Physiotherapy Won’t Work For Me!
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We often hear from patients that they have put off seeking treatment following an injury because they have previously tried physiotherapy and found that it didn’t work. Understandably, this can lead to a reluctance to invest time and money into future treatments. While there are never any guarantees in healthcare, in this article we highlight a few reasons why your treatment may not have worked in the past and why it may be worth trying again.
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1. Your injury required medical or surgical intervention.
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There are a small percentage of injuries that will require more intensive intervention to heal fully. It is often recomended that physiotherapy be trialled before attempting more invasive treatments. Your physiotherapist and medical team often work together to evaluate your injury and decide the best course of treatment.
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2. You need to have a succinct plan for success
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While very occasionally, a pain issue can be resolved in 1-2 visits, most conditions will require at least 5-6 visits for a significant change to be made. Chronic pain and injuries often need much longer still to make an impact. There are many reasons for not being able to return for treatment, however one of the most common reasons physiotherapy fails is a clear explanation of the problem. Then, there’s simply not enough of a plan with clear goals to be successful.
At the beginning of treatment your physio should discuss how much time may be needed for a full and effective treatment program. Once pain and symptoms have resolved, it is also important to complete a full rehabilitation programme to help prevent future injuries. Some patients do stop coming when they feel better but the underlying problem may not have completely resolved, which can lead to re-occurrence of the problem.
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3. Your physiotherapist was simply not the right fit.
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While all physiotherapists are trained to an excellent standard, occasionally you might find that the physiotherapist didn’t fully understand your needs and goals. Here at Gav Noble Physiotherapy we use a multi-therapist approach. This means that in our assessment we all get to know and understand your needs and goals, and one of the physios may just have a different skill that they can bring to your treatment.
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Your home exercises are too difficult or time consuming.
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With our busy modern lives, finding time to complete the exercises can be difficult. Home exercises are the ‘icing on the cake’ to compliment your treatment. Here at Gav Noble Physiotherapy our aim is to give you the least amount of exercises to help your recovery.
We use exercise prescription software that is easily accessable with videos that are able to be watched so that each exercise can be understood and performed correctly.
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Our physiotherapists are happy to discuss any concerns you have regarding your treatment, including issues with previous treatments.
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We offer a FREE ‘Discovery’ session at our clinic, to give you the opportunity to find out how we might just be able to help you differently!
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