Hey, it’s Jennifer. Today I want to talk to you about why sometimes the end of PT (once you’re feeling better) is actually the hardest part and why I think it’s just as important as the PT you’re doing when you’re first starting out, and you’re trying to overcome an injury.
As you all know, when you’re in pain, or you have an injury, and you come to PT, you get some stuff to do at home, and it’s pretty easy to prioritize that because your pain or your injury is impacting your everyday life. It’s at the forefront of your mind, and you’re gonna prioritize that time to do your home exercises.
Eventually, you get better, and that pain is not impacting you as much, or at all, in your everyday life, and you think, “Oh, I’m better, we’re good. I don’t need to prioritize the PT anymore” BUT you just came out of the painful zone which is actually the best time of PT, because now you get to focus on building up this buffer so you’re not just pain free, but you’re stronger and more resilient, and less injury prone. Your risk of injury is less in the future and you don’t have to worry as much about getting back to the painful zone quite as easily.
This is the point where it’s harder to prioritize that extra time to do your home exercises, or it’s just not at the forefront of your mind. We all need to give ourselves some grace – sometimes life happens, but this is the part where I think it’s helpful acknowledge or realize that this is happening, and you can think, “wait, I’m not done with this yet, and I’m not quite where I want to be for my goal, which is not even having to worry about this.” If something happens and you end up dipping down toward injury a little bit, but you still have this great buffer before actual injury that can be super helpful.
For all of you who are out there, and you’re feeling better, we’re so proud of you. Don’t give up on it just yet. It’s really hard right now to0 because the weather is going to start getting nicer, and you’re going to have lots of things to do and be busy, but this is the best time to continue to prioritize you and your health and set aside that time and finish the job – finish why you came and get to that top peak there.
Let us know what you think about this, or if you have a hard time with this yourself that tends to be how PT works. People stop doing it when they feel better and we just want to remind you to keep on going – you can do it!! Feel free to let us know what you think, or how you’re dealing with this or how you’ve managed to sort of overcome this little pitfall that’s so common in PT.
Here at Peak Endurance Performance & Physical Therapy we help active adults in the Madison Area get back to the activities they love without pain or limitations. We see people of all ages, ability levels, and individuals trying to get back to a multitude of movements including: getting back into running, women postpartum, CrossFit athletes, climbers, gymnasts, wrestlers, overhead athletes, and your recreational weekend warrior. If you’re looking to get back to the activities that give you meaning, relieve stress, and make you feel like you again, feel free to reach out below and we’ll see if we’re the right fit for you.
