While physiotherapy treatment shouldn't increase your pain, in some cases the dosage may be too high and could lead to a temporary increase in pain. It's important to monitor your symptoms whenever you're starting or changing your treatment.
Physical therapy decreases pain over the long-term
While many patients perceive physical therapy as a process that increases pain (with physical therapists sometimes referred to jokingly as “torturing” patients), the reality is that physical therapy's purpose is to reduce pain, not increase it.
Physical therapy is a common and legitimate treatment option for many different conditions, injuries, as well as surgery recovery. Physical therapy is aimed at improving symptoms and pain, but sometimes patients experience worsening symptoms after engaging in physical therapy exercises.
While there may seem advantages in physiotherapy, there also are a few disadvantages to be aware of. These can include the multiple weekly appointments parents like you may not be prepared of. The treatments sessions can also be that long. And even the cost of the treatment is high.
Pain. In the course of treating your injury or condition, your physiotherapist may need to move your body (or ask you to move it) in ways that cause you some pain, either during or after the session. And the further you get into your treatment plan, the more pain you may experience, as you're able to work harder.
There are very few and far between cases whereby physiotherapy causes more harm than good. It's safe for everyone and is intended to get you back to full mobility and prevent further injury. A good physiotherapist will never push you past your pain tolerance or do anything to make it feel worse permanently.
It can be normal to experience some pain after treatment; however it usually settles after 24-48 hours.
Physical therapy might stop if the patient isn't seeing results or making progress within the time-frame their physical therapist thinks they should be. After all, it can be frustrating to attend regular appointments, perform all the instructed exercises and still not make progress toward your goals.
Reasons you might experience pain after a physio session
This can last for a few hours or even up to one day depending on the severity of your condition. This soreness is usually related to the muscles reacting to the work that has been done on them and should not be confused with an increase in your actual symptoms.
However, most people can comfortably get by with seeing their physiotherapist three times per week. The takeaway here is that your therapist will recommend a schedule that's best for your individual needs which can range between 2-3 times per week, often tapering down to 1-2 times per week as treatment advances.
Physical therapy may not work when a patient lacks ownership in their role in getting better. This is the patient who is given exercises to do at home and doesn't do them. Or maybe doesn't even fully participate to the best of their ability during their PT session.
Worse, when traditional physical therapy does fail, most people go back to their doctors hoping for a different solution. Many times, the next step for these folks involves unwanted procedures or surgery.
Just remember that rest is an extremely important part of the healing process. Taking part in rehab exercises is key to gaining strength and mobility back in the injured area. With that being said, there must be rest days in between; without it there will be no progress.
How Often Should You Do Your Exercises? It's always best to listen to the advice of your physio but generally, exercises should initially be performed 2-3 times per day for 5 minutes each time. This amount of repetition allows the muscles to develop the “memory” they need to perform their role.
Minor injuries you might expect 2-3 sessions of physiotherapy; soft tissue injuries you would be looking more towards 6 – 8 weeks, as this is roughly how long it takes for soft tissue to heal in most cases; and more chronic or serious conditions taking 2 or more months of treatment depending on the level of progress ...
For more painful and acute injuries, your physiotherapist will likely want to see you two to three times per week. For injuries that are not as severe, your therapist will likely recommend coming to the clinic 1 time per week or 1 time every two weeks.
A typical physical therapy timeline is 6 to 8 weeks for the healing of soft tissues, so your PT course may last that long. During your visits, your physical therapists will continually assess and make additional recommendations based on your progress and whether you've met your function goals.
Training too hard and pushing your body past its limits will result in small trauma—or microtrauma—to the tendons, bones and joints, and this is the beginning of an overuse injury. If this continues for long enough, an overuse injury will occur.
Your body needs time to rest and heal, and going through your exercises every day doesn't provide the break your body needs. On the other hand, if you have a few different exercises, your provider may allow you to split them up and do them on alternating days.
People Are Afraid Physical Therapy Will Hurt
But if you believe physical therapy is about inflicting pain to benefit you, it can understandably cause fear about going. Few people want to sign up for more pain. It's important to distinguish between pain and soreness, and physical therapy shouldn't cause you pain.
Retaining Patients
Not only does losing a patient have a detrimental impact on their personal health and their outcome, it also has negative implications to the finances and the overall success of your physical therapy practice. The dropout rate of patients is currently averaging all the way up to a whopping 40%!
It also helps to make joints suppler and conditions muscles faster. Over time, as your body heals and the physiotherapist looks at how your body responds, they will shift your program accordingly. While the visits will span out and reduce, the whole journey may take several months.
One of the most common reasons why psychotherapy fails is expecting too much from the therapist. Some people expect all the answers to their problems. Nothing could be further from the truth. Therapists aren't magicians, nor gurus, nor fortune tellers.
People are often within their rights to refuse treatment, but some exceptions exist. For example, if someone requires emergency life-saving treatments, if they do not have the mental capacity to do so, or they are a threat to the community. In addition, parents may not deny life-sustaining treatment for their children.
There are various reasons a therapist might be unable to work with you, such as lacking expertise in a key area you need support with, what insurance they accept, or conflicts of interest. There are various reasons a therapist may refuse treatment. Although it may feel like rejection, it's typically not personal.