Life after physical therapy is about much more than finishing your treatment sessions. It’s about maintaining your progress, preventing setbacks, and taking ownership of your long-term health. As a first year PT back in 2003, I remember when we had a patient’s final day of physical therapy. We would make a big deal about it and tell everyone on staff that today is this patient’s graduation day. I had colleagues that would give their patients a certificate recognizing their final day of PT. Some would take pictures of their patients along with their respective PT to commemorate this momentous day. Our final words of encouragement were something along the lines of “You did great. Congratulations. You graduated!”
Back then, I was a young PT with no experience, armed only with fresh-out-of-school didactic information. As time went on and I gained more wisdom and experience, I started to realize that the momentous final day of PT was not the end, but rather, was just the beginning. This was the day we passed the torch of accountability on to our patient. Up until that point, we were with them every step of the way, cheering on the successes and helping them through the setback. The accountability was largely on us, the clinician. Now, it would be on them. If we prepared them well enough with education and a solid home exercises program, following evidence-based recommendations from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), then they would be in good shape, and for the most part, know exactly what to do if there is a flare-up, or even better, what to do to prevent a flare-up.
Taking Ownership of Your Long-Term Health
Now, as a seasoned PT, my job, from the initial evaluation to the last day of PT, is to be their physical therapist, their clinician, their teacher, their sensei if you will, and to give them every tool they need to succeed. My goal as we progress throughout the duration of their PT sessions, is to educate the patient on taking ownership of their own low back, or neck, or shoulder, or whatever else we may be addressing. I want them to understand that when they have a flare-up, while I understand the initial emotional response, what needs to follow is the understanding as to why it happened. The human body is a system and systems can be understood.
We are with our bodies for life. It is on us to provide our bodies what they need. Sometimes we know exactly what we have to do. Other times, we go to a specialist who evaluates and assesses us to advise us on the best course of action. Either way, once we have the knowledge and tools, the ownership is on us to implement them.
In our practice, we’ve seen this play out in different ways. Some patients graduate and take everything they’ve learned and run with it, literally, in some cases. Others choose to keep us in their corner a little longer, not because they can’t manage on their own, but because they’re setting a new goal and want a partner for the next chapter: training for a marathon, preparing for a physically demanding trip, or simply staying ahead of the next flare-up before it starts. The ownership is still theirs. Our role just shifts from directing the recovery to supporting the goal. They’re driving. We’re along for the ride if they want us there.
Graduation day was never meant to be the end of the story. It’s the moment the story becomes yours to write. The goal is to take what you’ve built and keep building. Stay active. Listen to your body. The real measure of successful therapy isn’t just walking out the door pain free, it’s what you do with everything you learned once no one’s watching anymore.
If you’re ready to take ownership of your health, get started with personalized one-on-one physical therapy.
Eric Ullman, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist
Owner of ReThrive Wellness, PLLC
ericullman@rethrivewellness.com
www.rethrivewellness.com