you should complete. The treatment plan changes as you recover, but follow the physical therapist’s advice.

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to correctly do physical therapy exercises.

What Are Physical Therapy Exercises?

Physical therapists evaluate your condition and craft a personal care plan before treatment. The treatment plan involves using therapeutic stretches and activities targeting the affected area. Depending on the injury, physical therapists recommend various exercises to promote recovery.

Physical therapy exercises help eliminate pain, increase flexibility, and regain muscle strength. They also reduce the risk that you face for future injuries, improving overall body fitness. One needs to follow through with the treatment plan as per the therapist’s recommendation for top results.

Factors Determining How Often You Should Perform Physical Therapy Exercises

Each patient has to perform the exercises under an experts’ watchful eye. It means you should schedule the exercises during your physiotherapy visits. 

The care plan shifts to accommodate the varying treatment requirements as you make progress in recovery. You will focus on endurance at the latter stages, meaning an increased intensity of exercises.

Here are four factors determining how often you can perform physical therapy exercises:

1.    Physician’s Diagnosis of Your Condition

Each patient has a varying degree of injury or illness, so it would be improper to recommend a similar treatment program for everyone. You will have to undergo a diagnosis to establish areas of interest that the treatment should focus on.

Immediately after surgery, a patient’s recommended therapist visits might be higher than usual. Regardless, you need the therapist’s attention when starting off treatment. Some of the exercises at this stage include mild stretches and muscle strengthening. The aim is to prevent the injury from resulting in a disorder or causing a malfunction in the musculoskeletal system.

Patients with a fair diagnosis might enjoy relaxed visits to their therapist. The professional will curate a program to allow you to conduct the exercises at home at least once every week. Physical therapy experts generally recommend two to three visits each week to evaluate progress.

2.    Physician’s Personalized Care Plan

Your therapist’s responsibility is to develop a road map to your recovery. The program is based on your current condition and the desired goals you wish to achieve. A custom care plan promotes complete recovery while reducing the risk of injury.

Your care plan contains the various exercises you should conduct. Therapists recommend the number of sets and reps you need for each exercise in the program. It is advisable to follow through with the personalized care plan for desirable results during recovery.

3.    Physician’s Recommendation for Frequency of Visits

Most patients think they can perform all physiotherapy exercises independently, which is not always the case. Such a resolve causes them to decrease their therapy frequency, resulting in slower recovery. 

Sticking to the recommended therapy attendance hastens your recovery. You can return to normal operation in no time.

Physicians advise on the frequency of visits based on your problem and calculated steps to recovery. Most of the exercises performed during the scheduled visits determine your treatment progress. You end up improving your condition and recovering faster by heeding to the recommended therapy visits.

4.    Your Progress During Therapy

The rehabilitation program does not stay the same from start to finish; it changes to accommodate your progress. Consistency during treatment helps you make incredible strides towards recovery. After some time, the therapists will alter the frequency of your exercises to fit the current goals.

During the initial stages of physical therapy, experts recommend fewer reps on certain exercises to help you regain form. The treatment plan also incorporates more rest days to help your body recover.

Over time, your therapist might increase the frequency and intensity of your exercises to ensure strength. They also recommend fewer rests between sessions to accelerate your path to recovery.

Work With a Physical Therapist for Faster Recovery

Dealing with an injury can be stressful, and the long recovery process is strenuous. Physical therapy exercises are extremely important to hasten your healing process. You should exercise at least three times a week per your therapist’s recommendation. Don’t forget to schedule your therapy visits and rest between the exercises to optimize your fitness results.

Vida Integrated Health offers you a treatment team under a common roof to serve you better. We approach your injury treatment with a common goal and integrated plan to help you reach your goals faster.

Contact us today for more information.