Have you ever been to a Physio before and wanted a massage, maybe some dry needling and hope by the time you leave your pain (that mind you has been an issue now for the past couple of months) has magically gone away? So you consultation went a little like this. Walk in, tell your Physio the pain or injuries you have ben experiencing, the Physio asks you some questions, you lay on the bed, have some manual therapy and then the Physio sits you up and provides you with some simple exercises to assist you with your injury. You wonder what the importance of these exercises are because, WOW I feel amazing this Physio is a miracle worker, my pain in gone!! HOLD UP! not so fast. If it were that easy we would be out of a job pretty fast! The exercises which have been given to you are just as important if not more important as the initial symptom relief phase. These exercises are what will prevent your pain from returning. Your Physio is not lying when they tell you, you need to perform them daily or even multiple times per day!
Why do I Need to do my Exercises Daily?
Correct Long Standing Issues
Pain and injuries commonly stem from either long term issues or gradual stress on the body. There is usually some form of dysfunction within the body that is the underlying cause. When we are treating long term issues it means we are working against learnt habits and what your body thinks is normal. This can be very tricky, which is why the 30 or 60 minutes of work done with your Physio in the clinic can be quickly undone if you do not continuously work to correct them throughout your every day life. Think of you and your Physio being a team, the other team is the injury who is currently up 60-0 and we need to make up some points!
Building Muscle & Mind Connection
What is the best way to get good at something? Practice Practice Practice. Firstly, the principle of specificity is practising things that directly relate to what you are trying to get good at. For example, if you wanted to learn to ride a bike, you would expect to get better by riding more than you would if you spent your time climbing trees. This is the same with learning to activate certain muscles or movement patterns – we want to target these directly because the body will adapt to the specific imposed demands. Secondly, frequency and repetition, this means in order to learn a new skill the brain requires frequent training of that skill at a sufficient volume (repetition) in order to imprint these new motor patterns. Your brain attempts to make life easier for you by remembering these movements or use of a muscle so that next time you want to do it, it you can easily recall it. Think about the first time you rode a bike – you had to think really hard about every component, whereas now when you ride a bike you can pretty much zone out and do it automatically without much conscious thought. This is because your brain has made a pre set motor plan of what to do. This is what we are aiming to achieve through your rehab exercises – we want them to become your new normal of how to use your muscles and move your body.
We Want you Better Quicker!
We individualise your home rehab exercise program specifically to you. We take into consideration your injury, training history, occupation, lifestyle – everything that could impact your recovery! The frequency of exercises is always designed to be the “ideal” amount. This means you could get better doing them less, but your recovery will likely take longer and possibly not be to the optimal standard, as opposed to if you complete your prescribed exercises as set out in your home exercise program.
We are on the Same Team as You!
A qualified Physiotherapist can assist you in improving your technique, strength and correcting poor biomechanics. Do not become a statistic, and remember early detection is the best prevention. We want you to continue participating in the activities you enjoy as part of a healthy lifestyle. Are you at risk of injury? Book an Initial Consultation with one of our qualified Physiotherapists today who can carry out a thorough assessment to determine if you are at risk – BOOK NOW!!!
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