¨Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.¨ – Robert H. Schuller
Can’t seem to motivate yourself to keep up with home exercises from your physical therapist? As clinicians (and often as patients ourselves) we constantly hear (or share our own) excuses reasons for lack of follow through on prescribed exercise programs. People are busy and distracted, hurting and tired. Even the most disciplined have seasons where they can’t quite get motivated.
Fortunately, as therapists, we also get to see the flip-side of the coin!
We get to watch as motivated patients stick with their home program and make time each day for 5-10 minutes of exercises designed to decrease their pain and improve their quality of life. One of the things that gives me the most satisfaction as a therapist is the day that a patient walks in and says with surprise that they are no longer experiencing pain.
The Need for Home Exercises
It is hard to overstate the importance of strengthening in regards to decreasing pain and improving mobility. And while 2 days a week of attending physical therapy goes a long way toward this goal, it cannot replace the importance of a patient working daily (or close to it) at home on the exercises designed to address their specific areas of weakness and dysfunction that contribute to pain, tightness and movement problems.
What does the research say about home exercises and strength?
Check out the results of some research studies that give us great insight into the importance of strengthening and follow through with at home exercises:
- A study done on chronic hip pain noted a clear relationship between increased hip pain and hip weakness (So, more weakness = more hip pain) [1]
- For patients with knee arthritis, the more painful knee was associated with weaker quadriceps and poor balance ability. (weak thighs = more knee pain)
- In a study on back pain, the average strength of hip abductors and hip extensors was significantly lower in patients with low back pain compared to that of healthy controls. (weak hip and butt = more low back pain)
Some studies even show that weakness is linked to higher rates of mortality as we age! In fact, there’s a simple sit to stand test you can do at home to determine how weak/strong you are. Here’s a link to where Rafi explains it.
What does all of this mean?
These studies paint an encouraging picture for those in pain! You have some control over the way your body feels, and one of the best things you can do to improve pain, mobility, balance, and function is to get strong in the areas where you are weak. This can mean that participating in just 5-10 minutes of daily exercises can be the difference between chronic pain, and feeling great!
Summary
If you experience pain or are concerned about how weakness may affect your function, mobility, and pain, go see a physical or occupational therapist! (Book an appointment with us here!) Not sure where to begin? Check out this resource from Rafi on how to incorporate daily exercises into your life . This brief course provides some basic information about exercise and how to develop your own home exercise routine.
And when in doubt, schedule an appointment with a physical therapist today!
References
[]1] Leporace, Gustavo et al. Correlation between muscle strength and the degrees of functionality and kinesiophobia reported by patients with chronic hip pain. BrJP [online]. 2021, v. 4, n. 1 [Accessed 27 December 2022], pp. 51-57. Available from: <https://doi.org/10.5935/2595-0118.20210015>. Epub 10 Mar 2021. ISSN 2595-3192. https://doi.org/10.5935/2595-0118.20210015.
[2] Kim D, Park G, Kuo LT, Park W. The effects of pain on quadriceps strength, joint proprioception and dynamic balance among women aged 65 to 75 years with knee osteoarthritis. BMC Geriatr. 2018 Oct 17;18(1):245. doi: 10.1186/s12877-018-0932-y. PMID: 30332992; PMCID: PMC6192068.
[3] de Sousa CS, de Jesus FLA, Machado MB, Ferreira G, Ayres IGT, de Aquino LM, Fukuda TY, Gomes-Neto M. Lower limb muscle strength in patients with low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2019 Mar 1;19(1):69-78. PMID: 30839305; PMCID: PMC6454257. Available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6454257/
