In-Home Physical Therapy: How Does it Aid My Recovery?

Think about all of the things you love to do on a daily basis. Maybe you enjoy swimming, hiking or taking a fun dance class with your friends. Or maybe you simply like taking walks around your neighborhood and spending time with your grandchildren. What do all of these activities have in common? Movement.

Undergoing a surgery or suffering from an illness may impair your body’s ability to move and impact the activities you love to do. Since you’ll need to rebuild your strength and range of motion, in-home physical therapy can be the solution you’re looking for.

3 Reasons Why Physical Therapy is Important Before and After Surgery

Physical therapy provides you with a variety of benefits that include reduced pain, improved function and increased range of motion. The primary goal of physical therapy is to help you get back to what you love doing and to live as independently as possible again.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, it’s imperative for you to participate in physical therapy both before and after a surgical procedure. Here are some key findings from the study that explain the importance of physical therapy for seniors:

1. 1. Reduced Length of a Hospital Stay. There is evidence that pre-surgery physical therapy is effective in reducing the length of your hospital stay and the number of complications you encounter after surgery.
2. 2. Improved Postoperative Function. There is circumstantial evidence that pre-surgery physical therapy can help aide your postoperative functional recovery. This means that by participating in physical therapy before your surgery, you’ll help yourself recover quicker and function better after your surgery.
3. 3. Increased Functional Mobility. Evidence shows that post-surgery exercise training and physical therapy should be started as soon as possible after your operation. Surgery can temporarily restrict your movement, so physical therapy is needed to improve your range of motion and can be beneficial in helping you regain functional mobility quicker.

How In-Home Physical Therapy Can Improve Your Recovery

During in-home physical therapy sessions, experienced and certified physical therapists will help craft personalized recovery plans unique to your personal situation and recovery goals. They will guide you through specific exercises meant to improve your postoperative function and increase your mobility to where you want it to be.

While the ultimate objective is to get you doing activities you enjoy again and improving your quality of life, in-home physical therapy also offers the following benefits:

• Stress and Pain Relief. When you work with a physical therapist, they can help you target specific areas of weakness in your body. This approach can relieve stress and help your body function without pain. After you’ve experienced an injury or surgery, in-home physical therapy will be able to help your body heal and ensure a safe, successful outcome.
• Muscle and Joint Stretching. Stretching is an imperative part of recovery. By practicing recommended stretching exercises during in-home physical therapy, you’re allowing your joints to return to a healthy range of motion and improving muscle flexibility. This will help you perform normal activities again, such as climbing the stairs or bending over. A physical therapist will work with you to ensure you’re stretching properly and preserving these functions.
• Body Strength. When you work with a physical therapist to complete strengthening exercises, you’re actively improving the function of your muscles. This will help you improve your overall strength, endurance and range of motion. When you spend time improving these elements, your recovery will likely be shorter and less painful overall.
• Core Strengthening and Stability. Weak core muscles and instability can leave you vulnerable to additional injuries or setbacks as you recover. In-home physical therapy puts significant emphasis on strengthening your core and improving your stability, as both are needed for overall bodily strength and function.

Physical Therapy Services at Fellowship Senior Living

At Fellowship Senior Living, we provide both Fellowship Village residents and residents in communities surrounding Basking Ridge, NJ with professional physical therapies services in the comfort of their own home. Our services include occupational, physical and speech therapies.

All you have to do is make an appointment and a licensed therapist will come to your home with all of the necessary equipment needed for an in-home rehabilitation session. The length of your therapy may be either short term to help you recover from an injury or it could be longer term to help you improve your overall fitness.

Contact us today at 908-580-3840 to learn more about our Therapy at Home services and to schedule an in-home visit.