Your day has been hectic, there isn’t enough time to tend to all the items on your to-do list, and then it hits you: physical therapy exercises.  As time wasn’t already tight, there’s that one extra task you always seem to forget about.

Sound familiar?  Well, you’re not alone.  It turns out that only about 35-62% of patients fully adhere to the home-based exercise program that’s prescribed to them.  Unfortunately, these programs are a major component of the course of physical therapy care, and not adhering to them could mean the difference between a successful versus an unsuccessful outcome.

Studies have shown that the effects of exercise are proportional to patients’ level of adherence, meaning the more closely exercise programs are followed, the greater the benefits like reduced pain and improved physical function.  Despite these proven advantages and encouragement from physical therapists, many patients still fail to completely engage in prescribed programs.  This is usually due to factors like lack of motivation, not thinking there’s enough time in the day or feeling the exercises are too difficult.

Adhering to your home-exercise program and taking control of your rehabilitation can make a world of a difference.  CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services LLC recommends these tips to help you receive the greatest benefits of physical therapy:

• —Try to set a specific time in your routine every day (or few days) to complete your exercises; if something comes up or your schedule changes, it’s completely acceptable to split it up into multiple sessions
• —Keep an exercise log for recording your activities to demonstrate your progress and motivate yourself to keep up with it
• —Set short-term, feasible goals for yourself and work towards them with each exercise session
• —Ask someone you live with (friend, family member, etc.) to help keep you on your toes and ensure you don’t miss any sessions
• —If you do miss a session, don’t beat yourself up and abandon the program; shake it off and bounce back the next day
• —Remember that the more you do, the easier the exercises will become, so don’t get discouraged if you experience some difficulty at the start

At CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services LLC in Laurel, Hyattsville and Glenn Dale/Bowie, MD, we’re dedicated to ensuring optimal results from our services, but it’s up to you to stick to your exercise program in order to get the most from treatment.  Feel free to contact us with any problems or concerns with your exercise program and we’ll be glad to assist you in any way we can.

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