Can I Do My Physical Therapy at Home?
- Posted on: Jul 15 2019
If you need to do physical therapy, you may wonder if you can do it at home or if you always have to visit your physical therapist. This is a complicated question because it very often depends on your health, your injury, and what types of exercises you need to do. In some cases, you may be able to do your physical therapy on your own at home, but in other cases, that may not be the best idea.
You Should Work with a Physical Therapist in the Beginning
Your first several physical therapy sessions need to be done with a licensed physical therapist. You likely don’t know what exercises you need to do and may not know how to do them safely. Your physical therapist will teach you which exercises are needed to help regain your mobility and reduce pain. They will also make certain that you’re doing those exercises correctly. Doing the wrong exercises or doing the right exercises incorrectly can make your injuries worse.
Some Physical Therapy Exercises Need Specific Equipment
In some cases, you may not be able to do your physical therapy exercises at home because you don’t have the correct equipment. For example, if you’re working on strengthening your legs, you may need to walk between two sturdy handrails just in case you start to fall. You likely don’t have these handrails at home. There are a number of other types of exercise machines and equipment that you can use during physical therapy that may be too expensive or too large for home use. For example, some orthopedic physical therapy techniques make use of ultrasounds to help heal your injury.
You’ll Likely Have Physical Therapy “Homework” Anyway
Regardless of how often you need to visit your physical therapist, they are likely going to assign you some exercises to work on in between visits. These are often fairly basic exercises, but they’re designed to help you maintain your muscle density and flexibility in between treatments. It’s important that you perform these exercises as instructed. Otherwise, your recovery may take longer than expected.
If you need physical therapy, Maximum Orthopedics is here to assist you. Contact us today to make an appointment.
Posted in: Blog, Orthopedics