Physical Therapy for an injury

[Yuki Nakai's Eye]

How many of you have been to physical therapy (physiotherapy for my non-American friends) for some kind of pain or injury?

I've been for lower back pain and for a shoulder injury. The home exercises that were given to me for both issues (along with the therapy) helped resolve the issues.

I've now incorporated those exercises into my daily routine (with occasional missed days). I'm wondering if I should essentially continue with these for the rest of my life to decrease the chances of recurrence of the injuries.

What say you, huddled, uneducated masses of arm chair geniuses of TMMAC?

Am I wasting my time continuing with these exercises?

 

[Pitbull9]

Usually the exercises for the back are core exercises and should definitely be done with your regular exercise routines. Not enough people put emphasis on the core and wonder why there back gets all fucked up.

 

[Leigh]

Do something to keep the muscles around those joints strong. Maybe not those same exercises but something at least.

 

[Chocolate Shatner]

In a word.... usually, no.

The reason is the idea of progression. Most physios I know, the rehab exercises are just meant to get you back to a baseline, a bare minimum level of function in order to bring you back to either A) daily life or B) back to work, you!

Now, as an active individual, especially if you want to train, you need to progress those exercises, because you need both more strength but more ability than the normal person.

Like Leigh says, continue to strengthen those muscles, continue to strengthen the affected area, but doing what the physio prescribed forever will either become nothing more than a slight part of your warmup, or just a jacking off waste of time that you can do other things in instead.

 

[Yuki Nakai's Eye]

but doing what the physio prescribed forever will either become nothing more than a slight part of your warmup, or just a jacking off waste of time that you can do other things in instead.

Yes this is what I wanted know. So you're saying I'll have more time for jacking off

 

[Chocolate Shatner]

You can always use more time for jacking off.

 

[SC MMA MD]

If the exercises are for muscles you don't normally work directly (both for ROM and strengthening), there may be some utility in continuing the exercises/stretches. I still do the rotator cuff exercises I was given after my tear as part of my warm-up, and I think it has helped maintain my ROM and I have not re-injured the shoulder despite doing all the same activities that led to the injury in the first place

 

[sparkuri]

I've been in physical therapy on and off for 7 years.
I've learned a great deal on the approaches and exercises in the world of therapy.
I think there is a great deal of importance in continuuing many of theses exercises.
Imo, worldwide, the industry is geared for the non-athletically tuned mind. I think the exercises are a basic foundation for maintaining strength and avoiding injury, as well as encouraging growth mentally.
I personally have enjoyed the exercises the most when stoned, or incorporated with targeted, deliberate breathing geared toward the physiological-spiritual connection.
But even doing it as nothing more than a baseline is better than not doing it at all.

 

[BJTT_Pella]

If the exercises are for muscles you don't normally work directly (both for ROM and strengthening), there may be some utility in continuing the exercises/stretches. I still do the rotator cuff exercises I was given after my tear as part of my warm-up, and I think it has helped maintain my ROM and I have not re-injured the shoulder despite doing all the same activities that led to the injury in the first place

Can you please share with me what exercises you do for your shoulder(rotator cuff) please?

 

[SC MMA MD]

Can you please share with me what exercises you do for your shoulder(rotator cuff) please?

I will be happy to. I will post them later tonight after I train and have more time.

 

[KWingJitsu]

Going to physical therapy myself & its a good question.
But for me I don't think I'll ever stop because there was an underlying weakness & I need to get back to training again and hopefully never re-injure (achilles). The challenge is not assuming you are okay because you 'recover'.

 

[SC MMA MD]

@BJTT-Pella sorry for the delay- here are the exercises I do:

Sleeper Stretch- this is controversial, some therapists don't like this because it is an impingement position, others (including the therapists and shoulder surgeon at my institution) think that is is a good is exercise.

Posterior Capsular Stretch | ShoulderDoc

Hanging- I do this (literally hang from a pull-up bar) for 30-60 seconds at a time to help stretch out my pats and upper back muscles. There is an orthopedic surgeon who claims that hanging can remodel the acromion (and markets a hanging program). That is a dubious claim, but hanging seems to have helped me regardless.

Rubber band exercises- I do most of the resistance band exercises here: Rotator Cuff Exercises, and usually do some of the mobility and stretching exercises as well.

I have a full thickness, 3/4 length tear in my supraspinatus tendon in both shoulders, and the tear in my right led to frozen shoulder. I now (2 years post frozen shoulder) have almost no shoulder pain, and improving flexibility. I tap very early to omaplatas and kimuras, but have started getting braver recently about fighting those submissions a little longer before bailing if my partner is someone I trust.

 

[BJTT_Pella]

@BJTT-Pella sorry for the delay- here are the exercises I do:

Sleeper Stretch- this is controversial, some therapists don't like this because it is an impingement position, others (including the therapists and shoulder surgeon at my institution) think that is is a good is exercise.

Posterior Capsular Stretch | ShoulderDoc

Hanging- I do this (literally hang from a pull-up bar) for 30-60 seconds at a time to help stretch out my pats and upper back muscles. There is an orthopedic surgeon who claims that hanging can remodel the acromion (and markets a hanging program). That is a dubious claim, but hanging seems to have helped me regardless.

Rubber band exercises- I do most of the resistance band exercises here: Rotator Cuff Exercises, and usually do some of the mobility and stretching exercises as well.

I have a full thickness, 3/4 length tear in my supraspinatus tendon in both shoulders, and the tear in my right led to frozen shoulder. I now (2 years post frozen shoulder) have almost no shoulder pain, and improving flexibility. I tap very early to omaplatas and kimuras, but have started getting braver recently about fighting those submissions a little longer before bailing if my partner is someone I trust.

Awesome! I will try some of this tomorrow.

 

[Lord Vutulaki]

Awesome! I will try some of this tomorrow.

Dont he's a cardiologist not a shoulder specialist

 

[BJTT_Pella]

Dont he's a cardiologist not a shoulder specialist

At this point, I'd take advice from a gynecologist

 

[Combo]

Every time I get an injury I see my physio. I know my body, leaving an injury injured will ruin me long term.

I see him, he diagnoses me, gives me stretches/exercises/ advice, I put them to the test and I ALWAYS feel 200% stronger, better and more confident when they heal up.

My PT has really worked wonders for me as I've had a bunch of injuries and now I'm stronger than ever.