It is extremely normal for one to feel nervous when they start seeing a new doctor or go to a new specialist. If you were just referred to a physical therapist, you may be wondering what will be happening. You may have questions like what should I wear? How long will this last? Do I really need to do the exercises outside of the sessions? Today, we will discuss these common questions and help you to feel more prepared to begin your physical therapy journey.
One question that you may have when you are first starting is just simply what happens during a physical therapy appointment? Typically, you will meet with your therapist for a forty minute session where you will go through various stretches and exercises that are meant to help you improve whatever is bothering you. At Impact Physical Therapy, you will also always be working with your therapist, not an assistant. You may use equipment or work out with bodyweight exercises. Your therapist will be there to oversee you, help to make corrections, and guide you through the session.
Clothing is something that we wear every day, and we have lots of it to serve different purposes in life. It is not uncommon for people to wonder what they need to wear to a session, and sometimes people will even worry that they are dressed inadequately for their appointments. The bottom line is you should wear something you feel comfortable moving around in and working out in. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to put on gym clothes but be sure to arrive with something that won’t inhibit your movements.
After the session is finished, your therapist will give you some exercises and/or stretches to work through until your next appointment. It is imperative that you continue to do this work between the sessions you have with your therapist. You may wonder why it is necessary to do the work between appointments. Think of it like you are back in school and have a homework assignment. You can totally show up to class again the next day without completing your homework, but to really get the most out of the course and to see improvement, it is vital to put the work into it.
If you are looking into physical therapy to treat an injury, or for post-op recovery, you may be fearful of physical therapy hurting you. Don’t worry, physical therapy should not hurt. You are of course going to be using parts of your body that experience chronic pain or injury, so physical therapy may be challenging. After sessions, you may experience soreness just simply from working these muscle groups. If you are feeling some sort of pain and are worried that physical therapy will just worsen it, do not worry. Physical therapy can help improve your chronic pain, and it should not hurt doing so.
Just like any new experience, having knowledge and understanding of physical therapy should make starting it out easier. If you are looking into starting up a new regime, Impact Physical Therapy has wonderful therapists that can help guide you and answer any more questions that may arise.