5 Reasons Why Your Previous Physical Therapy Did Not Work

Do you feel like your pain will never go away?  Have you suffered so long that your pain has become a burden you will just have to carry?  Many people feel just like you, and these feelings are amplified from having tried so many things that failed.  Painkillers just cover up the pain, hot packs give you a few minutes of relief, massages are not working, and that brace – well you are tired of wearing it.  But worst of all is that you have tried physical therapy and it did not work – it left you feeling even more desperate for a solution.
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That’s a tough situation. Honestly, it may seem like you will have to live with the pain forever and maybe it’s time to give up and just live with it.  But what if there is something you can do for it?  What is it, you ask?  Well, it’s physical therapy! Now, I know what you are thinking.  You just said it didn’t work.  But, wait one second, what if your first taste of pizza was from a slice you made from the frozen section of your local grocery store?  Would you vow to never eat pizza again even when you were in New York City? 
We’re not asking you to believe us right away, though we have proof!  Take a look below at ,,,, reasons why your previous physical therapy/sessions didn’t work.

1. Finding the Root Cause

You may have heard your therapist talk about finding the root cause of your pain.  What if that therapist did not find the root cause or worse did not even look?  Physical therapy is an effective way to get rid of your pain, but it is important that the root cause is found.  When the root cause is understood then treatment can be designed specifically for your problem.  Finding the root cause is the way to get you out of your pain and makes physical therapy very effective.

    2.  Exercise Just To Exercise
​You were likely told at your previous therapy sessions you need to do more exercises, right?  Were you told what exercises to do and how to do them?  And if you were, did they make sure you were comfortable with them and doing them correctly?  Were the exercises ‘generic’ or did they make sure to give you exercises specifically for your problem?  If they didn’t you may have been doing the exercises in vain…exercising just to exercise without the exercises addressing your body’s needs.  Make sure you know what to do, how to do it, and when to stop – this is critical for successful physical therapy treatment.

    3.  There Was No Clear Plan For Recovery
Physical therapy is like a sports team.  You can think of the therapist as the coach.  A therapist must create a plan for recovery much like a coach creates a game plan for a successful win.  A patient/player has a goal and needs to know how to get there.  Every patient wants to get rid of their pain, but without a clear plan on how to do that success becomes slim.  At your previous clinic you may never had been given a plan.  Our clinic’s success is because we make a plan, stick to it, and follow up with our patients on a regular basis to make sure things are going according to plan.
   
     4.  Physical Therapy Is About You!
Let’s face it…physical therapy is about YOU, not the therapist.  Physical therapists should not push their own agenda on your injury…it’s your body.  The injury cannot be treated properly and even can be made worse if the therapist is poking, prodding, and pushing around the injury.  Clinics often use ‘cookie-cutter’ programs without taking the time to figure out what you need.  Forget the agendas and generic programs – you need physical therapy for YOU!

    5.  You Didn’t Choose The Right Physical Therapist
We have all done it before.  You chose the mechanic close to home because they were close by and better yet inexpensive.  You chose your doctor because they were in-network, though you had been referred to another physician from several of your friends and family who happened to be out-of-network.  You may have chosen physical therapist ‘A’ because he is ‘quick and efficient’ or therapist ‘B’ because she was ‘nice and you finished your sessions early.’ These are not the best decisions when it comes to your car and more so when it comes to your health.  It is easy for therapists ‘A’ and ‘B’ to make mistakes.  Remember, effective treatment has to do with finding the root cause of you pain, not just reducing your pain for the 15 minutes during a session.  It is imperative to find a therapist who takes the time to find the cause of your pain, create a treatment plan, and help guide you to long lasting relief.
 
There you have 5 reasons why your physical therapy may have failed.  It is not always easy to know how to choose a qualified, professional, hands-on physical therapist – we understand that.  But at the end of the day, you need to feel comfortable, get a tailored plan, and know that the therapist does not have an agenda and is only doing what is best for you.  You need to be given the attention – to get to the root cause of your pain.  If you are still unsure why physical therapy did not work for you previously – we ask for you to give us a call or come to the office to discuss why the therapy failed and how we can help make it work.

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