How many times will I need to come in before I feel better?
“Feeling better” is very specific to your diagnosis and your goals. For example, the plan for the same knee ligament injury will be very different between a runner training for a marathon or a weekend athlete. But “feeling better” is not the end goal, living better is.
At the initial assessment, your physiotherapist will better assess your condition and discuss your goals. Based on that, you will be provided with a written or emailed plan of care, outlining how many sessions over how many weeks.
We like to break the plan of care into three phases: FEEL BETTER, MOVE BETTER and LIVE BETTER
The Feel Better phase usually takes 1-4 weeks. This is when symptoms start to resolve, pain is no longer limiting, and you start to regain movement for day to day tasks. Appointments during this phase are more frequent: at a minimum once a week. In acute, high pain or post-operative scenarios, the first two weeks may require two sessions a week.
The Move Better phase goes from weeks 4-8. This is when we introduce higher loads and repetitive tasks to ensure that symptoms stay away. This is also when we can monitor your progress as you return to higher impact activities such as sports and working out. Appointments during this phase are more spaced out: minimum once every two weeks or once a week, if progressing quickly. It is encouraged to keep contact and provide updates with your provider between appointments.
The Live Better phase goes from weeks 8 to 12…..to month 12! This is when we start to build a functional and holistic exercise program into your lifestyle, typically revolving around strength/resistance training. You typically check in once a month or every six weeks as an accountability measure. This is also a great opportunity to catch up, provide updates and progress!