Why Physical Therapy is About More Than “Getting Better”

When a patient makes an appointment with a physical therapist (PT) to rehabilitate after a shoulder injury, for example, it’s because he wants to get better, right? Well, yes, but what exactly does that mean?

As it turns out, “getting better” means different things to different patients. To some, proper recovery from a shoulder injury means being able to carry a golf bag and swing a club while to others,it means being able to lift their children in and out of their car seats.

Here’s the thing: Helping your physical therapist know and understand your own personal goals is the key to success. As a patient, that means speaking up about how the injury is limiting the everyday activities that are most important to you.

With this knowledge, your PT can adapt her approach and individualize aspects of the treatment plan to ensure that you meet your goals. It’s part of a physical therapist’s job description to work with patients to reduce pain and to improve strength, range of motion, balance and mobility. Your PT will address these aspects of your treatment regardless. If however you return home to unload the dishwasher and you still can’t reach to place the coffee mugs on the shelf, then that’s a problem. Your PT can’t possibly know everything that’s important to you—or the obstacles that you face—unless you share that information with them.

One way around this is to bring a list to your first therapy session things that are most important to you and the activities that you participate in that bring you the most joy. To take it a step farther, whittling that list down to one main goal can give you something to focus on. It can motivate you to keep showing up and participate in your home exercise program.

That number-one goal maybe different for each patient. The desire to attain it should be the same. With a little of effort on both sides, patients and their PTs can work together to individualize the therapy sessions and select the most appropriate interventions. After all, physical therapists want to help their patients return to previous levels of function as quickly and effectively as possible.

Resource: The Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association Founded in 1956, the Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association champions the success of physical therapist-owned businesses. Our members are leaders and innovators in the health care system. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) represents more than 85,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and students of physical therapy nationwide. For more information, please visit www.ppsapta.org.