Going back to pre-injury status can sometimes be a frustrating stage for anyone. After PT treatments, individuals should make sure to comply with a home exercise program to ensure recovery. Physical therapy accessories at home can help with the recovery with proper instruction.
After a surgical operation, accidents or injury, your primary care physician or orthopedic doctor will send you to see the physical therapist. You will receive treatments consisting of active and passive modalities, as well as other instructions.
When your physical therapist, as well as your physician, deemed you ready to be discharged, it is of paramount importance that you continue the exercises at home. Your physical therapy will instruct you or enroll you in a home exercise program.
As such, it would be good if you have the following physical therapy exercise accessories at home at your disposal:
Exercise Balls
The exercise ball comes in different colors and sizes. It is a good tool for a home exercise program that promotes balance and coordination. Exercising with the ball can also help you to improve posture and increase the mobility of your lower back, thereby decreasing lower back pain.
The exercise ball also helps to strengthen your muscle by improving flexibility and stability.
Rumble or Foam Roller
The rumble or foam roller is one of the physical therapy exercises and accessories that you can bring along, like a yoga mat. It can help to relieve muscle tightness and spasms. The bumps help to stimulate circulation in the areas of pain and help improve your range of motion.
It can also help to reduce soreness by increasing circulation to the area of pain.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are similar to a big rubber band. It is one of the dynamic physical therapy exercise accessories as it can target both the upper and lower extremities. It is commonly used for strengthening the shoulders, the upper arms, the thighs and lower legs.
Depending on the form of exercise you do, it can also help to strengthen the body trunk.
Mini Dumbbells
After an accident or surgical treatment of the upper extremity, especially that of the shoulder, the dumbbell can help to build strength in the muscle. It is expected that after surgical treatments of the upper extremity, it is expected that the patient will protect the affected extremity from pain.
The extremity affected will be prevented from moving. This can shrink the muscles. To bring back the muscle to its pre-injury function, exercises using mini dumbbells can help. Lifting it 10 times per arm every day will eventually help to improve muscle strength, range of motion and decrease pain and stiffness.
Hand Exerciser
The hands are the most used body part of the human body. As such, injury of the hands can make a person stressed and frustrated, not only because of the pain but because of the inability to go back to work without restrictions.
When a person who recently underwent surgical treatment of the hands and fingers and gets discharged from the PT treatments, it is important that exercises of the hand continue at home. The hand exerciser is a useful tool to keep the hands and fingers maintain its grip.
You can also bring it along and do hand exercises during breaks and on the way to work.
These PT exercise accessories can be purchased anytime. However, it is important that you finish your PT treatment prescription and not just do the exercises at home. This way, further injury is prevented as the physical therapist can instruct you on how to properly use these accessories.