You left the physical therapist's office feeling like you
were on top of the world. You're doing well with training, and are ready to
spend less time at the clinic and more time with your Home Exercise Program
(HEP).
But as convenient as it sounded a few weeks ago, you just
can't seem to motivate yourself to follow through on your HEP. It just seems to
eat away at your free time, and although you know it'll help your recovery, you
just can't seem to motivate yourself to follow through. Why? Well, when we're
left to our own devices, it's much easier to forget the things that should be
motivating our actions to start and we lose confidence in how to even do the HEP on our own. After all, we're not trained chiropractors or
physical therapists. So sometimes, not only do we need a little help with a stretch, but we need a little reminding.
Why
is a Home Exercise Program Important?
Physical therapy is an important part of physical recovery
programs. So, if you want to ensure that you'll return to your everyday
activities in spite of injuries like Piriformis Syndrome, you'll have to work
at it. An orthopedic surgeon or physical therapist will likely recommend a
minimum of 10 minutes of exercise a day for three days a week. Although your
therapist will likely work with you to ensure that you know how to perform
these exercises correctly, you will be on your own to schedule and perform
these exercises without supervision.
What
Does the Research Say?
Many people find it easy to set aside 10 minutes of
exercise because they don't understand how much it can help. In fact, according
to a 2006 Physical Therapy study, 37 percent of patients who receive a
HEP do not follow through with the plan. One or more of eight barriers seem to
stand in the way. Poor health, weather, weakness, depression, fear of falling,
shortness of breath, low expectations and lack of interest are all reasons
people cite for not following through with a post-discharge exercise program.
How to Make HEP Adherence
Easier
Have you ever told a little white lie to your doctor or
health advocate? We've all been there...
“How often do you exercise? Do you smoke? Do you follow a
healthy diet?”
These are all questions that we as patients are notorious
for, well, fudging. Maybe we feel guilty, but there are benefits to honesty in
most cases.
In fact, we're only hurting ourselves by fudging the truth.
If you're honest with your physical therapist, chiropractor or orthopedic surgeon about your
aversion to exercise, he or she may offer solutions that make it easier for you
to stick to your HEP. For example, your medical professional may suggest a
Piri-Stretcher® to help with recovery from Piriformis Syndrome. The therapy tool is used to treat Piriformis Syndrome and Sciatica in adults, and
it can be used at home as part of a home therapy program for a target piriformis muscle stretch. It helps you complete the stretch on your own, and it's more fun having a tool to help. So you can make the most out of any 10- or 30-minute window in your day.
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