Exercise Therapy

What Is Exercise Therapy?

Exercise therapy is the specific set of exercises that will be prescribed to you in order to help you get better. Depending on your injury, the best exercises for you to do at each stage of the healing process will differ and generally speaking your exercise program will become more comprehensive as your rehab program progresses. Many of the exercises I use with my patients will be similar to those done in yoga and pilates, with a focus on stretching and strengthening the affected areas. In the latter stages of rehab, exercises will become more specific to the sport or activity that you are involved in. Exercise is always a very important part of treating injuries but the key is making sure that the body is in a good position to begin doing the exercise that is being done, otherwise further injury may occur.

What Should I Expect?

The type and intensity of exercise will vary depending on your injury and fitness level. For example, the exercise program for a professional footballer will be different to that for a 65 year old whose main hobby is gardening. Once a thorough assessment has been done, specific exercises will be prescribed that will aid your recovery. Most of the time this will involve some stretching and some strengthening exercises and often some exercises to help with posture and good alignment.

At The Physiotherapy Place we use Physitrack, an online exercise prescription program that guides you through your specific exercise program. Your physio will be able to compile a selection of exercises that you can access in your Physitrack account and this will guide you through how to do the exercises and keep you on track with your program.

Will It Hurt?

In most cases, the exercises that you do should be pain-free. There are some exceptions to this rule but that will be explained to you if that is what is required. Some mild ache can be expected when stretching a stiff joint or tight muscle and this is ok.

How Many Sessions Will I Need And How Much Will It Cost?

The great thing about exercise is that it doesn’t cost a thing! During you physio sessions your specialised exercise program will be progressed so that by the time you have finished your physio sessions you will have a program that you can continue at home, which will prevent re-injury occurring.