Samantha AshleyLast month we talked about realistic and unrealistic expectations so this month we talk about how we can adjust our expectations of a physical therapy to meet the realistic outcomes we should be achieving. And how do we know how to gauge if the treatment is effective, if it is progressing at a realistic rate of improvement and when enough is enough? After all, we are not all physical therapists, so our knowledge of treatment plans and timelines is often limited.
Communication – Communication is the key here. Ask questions of yourself before your appointment. How long has this been going on? How much worse is the condition now from onset? What activities or actions have I engaged in that may make this worse? Have I been trying to work through this in any way myself?
Speak to your therapist. Ask the questions you need answers to. What are the therapists’ expectations of the treatment and how they expect it to progress your healing? How many treatments does the therapist reasonably expect you may need to resolve the issue? At what frequency will you need those treatments? Will it be a one-off visit? Will it be once a week, twice a week or maybe monthly.
After Care – Once your issue is resolved there are often other measures you can put in place to keep yourself healthy and less likely to reinjure. Questions you may want to ask are many and varied, but here are a few.
- Once it is resolved, then is a maintenance program worthwhile?
- Are there lifestyle changes you may need to make?
- How can you help yourself to ensure this issue doesn’t present again, or if it does, how can you lessen the effects?
- Are there exercises you need to do? (If there are, its important you actually do them). If you do reinjure, how soon should you book in an appointment to rectify it?
A good therapist will be able to answer these questions for you and put in place guidelines, treatment plans and aftercare information that will help you be well informed and move forward with confidence that your treatment expectations are realistic, and you are comfortable with how your issues will be resolved.
If you have further doubt, ask more questions, and if the answers you receive do not align with your expectations, then its your choice to perhaps research other treatment options or therapists. If you find your expectations are not aligning with multiple professionals, then that would be a good indicator that perhaps your expectations are a little unrealistic and it may be time to reassess.
Bowen therapy is suitable for all ages and can be used to treat a variety of ailments. Green Valley Bowen Therapy in Gold Coast, Qld can assist with your pain management and recovery.
Rebecca-Lee
Jacq Koloski
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