By: Scott Peters, PT, ATC – Clinic Director, Partner
Know your role… no Jabroni’s here though! Knowing your role as a patient of physical therapy today is quite simple and also liberating. There are a few key points to knowing your role:
First off, be an active participant.
It is important to develop a team with your provider and use collaborative effort with your therapist/therapists. After all, it is your body and your goals that we are dealing with. Together we can focus on those goals no matter how big or small to effectively navigate therapy and work towards returning to your desired functional activities.
Feedback.
It is crucial for success to provide your honest feedback and check in frequently with your therapist on how therapy is going. This might be a simple question like “am I supposed to feel that here” or “how is this exercise helping me?”. Providing a fluid loop of dialogue and feedback helps to ensure both you and your therapy team are working towards the same goals, and continuing to stay dialed in on the purpose of you being in therapy.
Do your homework.
Ask your friends, your doctors, or your family if they have had a great experience in therapy and where. Be a seeker of information when it comes to knowing if your therapy provides any specific Interventions that may prove to be beneficial to your injury recovery.
Does your therapy provider have access to interventions such as Dry Needling, cupping, Hand therapy, Graston, a Return to Sport Program, a McKenzie Specialty, or any other skilled treatment approaches? This will help guide and steer you in the right direction as it may be overwhelming not knowing where to start in the first place.
Education is knowledge.
Knowing the why behind any type of therapy intervention or knowing the rationale on why you are performing an exercise is a key element in understanding and connecting therapy to the goals that you have. This fundamental knowledge and how it correlates to your goals is why you have chosen therapy in the first place. Questions and constructive challenges are always welcome and encouraged. This provides the ability to fill in any gaps that there might be or unknowns about your individualized treatment plan.
Creating Value.
The equation is simple… Your time + your financial resources MUST = a valuable/beneficial experience. Time is something we cannot create more of so be very intentional with your experience, your questions, and with your expectations. Set your expectations up front so there is no guessing on what therapy should look like versus what you get in the end.
So if you are looking for a wonderful therapy experience… I know a place. Click here to find your closest clinic and make an appointment today.
