Physical therapy has helped millions of Americans rehabilitate after an injury. In fact, a 2024 YouGov survey found that 51% of respondents had received physical therapy care at some point in their lives. It is well known as a safe and effective way to help your body recover after injury or surgery. What’s less well known is the role that physical therapy plays in helping your body prevent re-injury after your rehab is over.
Unfortunately, re-injury is a common problem and causes many people to come back to rehab again, as well as forcing them to miss work and other daily activities. Often the re-injury is completely avoidable.
Why Re-Injury Happens
There are several likely causes of re-injury after rehabilitation, including:
- Returning to an activity too soon after recovery
- Weakened supporting muscles around the injured area
- Neglecting proper posture or form
Successful rehabilitation can leave people feeling confident about their ability to return to their usual activities, which is a good thing. But sometimes they may return a little too quickly, or may take on more than their body is ready for, or may be so eager that they neglect proper technique or form. Any of these can increase the likelihood of re-injury.
It’s worth keeping in mind during the rehabilitation process that preventing re-injury is just as important as healing the first injury. Your rehab should help you strengthen the muscles around the injured area and improve flexibility and mobility. Your rehabilitation shouldn’t end when the pain goes away. You should continue working to build strength and resilience in and around the injured area.
How Physical Therapy Helps Injury Prevention
Physical therapy is a tool for much more than just recovery and pain management. Physical therapy is a tool for developing your body’s ability to perform at its best. Beyond recovery, a skilled physical therapist can help assess your body’s:
- Biomechanics (how your body moves)
- Muscle imbalances and weaknesses.
- Flexibility and joint stability.
Understanding how your body works and where there may be room for improvement help your physical therapist develop a customized exercise program to maximize your body’s performance. Following your therapist’s advice and recommendations will increase your chance of avoiding re-injury, and will also likely help you feel generally better and healthier overall.
Building Strength and Resilience
Strength and resilience are important in preventing re-injury. Physical therapy helps by providing targeted strengthening exercises for injured and supporting muscles, as well as core and stability training. For example, rehabbing a shoulder injury may include exercises to build upper back and core strength. Rehabbing a knee injury may include hip and glute work.
Following your PT plan will help you recover and can also help you prevent future injuries. It will also create a strong foundation for daily activities like work, hobbies, and sports.
Improving Movement Patterns & Flexibility
Your PT program may include techniques to retrain or optimize your posture, gait, or lifting mechanics. It may include stretching and mobility work to prevent stiffness. It may include hands-on therapy to correct movement limitations. All of these things can contribute to better performance and reduced risk of injury.
Education
Beyond your personalized treatment and exercise program, a good physical therapist will also empower you with knowledge. This can include tips for safe warm-ups and cool-downs, ergonomic tips for work and other daily activities, or warning signs to watch for before a flare-up.
This education can carry with you well beyond the time you are recovering and can help you thrive in your daily life beyond just avoiding re-injury.
Fitness Beyond Rehab
What you learn from physical therapy in the clinic can be applied in your home as well. Personalized exercise routines can extend beyond your scheduled physical therapy sessions, and can benefit you well beyond your recovery time. The education and guidance you receive should benefit you at home, at work, at the gym, or anywhere else you use your body.
Physical therapy isn’t just about rehab. It’s about prevention and performance. It’s a part of wellness and quality of life. It can help you stay strong, safe, and active throughout your life.
At Strive! Physical Therapy Centers, we help people recover from injuries, but we also help people build the strength, flexibility, and confidence to live their best lives outside of the clinic. If you’re ready to learn about a personalized plan to prevent injuries in your life – or if you’re recovering from a recent injury – reach out to a skilled physical therapist today. You can schedule a free consultation by calling us at 1.352.351.8883 or emailing us. We look forward to helping you.
