3 keys to a successful recovery from injury with physiotherapy

As a healthcare professional, I often hear people say things like, “Physiotherapy/chiropractic treatment/massage therapy didn’t work for me.”

Have you ever wondered why one type of treatment worked for one person, but not for you, your friend or a family member? Or wondered if there was some sort of magic recipe that would guarantee successful rehabilitation? 

Recently, I sustained a slip and fall injury, which made me take some time to reflect on how I was able to make a full and speedy recovery.

Combined with my clinical knowledge and experience as a physiotherapist, I have identified what I believe to be the three keys to successful rehabilitation from injury and/or to stay physically healthy.

1. Seek help right away! 

You get the best and quickest results when intervention starts as soon as an issue arises.

In the case of my fall, I was able to get reassurance from my treatment team that I hadn’t sustained any serious damage and was counseled on the best way to manage my injury.

Seeking help as soon as possible is also best for problems that develop gradually. If you start to experience discomfort from repetitive activities like typing, gardening or running, don’t wait until the pain or problem becomes so bad that it stops you from doing the activities you enjoy. 

If you’re evaluated early on, minor adjustments to the way you perform an activity, simple self-care solutions (ice/heat/stretch/changing positions) or a treatment or two can ease stress on a specific body part, allowing you to get back to your normal level of activity in no time.

Getting help early can also help prevent common compensation patterns that people often develop to allow themselves to continue to function when a problem arises.

These patterns are often not very effective and can lead to further problems or make the initial problem worse or more difficult to identify. At bare minimum, they contribute to ongoing aggravation of the initial issue. 

2. Do your homework!

No one really likes homework, but if you do what your rehab professional tells you to at the frequency, intensity and duration they recommend, it will support your recovery.

Rehab professionals, me included, don’t make these things up to torture our clients. Instead, we want to empower you to participate in your recovery and support the in-clinic treatment we are giving you so that you will recover as quickly as possible.

After all, it makes us look *really* good when you recover quickly and sing our praises. 

While the body is an amazing machine, what we do in the clinic together for 20-30 minutes, 1-3 times per week is rarely sufficient to solve all your problems or heal your tissues, which is why we give you some extra homework.

Sadly, there is no magic pill or fix. To fully recover, your body needs regular attention.

3. Keep moving!

Last, but certainly not least, keep moving! 

Our bodies are designed for and built on movement. There are very few types of injuries that require full rest or immobilization of the body as a whole or in part.

It takes no time at all for muscle, joint or body stiffness to set in, for muscle or strength loss to begin and for overall physical deconditioning to occur.

Again, our bodies are incredible machines, full of water-based structures and tissues that need blood supply and nutrients to remain healthy and functioning as they should.

Being idle and not giving the tissues the supplies they need to repair themselves will only do more harm than good. 

There is almost always a way to keep your body moving in the face of pain or an injury. 

Even if you have a broken bone that requires a cast, you need to take care of the rest of your body so that when the bone is healed and you’re allowed to move that specific part, the rest of your body will be ready!

If you remember these three keys to recovery and apply them, I can almost guarantee that your injury will only be a setback instead of stopping you in your tracks. To find a physiotherapist in your area, head over to our Locations page and discover a Lifemark clinic near you.