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If you’re recovering from an injury or a surgical procedure, physical therapy can provide immense support to help you heal, relieve pain, and regain mobility. But as O’Fallon Pain Relief Associates explains, results from the treatment may not always be immediate. If setbacks and plateaus are causing frustration, it’s important to remember your process might take time and persistence might be necessary to get your body back in shape. Encouraging patients to stick to their treatment plans, this O’Fallon, MO, rehabilitation specialist offers a few tips for coping with physical therapy obstacles.

How to Overcome Setbacks & Plateaus in Physical Therapy

1. Keep a Record

When people think about their recovery process, they often think about the experience as a whole. For instance, they may only see themselves as “injured” or “healed,” without recognizing any of the progress that happens in between those stages.

physical therapyIf you find yourself focused too much on the end result, keeping a journal of your daily experiences can help. By recording symptoms, exercises, and other details about your recovery, you can develop a more detailed picture of how you are healing. With notes in hand, you can also have more productive conversations with your doctor or therapist. Specifically, these specialists can use this information to make changes to your treatment and see where extra support might help you overcome hurdles.  

2. Focus on Benchmarks

If you’re feeling discouraged about making a full recovery, talk to your physician or therapist about the benchmarks you can anticipate along the way. Benchmarks refer to specific progress points that occur during your recovery timeline. As you work through your rehabilitation, celebrate the ones you have passed and stay focused on the next goal of your recovery, not the final one. When you view the process in these bite-sized chunks, finding the encouragement you need to press on is easier.

3. Do Your Homework

Proper rehabilitation is an ongoing process, not one that just takes place during physical therapy sessions. For that reason, it’s critical to do the light at-home exercises and stretches your therapist recommends. If you find these activities are too easy, ask the specialist if you can graduate to a more involved routine that could help accelerate your progress.

Maintaining a positive attitude and staying involved in your treatment plan are essential to a thorough recovery, but it’s also important to have a qualified therapist or doctor to guide you along the way. If you’re stuck in your recovery or need expert rehabilitation in St. Charles County, O’Fallon Pain Relief Associates will help. Supported by a diverse staff of pain management and chiropractic specialists, this clinic is able to accurately diagnose and monitor injuries while also providing state-of-the-art therapies to speed up healing. Visit them online for more information about their comprehensive services, or call (636) 978-3000 to see how you can start physical therapies in O’Fallon, MO.   

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