Avoiding and Minimizing Setbacks

Setbacks in your care are sometimes unavoidable. Setbacks can be minor for a few days or have a more dramatic effect – lasting weeks.

It’s often tempting to test your limits that may result in a setback.  That’s why it’s essential to recognize activities that carry more risk and could potentially slow, stop, or reverse your recovery. Watch the video above to learn more.

Managing Expectations

When an injury interrupts your life, it’s common to want your life back as soon as possible. The need and desire for a quick recovery can not only be unrealistic but also slow down your progress. That’s what this next video is all about: how to be realistic with your timeframe for healing.

Avoid “Overdoing” It

As you heal, you may look to catch up on duties, jobs, and tasks that went undone. Whether it’s cleaning the house, caring for the yard, or getting back to your day-to-day activities, you must avoid “overdoing it” and having a setback.

Your Physical Therapist can guide you in introducing new activities, tasks, and hobbies. With planning, you’ll be able to start to feel as if you’re getting back to normal.

Achieving Recovery Milestones

While you’re still early in the recovery process, you will start to see “small wins.” Rarely do activities come back instantly. Often, activities like sitting see small and progressive gains. While you may not have been able to sit longer than 10 minutes at the start, you may start to notice that the timeframe is now 20 minutes.

These small wins equate to progress and are stepping stones to getting back to lifting, bending, and your normal day-to-day activities.

Healing Beyond Four Weeks

After the first month of recovery, new opportunities and challenges will present. Similar to previous weeks, understanding your healing and setting proper expectations ensures you stay on the path to getting your life back.

Watch the above video to learn more about what to expect as your treatment progresses beyond the first month.

Communication Is Key

Your recovery is more than the exercises and movements you perform during treatment. Good communication with your treatment team will move your treatment forward and ensure you avoid setbacks.

Watch the video above to learn more and to keep an open line of communication throughout treatment.

Progressing Through Treatment

As your treatment continues to progress, your exercises and expectations will begin to shift. Previous videos discussed the need to protect your back and avoid overdoing it. Looking ahead, protection and avoiding activities will change to re-introduction into getting your life back to normal.

Watch the video above to learn more about expectations for the coming weeks and achieve your best treatment results.

Achieving Your Goals

Returning to normal is different between patients. While some patients aim to get back to day-to-day activities without pain, others look to return hobbies and exercise plans.

To reach your goals, communication between you and your treatment team is critical. With this knowledge, your Physical Therapist can customize your treatment to ensure you’re on the path to a full recovery and goal achievement.