It's the Most Wonderful and Busiest Time of the Year! Keep up with your Physical Therapy too!

There are so many things to do this time of year like cooking, parties, shopping, and travel. Physical therapy often gets put at the bottom of the list. But if you're in physical therapy over the holidays, there's a reason. It might be pain, a recent surgery, or just not moving the way you'd like. Any of these things will put a damper on your holiday season, so keeping up with your PT is important. Here are some tips to make it easier.

Schedule Your Appointments Soon

The crazy schedule is part of what makes the holidays challenging. That's why planning is extra important right now. Your schedule isn't the only one that's full this time of year - so is your PT's. Plan and schedule your appointments well in advance. You'll get the times and days that work best for you, and you'll already have your PT appointments in your calendar to plan around. This time of year, schedules at your physical therapists office is probably starting to fill up with people trying to use the rest of their insurance benefits before their plans reset. If you know you need to get in, call as soon as you can and schedule those appointments!

Make time for your exercises

Hopefully you have a regular time to exercise. With the holiday mania about to shake up your routine, that time may no longer work. Think about when you're going to exercise ahead of time, and you'll stay consistent.

Add it to the family calender or try and do it earlier or later in the day. You can even ask your physical therapist if they have any suggestions on how to modify your exercises so that they are easier to perform throughout the day. 

Be Okay with Being Flexible

Planning won't solve all of the holiday challenges though. Be ready to work with your PT and make modifications to your treatment.

You might have to modify your plan of care and attend fewer sessions for a week or two. If your PT knows this, they can give you a few extra things to work on at home so you don't fall behind. If you find that getting in all of your home exercises is tough, your PT might be able to temporarily reduce the number of exercises you're doing with a focus on maintaining your progress through the busy season.

End the Year Strong!

The holidays are a special time of year. Keeping up with your health and your physical therapy can be challenging during this time. But you don't have to fall behind. With some planning and flexibility, you can stay healthy, survive the holidays and head into next year with good momentum!

Give your local physical therapist a call and schedule those appointments before they fill up! If you are local to the Falls Church, Arlington, or Annandale region of Virginia, give us a call to schedule your appointment today!

About APTA Private Practice, A Section of the American Physical Therapy Association

Founded in 1956, APTA Private Practice, A Section of the American Physical Therapy Association champions the success of physical therapist-owned businesses. Our members are leaders and innovators in the healthcare system. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) represents more than 85,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and students of physical therapy nationwide. For more information, please visit www.ppsapta.org.

Author

Alana Hamilton Alana Hamilton is a physical therapist at Advantage Physical Therapy in Falls Church, Virginia. She is a proud Hokie from Virginia Tech with a major in Biology and a minor in psychology and sociology. Following graduation, she immediately got her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Radford University. She is an avid fan of Pilates, running, and hiking. On the weekends, she can be found hanging out with her family and baby as well as doing Spartan races with her old physical therapy classmates and friends. She is a big believer that during rehabilitation, "Motion is the Lotion" and that staying active is key to remaining healthy.