Altitude Physical Therapy

pt pearls of wisdom

  • Locations
    • All Locations
    • Boulder
    • Broomfield
    • Lafayette
    • Longmont
    • Wheat Ridge
  • For Patients
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Friends and Family Program
    • Am I Covered?
    • Your First Visit
    • Why Physical Therapy?
    • Injury Finder
    • Services
    • FAQ
    • Wellness Warehouse
  • Physical Therapists
  • Reviews
    • Review Boulder
    • Review Broomfield
    • Review Lafayette
    • Review Longmont
    • Review Wheat Ridge
  • PT Pearls
  • Pay Online
  • Contact Us

5/1/2020

Rehabilitation Journey

3 Comments

Read Now
 
​Injuries stink. They are painful; they are limiting; they can often take much longer to heal than we would all like. As an athlete, I have experienced my fair share of injuries ranging from minor sprains to numerous surgeries that have left me sidelined for months. As a physical therapist, I’ve had a front row seat to an array of injuries and rehab stories. Everyone of them is slightly different, filled with highs and lows.  I have learned a lot from my personal and professional experiences and hope to offer some tips for you as you navigate this journey back to full recovery!
Picture

This is YOUR journey!

​​That may sound obvious, but somewhere along the line you will have to remind yourself of this. Others will be quick to share their own experience of having surgeryor times spent in a brace or on crutches. They will tell you about how quickly and flawlessly it went, or they will tell you how painful and awful it was. While their intentions are good, it generally does little to make you feel better. It leaves you with questions and uncertainty and, sometimes, can be very defeating.  Remember, this is not their story, this is YOURS!  Everybody heals different, everybody experiences pain different, and everybody rehabs different. The way people move, areas of physical and mental strengths and weakness, activity level – ITS ALL DIFFERENT! Quit comparing yourself to others. Focus on YOU, on what YOU can control, and on what YOUR body needs.

Allow yourself to be upset

Picture
​Rehab is about so much more than just physical healing. It is a process – and it can be an emotional process. Give yourself some grace and allow yourself to feel and accept that. It can be really frustrating at times. Whether you are a high school or college athlete, or you are someone who just likes to be active, it stinks to be sidelined from participating at the level you want to. Grieve that. Address that you lost something. It does not make you weak or unmotivated. It is the reality of the situation and it is important to recognize and accept that.

Celebrate small victories

​After a large injury or surgery, there will be countless things that were once easy and are now hard. Take pride in the seemingly small accomplishments. Bask in the glory of being able to walk without your assistive device or raise your arm over yourhead for the first time. You undoubtedly have larger goals that you are working towards, but don’t forget to celebrate all the “baby goals” that you must first accomplish in order to get there. It is a process of small steps and being excited about the small wins will make the process much more enjoyable.
Picture

Work hard

​No one else can do the rehab for you. You must APPLY the knowledge that others are giving you.  It takes a tremendous amount of grit and hard work to get back to the level you were before the injury. You must constantly find new ways to motivate and challenge yourself in order to achieve the long-term goals you have set. Being diligent about doing your exercises at home, about giving yourself the proper amount of rest and nutrition, and about listening to your body is crucial to successful rehab.

Surround yourself with a good TEAM

​While your road to recovery is all about YOU, you will not be the only person playing an active role in your recovery. Your family, your friends, your doctor, and your physical therapist will all play a part. Use them, appreciate them, allow them to partner with you throughout this process. Surround yourself with people that want to advocate with you and for you. Ones that are willing to listen to you and answer your questions; ones that focus on your needs and goals; ones that you trust and that instill confidence in you.

EXPERT Physical Therapist

Picture
 ​At Altitude Physical Therapy, we believe that your physical therapist plays a crucial role in your rehab process. We know that recovering from an injury can be a long journey and we are committed to partnering with you every step of the way. We vow to listen to you, challenge you, educate you, and do all that we can to help you achieve your goals and return to the active lifestyle you desire.

Author

Chelsey Creedon, PT, DPT

Share

3 Comments
Tomothy Curtis link
3/3/2021 09:13:29 pm

Great share, I really appreciate your time invested in sharing such a great blog. Actually one of my friend was looking for the same, I am sure that he will find this blog very helpful. Thank you for sharing thus amazing blog.

Reply
Chelsey Creedon
3/4/2021 06:48:18 am

Thank you for reading and sharing this with your friend. I hope that your friend also finds this helpful and that he has a successful rehab journey!

Reply
Holly Toomey
9/6/2021 07:51:02 pm

I soooo needed this today. I’m a week post op from a lumbar microdisectomy and I was very emotional today. I’m a very active person and have not been able to workout since June and now I’m even more restricted. I will continue to take it one day at a day.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

Details

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Achilles Pain
    AC Joint
    Back Pain
    Bacteria
    Balance
    Bruising
    Cellulitis
    Concussion
    Cupping
    Detraining
    Frozen Shoulder
    Gait
    Healing
    Home Exercise Program
    Hydration
    Ice Or Heat
    Infection
    Jaw Pain
    Joint By Joint
    Kinesiotape
    Knee Replacement
    MRI
    Muscle Strain
    Myofascial Decompression
    National PT Month
    Neck
    Orthotics
    Osteoarthritis
    Pain
    Pilates
    Plantar Fasciitis
    Prehab
    Rehabilitation Journey
    Rock Climbing
    Scar Tissue
    Self Care
    Shoes
    Shoulder Impingement
    Squat Mechanics
    Strength Training
    Tendonitis
    TMJ
    Triathletes
    Vertigo
    Yoga

    Authors

    Bob Cranny, PT
    Aaron Knighton, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
    Caitlin Barritt, PT, DPT, OCS
    Christina Bateman, PT, DPT
    Lisa Corken, PT, DPT
    Chelsey Creedon, PT, DPT
    Bridget End, PT, DPT
    Elana Gordon, PT, DPT
    Eric Hanyak, PT, DPT
    Michele Mahmood, PT, DPT
    Heather Shaughnessy, PT, DPT
    David Simmons, PT, DPT

Find a location
Contact us
Request appointment
Pay my bill
  • Locations
    • All Locations
    • Boulder
    • Broomfield
    • Lafayette
    • Longmont
    • Wheat Ridge
  • For Patients
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Friends and Family Program
    • Am I Covered?
    • Your First Visit
    • Why Physical Therapy?
    • Injury Finder
    • Services
    • FAQ
    • Wellness Warehouse
  • Physical Therapists
  • Reviews
    • Review Boulder
    • Review Broomfield
    • Review Lafayette
    • Review Longmont
    • Review Wheat Ridge
  • PT Pearls
  • Pay Online
  • Contact Us