Physiotherapy is an alternative treatment to surgical or pharmacological treatment which is gaining much popularity today. The simple idea that your body can heal itself with exercise without depending on drugs or surgery appeals to many as we look for healthier and safer options.
A physiotherapist works on your body and its systems to improve your health and overcome your condition. This process is usually not immediate but has good long term benefits. The short term positive results are present but could possibly revert back if you neglect your exercises. In other words, adherence is vital in successful rehabilitation. For example, if you’re suffering from chronic back pain, your physiotherapist would arrange for treatments to reduce chronic pain such as hot packs, which would, in turn, improve blood circulation and promote the natural tissue healing process.
The addition of a carefully structured exercise plan then strengthens the related structures, reducing the chances of recurrence of the pain. However, in the event where you find yourself losing the dedication and beginning to ‘skip’ the prescribed exercises, the chances of that very back pain coming back to haunt you increase. This is why most people who didn’t complete their prescribed duration of rehabilitation end up coming back with more painkillers.
One of the common criteria between an antibiotic drug prescription and an exercise prescription is the importance of completing the entire course of treatment. Skipping exercises or abandoning precautions can lead to a major knock-back in the progress of your physiotherapy journey. The key difference between those who are successful and unsuccessful in achieving their physiotherapy goals is motivation, determination and discipline.
An important secret to keeping your motivation high would be setting smaller milestones that are more visible rather than long term goals which are too far to see from where you are right now. For example, if you’re starting your rehabilitation to get back into sports, rather than aiming to reach the peak of your performance again, set smaller goals such as being able to jump a certain height. If you’re an office worker, perhaps goals such as being able to work longer hours without feeling much pain or discomfort, are better and more achievable goals. Achieving these smaller milestones improves your motivation and boosts your determination to progress.
John C. Maxwell once said: “Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing.”. The real key to successfully completing your rehabilitation and moving away from your painkillers and condition is your discipline. The many challenges of you achieving your goals, whether in life or your rehabilitation, is keeping your discipline in check every day. One key to maintaining your discipline is finding a method of intervention that suits you well. Some people are more comfortable and prefer a one-on-one session, while others find group exercises more motivating as they have a support group. Certain people prefer exercising with weights while others find running in a park more beneficial. The important message here is to understand what you truly need and what suits you best.
The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has opened new challenges in terms of rehabilitation and physiotherapy. How do you get treated without being exposed to the risk of contracting the virus? At Best Care Physiotherapy, we offer comprehensive home physiotherapy with FREE online consultation just for you to engage with us about your conditions. Don't worry, all our physiotherapists, clinical exercise physiologist and medical doctors are fully vaccinated and comply with the COVID standard operating procedure (SOP) for the home visits. There are also online medical exercise plans, where certified clinical exercise physiologists are available to talk about how we can help you get rid of those painkillers and get you back to doing what you love.
This article was written for you by Vishanth.
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