Physical therapy is likely the most common non-operative treatment recommendation for patients dealing with a variety of shoulder issues. It’s a wonderful treatment course because it can be tailored to each patient and adjusted based on their progress or their deficits, and it focuses on specific areas that need functional improvement. However, physical therapy for shoulder issues won’t be a walk in the park, and you’ll need to be smart if you want to get the most out of your PT program. In today’s blog, we share some tips for getting the most out of your shoulder physical therapy exercises.
Maximizing The Benefits Of Shoulder Physical Therapy
If you’ve been told to pursue physical therapy to address your shoulder issue, here’s what you can do to maximize the benefits of the treatment technique.
- Do Your Exercises As Scheduled – This first point may seem obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many patients miss in-clinic sessions or skip their home-based exercises with regularity. You’re not going to feel the benefits of physical therapy if you aren’t doing the exercises or going to your PT sessions. The first rule of getting the most out of your PT sessions is to show up and complete your exercises as recommended by your care team!
- Excellent Effort – We tell all of our patients that when it comes to physical therapy and their recovery in general, you’ll get out what you put in. What we mean is that it’s not just enough to show up and go through the motions with your PT exercises, you’re going to want to give maximum effort. This will give your body the best chance at restoring the most strength and flexibility in the injured region as possible. Physical therapy should not be painful, but at the same time, don’t expect it to be easy. Gainful physical therapy won’t be a walk in the park, but embrace the challenge with your best effort.
- Find The Right PT – Make it a point to find a physical therapist suited to your unique needs. There are PTs that specialize in helping patients overcome specific shoulder issues, and there are clinics that can help athletes recover so that they can return to the sport they enjoy. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a helpful PT, but also consider doing your own research to find a PT that better matches your individual needs and recovery goals.
- Communicate – PT works best when the patient and the physical therapist have a clear and open line of communication. They will be doing plenty of talking while they explain exercises and ask you to perform certain motions, but don’t just sit there in silence. Let them know what you’re experiencing or when an exercise is too difficult or too easy. They can adjust your program based on this communication, which will only improve your therapy session. This also speaks to the importance of finding a physical therapist you trust and are comfortable communicating with.
- Ask Questions – Finally, you’ll also want to get in the habit of asking your physical therapist questions. If you don’t understand why you’re doing an exercise or you want to learn more about how you’re progressing, ask your PT. This ties in with the above point about communication, but all PTs want you to understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, because knowledge helps keep patients motivated to continue seeking out PT. Never be afraid to ask questions to your physical therapist.
We want you to make the strongest recovery possible with the help of a shoulder-focused PT program, and that’ll only happen if you keep the above tips in mind. For more information, or for help managing a specific shoulder condition, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
