Help Guide Your Physical Therapist When Developing a Personalized Action Plan

Healthcare professionals of all specialty areas have over the course of the last decade or two updated a traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach to one that’s more targeted to each patient’s needs. Cancer care is a good example.  As more research has been generated about particular types of cancer cells and particular patient characteristics, we have started to very specifically target this disease with a treatment plan that is unique to each patient.  Physical therapy treatment has evolved similarly.  When you go to see a physical therapist for hip pain, for example, your treatment plan isn’t necessarily going to be identical to the patient with the same structural diagnosis on the next treatment table. Instead, physical therapists acknowledge that each client has a different medical history, unique physical attributes, and individual personal goals and expectations with regard to their recovery.  We then customize the treatment plans accordingly.

You, as the client, can also be actively involved to help your physical therapist develop a personalized action plan. Your PT would welcome your input. One of the biggest challenges for physical therapists is not having inside knowledge of the obstacles that clients encounter when they go about their daily activities outside of the clinic. How you spend your time in your home, at work and in the community is highly relevant when your PT is designing your treatment plan. You can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your stint in rehab by bringing that information with you to the clinic. 

You’re likely already following a similar protocol in other areas of your life. Let’s say that you’ve noticed an unsettling new rattle when you drive the family minivan. It’s not enough to drop the vehicle off with your mechanic and simply state that there’s a rattle you’d like addressed. Instead, you’ll have a dialogue about when the rattle first started, what it sounds like and when you hear it. Does it come from the undercarriage or is the sound inside the car? Does it happen when you turn the corner? Or perhaps you only hear it when traveling at speeds over 45 miles an hour. Your mechanic will combine this knowledge with his own skills and training to get to the root of the problem—and then begin to solve the issue.

Just as your mechanic aims to get you and your car back on the road safely, a physical therapist’s main initiative is to ensure that patients have all of the tools they need to return to their active lifestyles. They accomplish this by restoring a patient’s function and mobility and minimizing and eliminating pain. Consistent, two-way communication is central to this approach. By sharing a detailed account of your lifestyle and how your injury is limiting your former activities, you can ensure that you get the most value out of physical therapy.

So what you can do before your very first appointment—and during physical therapy—to set you up for success during treatment? Perhaps start a list. You can start by noticing each time that you feel pain in the affected area or notice an activity that is harder than it was previously.  The more specific you are, the better. Here’s an example: Let’s say that you’re recovering from a moderate meniscus tear. Take notes on how your knee feels first thing in the morning after you’ve been off your feet. How does your knee react when you stand up from a chair?  Does it feel unstable? Or does it swell during the course of the day? Sharing these details helps your physical therapist understand your limitations beyond your structural injury.

Now let’s take that list a step farther and add some details about the activities that you typically participate in on a regular basis. Maybe you normally play a weekly round of golf, spend your mornings weeding your garden, and meet up with friends for a four-mile walk two evenings a week. These activities have become an important part of your life, so let’s make sure that they’re factored into your list of “what you hope to get out of physical therapy”. Painting a clear picture of how active you are—and what types of activities and sports that you participate in—can help your physical therapist design an individualized treatment plan and to better help you on your road to recovery.

At Symmetry, we’re constantly striving to optimize the patient experience that comes along with rehabilitation and appreciate all of the opportunities that we have to get to know our patients better.  Have you been to see us lately? Did you notice anything else that helped maximize your time in rehab or that improved communication with your physical therapist? If so, we’d be interested to hear your feedback.  Click here if you’d like to communicate your comments. Thanks!