The process of rehabilitation can get quite slow and really draggy at times. Furthermore, work and family commitments may completely consume your time, leaving very little space for frequent visits to the clinic or the physical therapists. Fortunately, there are a whole lot of exercises that can be done at home and a wide range of low-budget equipment to help you on your way to complete recovery.
The key elements for regaining strength and mobility are not in the program itself but in the consistency in following the program, not in the overexertion of effort, but in applying just the right amount to optimize the healing process.
General Recommendations
There are some principles of physical therapy which can be applied to your home rehabilitation and which will help complement and speed up your recovery process. However, before starting any such program, make sure that you have the green light from your doctor.
If you are experiencing an injury that requires the need for medical treatment and rehabilitation, ZenCare in Miami is the best option. Get a hold of one of our professionals today and regain your healthy self as soon as possible.
Movement is Key
First and foremost in the rehabilitation process, regain the range of motion. This is according to experts, who advise that this is necessary even for serious injuries so that one may proceed to the strengthening phase.
Although this may sound a bit paradoxical, movement is essential to your recovery. When injured, tissue strength declines 3 to 7% per day. Movement, if performed correctly, facilitates healing both physically and mentally. Those who remain in an immobilized position often acquire other conditions.
Using Alternative Exercises
As you start your rehabilitation process and begin to see some results, you may want to try and push yourself a little too hard. If you happen to be someone who is used to playing sports or hitting the gym, these limitations can be very frustrating. What's more important, though, is that you get complete strengthening and healing before you return to your normal routine. Recovery equipment can help you substitute exercises and stay in shape as you go through rehabilitation.
It will assist you in checking your response to treatment and serve as your guide in progressing the intensity of exercises, whether associated with your normal routine or rehabilitation.
Home Use Equipment
Equipment for exercises and stretches—some of the best tools in your recovery arsenal. The right tool will allow you to target the problem area more specifically, making the treatment more efficient and more effective.
Foam Roller
Probably one of the most popular pieces of equipment that are in use over the last few years. It works specifically around the joint of the problematic area. It is applied by applying gentle pressure to the injured area. It is okay to feel some discomfort during the process, not just exceeding 4 or 5 out of a scale of 10.
You need to find out the points that are most painful and gently roll the roller over the affected limb. You can also exert little pressure on the areas surrounding the injured area. These areas involve abductors, hamstrings, back, quadriceps, glutes, and back; the foam roller can be also used for working of the range of motion.
Kinesiology Tape
This is an extremely common product related to kinesiology. It increases blood flow, decreases pain, enables muscle stimulation, and reduces swelling. Worked well on joints, like ankles and knees. It is suggested to use it during two weeks in order to enhance the area that is injured.
Resistance Bands
One of the most practical, not to mention inexpensive, pieces of equipment available to deliver some of the best results out there are those that take up very little space and can be carried anywhere to help maintain consistency in treatment. They normally come in sets with varying resistance levels and are excellent for working on a range of motion and strengthening isolated muscles like the rotator cuff in the shoulder, ankles, or knees.
Stretching Straps
These aid the patient in performing movements that otherwise would have required the help of another individual. It stresses stretches of the involved areas, a range of motion extension, and also aids functional exercises.
Wrist Weights
These can be a good alternative to those who have arthritis or problems with grip. They can be used in order to strengthen joints in the wrists and ankles, and they can also be added to other exercises in order to make them more challenging and build in strength.
Maintaining the Right Mindset
Given that frustration and adjustment to a new way of moving are two of the most common challenges during rehabilitation, facing the process with the right mindset will make your journey to recovery so much more manageable.
Some practices to help strengthen your mind through the recovery process include:
Keeping a Journal
Sometimes, one may feel that a process is going too slow. Keeping a logbook will let you see things more objectively. Note down the time for which you have pain and how it comes down, progress in physical activity, timing of exercises, and strength gains. Seeing your progress reflected with real indicators will help you keep up and increase the motivation.
Catching up on Lost Activity
This does not mean that you need to cease training altogether if you get an injury. You can easily focus on training the upper and lower body areas more depending on where it is while having rehabilitation exercises done on the affected area.
Setting Achievable Goals
Reaching full strength and mobility again from your original injury can feel overwhelming. Breaking this ultimate goal into smaller, more realistic goals will keep you motivated and make rehab much easier.
Meditation
This will not be a physical activity, but meditation is quite famous and helpful for the brain and all other health issues. You can use guided meditations during those times when you can't focus for just a few minutes; these will help in stress management and calm the nervous system.
Rehabilitative work is comprehensive. Unifying the work of a therapist with home exercises that supplement your recovery and applying the right tools will guarantee that you get the best results. Remember that, much the same as the affected area, your mind needs to be strengthened in order to meet the challenge of adjusting to a new routine in the process of regaining the ability to move as you did before your injury.
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