I don’t know about you, but I find healing from an injury can be quite complex. Getting the right services at the right time is imperative to a good outcome.
I have seen so many people in the past that just received corrective exercise but the therapist did not perform needed bodywork as well as clients who get lots of hands on work but no corrective exercise or movement work. Another common tendency is for clients to get too many exercises and feel overwhelmed.
The other thing that is missing is coaching on how one sits, stands and sleeps. You could have the best program in the world to address your postural issues but if you stand around all day on one leg or you are a “percher” while sitting. (See my previous blog The Art of Sitting with Less Pain.) You may be undoing all that time and effort you put into your exercise program!
An integrative approach to physical therapy should include and is not limited too corrective bodywork, corrective exercise, and education regarding posture, fitness, diet and lifestyle.
I always tell clients to remember that they are the consumers. Which is easy to forget in our healthcare culture and that it is OK to shop around for services that provide more than just a one size fits all model of therapy.
