Roxanne Meldrum PT, ATC
Understanding how long physical therapy takes to get you moving and feeling better can help you decide if PT is the best option for you. Maybe you are concerned about squeezing physical therapy visits into your tight schedule between Zoom meetings and soccer pickups. Or if Monday’s ankle sprain can be better by Saturday’s 5k. Maybe you missed some time off work because of back pain and are trying to figure out what will get you back to work the quickest. So, how long does physical therapy take to work?
Fortunately, you can access the expertise of a physical therapist without overwhelming your schedule and achieving your recovery goals efficiently. I’m going to explain how physical therapy saves you time, what factors determine how long physical therapy will take, and what steps you can take to speed the process along.
How long does physical therapy take with PT Health Academy?
When you’re trying to answer the question of how long does physical therapy take, it’s important to consider where you are considering receiving your PT. Working with a direct access physical therapist (like me!), for example, is a great way to save you time.
First, you don’t need a referral to attend physical therapy, saving you the time and money of a PCP visit. Sprained your ankle? I can assess if you need an x-ray, give you instructions on how to get walking on it safely again, start you on appropriate mobility exercises, tape you up, or recommend a good brace to get you through your 5k Saturday. Back sore from shoveling? I can assess what tissues are involved, help you to calm them down with hands- on techniques and self management strategies, and offer ergonomic suggestions to get you through your work day without aggravating the problem. When you get the right care right away, recovery starts immediately.
Second, when you receive hour long one on one sessions with the same therapist (me!), you accomplish more per visit. If your schedule doesn’t tolerate multiple weekly appointments, you can still make great progress towards your goals. Unfortunately, some PT clinics treat more than one patient at a time, treat you for only 30 minutes, or require you to see a different physical therapist for every visit. This is an inefficient way for you to receive care and will cause physical therapy to take longer.
Third, because I have weeknight and weekend appointments available, you can get the care you need when it works for your schedule. Have a long commute to Boston and don’t get back in town till 7:00 PM? I can work with that. My Saturday appointments are great when weekdays are filled with work and taxiing kids and pets.
How long does physical therapy take to work?
Now that you know how much time physical therapy might take out of your schedule, you’re probably wondering when you’ll actually start to feel better. This depends on many factors.
For example, if your goal for physical therapy far outstretches your current capabilities, this may take longer to achieve. Are you trying to get back to 5k or marathon training when you haven’t run in several years? Do you want to walk a mile or get back into basketball?
How long physical therapy takes to work also depends on the extent of the injury. Did you roll your ankle but there is minimal swelling and you are able to walk on it? Or are you chronically spraining your ankle and your last injury has landed you on crutches for two weeks? Do you have a long history of off- and- on symptoms? Or is this your first incident? Is your tissue healthy? Are you healthy?
Different tissues heal at different rates, which will also affect how long you might need physical therapy. For example, muscles heal more quickly than tendons because they have better blood supply. In our clinical examination on your first visit, we can usually determine the tissues involved to ensure you get the right treatment for the injured tissue right away. Imagine you’re a runner with tight hamstrings so you start stretching. Later you learn that you are suffering with sciatica pain, which is worsened by stretching, meaning your recovery time has only been lengthened by your stretching. This is something I see frequently.
What steps can you take to speed your recovery time?
For starters, when you take the time to consistently implement physical therapy recommendations, you’ll feel better faster, requiring less care overall. For example, if you have plantar fasciitis and you come into the office with year old sneakers with inappropriate arch support, the first thing I’m going to recommend is new shoes. After the evaluation, I can offer suggestions as to what characteristics to look for in a new shoe to help relieve your pain. How long it takes you to get these shoes is absolutely going to impact the speed of your recovery!
Committing to the home exercise program as prescribed is vital in your recovery. This can be tough with your busy schedule. If clients are not compliant with their home exercise program, it’s often because it’s painful, they don’t feel like it’s working, or they don’t understand what benefit the program offers. They say they don’t have time but typically if the program is helping relieve their pain, they find the time.
I work with you to design a program that works like medicine. Take it, and you feel better! I explain the goals of each exercise so you understand the benefits of your efforts. And I work hard to ensure this program will work for you within the constraints of your schedule and exercise preferences. It might mean doing a little bit throughout the day, or just tweaking your current routine to achieve your goals.
How long does physical therapy take compared to other treatment options?
Other treatment options that might seem like they will save you time include massage therapy, chiropractic care, or even asking your personal trainer for their advice on exercises for shoulder pain.
Here’s the difference. As a physical therapist, I have the expertise to thoroughly evaluate your injury, determining the specific tissues involved and the factors that might be contributing to the problem. I can teach you strategies for self management, prescribe the best exercises to alleviate symptoms and support healing, utilize hands-on techniques like joint mobilization or massage, and support the healing tissue with taping or bracing as needed. Only physical therapists are trained and licensed to provide all of these services.
Personally, I’ve had seven and a half years of training to become a Certified Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist. I completed one year of fellowship training in joint mechanics and mobilization. I’ve completed 25 years of continuing education training in a variety of areas like orthotic prescription, dance medicine, pain management, sports injury management. Most recently, Currently, I’m learning how to use meditation for pain relief, and how to assist patients with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
An example:
Here’s a story I’ve seen time and again. A client has back pain and gets a massage. Of course it feels great, but after a few days, the pain returns. He continues with the massage for a few weeks, getting short term relief, but then decides to seek chiropractic care to speed things along. His initial chiropractic plan requires visits three times weekly and weans down over several weeks. His pain is better but he’s still having trouble going a whole day without symptoms.
Next, off to the PCP, who is concerned that his symptoms have been going on for more than six weeks and orders x-rays, which suggest disk pathology. The PCP recommends the patient either try physical therapy or see an orthopedic specialist. He chooses the orthopedic because now he’s concerned about his disk and wants to know what’s happening. The orthopedic confirms it’s a disk problem and suggests an MRI.
Now one of two things happens. The first is that he gets the MRI, but his insurance requires a bout of physical therapy before he can have any further medical interventions. The second is that his insurance requires physical therapy before the MRI is approved. Now eight to ten weeks have passed since the onset of his symptoms.
Now with me in my PT office, I ask what triggers his symptoms and he answers, “sitting at work for several hours and driving”. We discuss his chair ergonomics. We make significant adjustments to his sitting posture and sitting schedule. We go out to his car and adjust his seat to unload his disk while he’s driving. Problem solved. Once his back is feeling better, he meets his goal of tolerating more activity and exercise, and we spend time teaching him what to do next time his back flares up so it will recover more quickly.
By getting to the root cause of the problem, which for this client was sitting, instead of tending to the symptoms and the diagnosis, recovery begins in a much more concise time frame.
Getting started with physical therapy
I hope I’ve answered your question of “how long does physical therapy take?” and you are ready to get started.
It’s important to remember that physical therapy does require some time and effort. But the physical therapist you choose and your investment in the process, can make a big difference in speeding your recovery.
Ready to start? Call me today at 802-489-7842 for an immediate appointment.