Aches and pains can be a real bother, especially when we neglect them and they turn into a chronic issue. It's a lot more convenient to simply ignore these issues until they become more significant, but actually dealing with the problem at an early stage will help you recover faster, and stay pain-free for longer.

 

Take the time to address the musculoskeletal aches and pain you have, and your body will thank you.

​

Take some time to look through the articles we've put up here, and see what you can learn about the aches and pains you may have in different joints.

​

We've included some simple stretches and gentle strengthening exercises in this 'Home Therapy' page, which you can try at home. Just make sure you perform them properly. if you are unsure of how to do these exercises, take the time to look up the proper form online, and learn how to do them properly. This is important because if you do not perform exercises correctly, they may be less useful, and you may also injure yourself.

​

As the title of this article suggests, the key to physiotherapy helping you is  CONSISTENCY. Once you learn how to do some physiotherapy exercises, you need to do them consistently on your own, or you'll never see any progress with your condition. 

​

You can perform stretches on a near daily basis without straining yourself, and you can perform strengthening exercises every two to three days without over-straining your muscle.

​

Improvement in your condition will also take time. Doing the therapy exercises for a few weeks will definitely help you to feel better, but being able to perform them regularly for months on end will help you to manage your condition much better, and you'll be able to stay pain-free for a longer period between flares of your condition.

​

A lot of people find it difficult to set aside so much time on a regular basis for a prolonged period, but if you can be self-disciplined and do them regularly, you should see a definite improvement.

 

Rome wasn't built in a day - work at your stretches and strengthening exercises for weeks and months, and you'll be in a better place than when you first began. Physiotherapy is an effective way to manage many musculoskeletal problems, but it isn't a quick-fix solution. It can be daunting to imagine doing something boring for an extended period, and taking regular time for therapy for an extended period can seem like an unattractive prospect, but it'll be good for you, and you'll see the maximum benefit that physiotherapy has to offer in the long-run.

​

If you have difficulty squeezing a short stretching and exercise routine into your daily life, try setting aside a dedicated portion of time to do your therapy exercises, at the same time, every other day. Perhaps you can do it in the evenings after work before you shower and start winding down for the day, or you may want to try doing them in the morning before you start your day. It doesn't need to be a very long period - fifteen to twenty minutes is sufficient time for most people. 

​

It is also tempting to stop your stretches and strengthening exercises once you feel better and your aches and pains have settled down. If your condition has settled down and the inflammation in your joints, tendons and ligaments have resolved, it should technically be alright to take a break from your therapy exercises, but I've also found that people who suffer from chronic mechanical issues do tend to get them again, because they sometimes have difficulty changing their lifestyles or work.

 

If you are someone who finds your condition (like back, elbow, knee or shoulder pain) flaring up several times in a year, you would actually benefit from doing your physiotherapy exercises regularly, without stopping once your pain has settled down.

​

WRAP IT UP!

​

The key to success with mechanical conditions is to be consistent and disciplined with your physiotherapy exercises. If your pain bothers you even after rest and some home therapy, you should see a doctor to see if you need to get an x-ray or MRI scan of the affected area to check it further.

​