How Older Adults Can Stay Independent with Physical Therapy
Posted in Senior Health Care Tips
When it comes to mobility, strength, and balance, the old adage of “use it or lose it” remains relevant at any age, but especially as we grow older.
While maintaining a consistent exercise schedule tailored to your own abilities and limitations is vital, injury, illness, or changes in your living situation may interrupt your routine. Enter physical therapy, a form of hands-on medical care meant to help a patient fully recover their range of motion, strength, and balance following an illness or injury through exercise, stretching, and other physical activity. 
Unlike most forms of medical care that only require a patient to be present and willing to receive treatment, physical therapy requires active participation during the session and works best if paired with structured exercise routines assigned as “homework” by your therapist. In short – the effectiveness of your physical therapy depends more on your own initiative and decisions than other forms of health care.
Read on for helpful tips on how to make the most of your physical therapy experience and recovery.
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Prepare for your first physical therapy session
Your initial physical therapy session is largely about gathering information about your condition. The therapist will likely perform some physical checks like testing your range of motion, however the most important information will come in the form of answering questions about your condition and the challenges you experience related to it in your daily life.
To make the most of your initial assessment, consider keeping some notes in the week before your first session on your condition. Try to get a good sense of the following:
- Are there activities you cannot do or experience pain doing due to this injury?
- Is there a particular time of day when your injury is most notable?
- Are there things you avoid doing due to your injury?
- Where do you experience pain or discomfort?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how much pain do you feel?
- Do you have any questions about your treatment you want to ask your physical therapist before you begin?
Don’t be afraid to bring your notes with you, and ask questions about your treatment if needed.
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Set Goals
During your initial session, your therapist will likely ask you about your goals – what activities are you struggling to do that you wish you could continue. For some, this might be a leisure activity like dancing or playing a sport, but for others, it can be household tasks, or even just feeling more confident about their own safety when walking or using stairs.
Keep your goals realistic and remember that most physical therapy programs last a handful of months. While having longer term goals is valuable, work with your therapist to aim for goals you can achieve or make significant progress towards during your time working with them.
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Do your homework exercises
You will likely have two to three in-person sessions with your therapist every week, but to make the most of your recovery, you will need to complete exercise on your “off” days as well.
Your therapist will likely provide you with a printed list of exercises that include instructions, but be sure to review (or request) this document before you leave your session and ensure that you are confident you can perform the exercises correctly – both to gain the maximum benefits from the exercise, and to avoid injury.
People feel more active at different times of the day, but time moves fast. Try to get your homework exercises finished early in the day so you don’t lose track of time and miss out on this important part of physical therapy.
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Dedicate exercise space
One way to make completing your homework easier is to set aside some space in your home. Most exercises don’t take up much square footage, but the daily process of clearing space and returning items can make the whole process more of a chore. Instead, try to move things around so you have a clear exercise space that you can maintain for the duration of your physical therapy.
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Avoid skipping sessions
It never feels like there’s enough time in the day, but the key to making as full a recovery as possible with physical therapy is consistency. Work with your therapist’s front office to find time slots that work with your schedule and happen during the part of the day when you feel most active.
One good strategy for better scheduling is to try and book your appointments for at least a month out after your initial assessment, and try to maintain that one-month lead time by booking a new week of appointments once a week.
If you are forced to miss an in-person session, be sure to continue your homework on that day to help maintain your progress.
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Don’t overdo it
Many patients joke about physical therapy being torture, but in reality, the old adage of “no pain, no gain” does not apply to your recovery.
You may be tempted to push past your homework in hopes of speeding up your recovery by either increasing the weights you are working with or performing additional repetitions of your assigned exercises.
Resist the temptation to push your limits, especially without first consulting your physical therapist. Many exercises used in physical therapy are designed to target specific muscles that you may not use frequently, and even small pushes past your stated limits can result in injury or soreness that will prevent you from exercising the next day.
Conversely, if an exercise is causing pain either during an in-person session or during homework, stop immediately and alert your therapist. “Pushing through” pain during physical therapy can often lead to additional injury and potentially set back your recovery.
Our team of home health care experts have helped New Yorkers live happier, healthier, more independent lives for 40 years. If you or a loved one is in recovery from an illness or injury, we are eager to work alongside you and your other healthcare providers to ensure you have the support you need.
To learn more about how we help, call SelectCare, read testimonials from past and current SelectCare clients, or request a free in-home health care guide today.