Answer: It really depends on a few factors whether or not you have to do your physical therapy exercises for the long term. Let’s go through some examples.
If you came in for something “acute” (short-lived), for example, an ankle sprain, sometimes these things resolve somewhat quickly. You might leave physical therapy with lingering tightness in your calf that you should work on for some time, but physical therapy for the ankle sprain might not need to be “forever.” One thing to consider, though, is that if you continue with strengthening and balance exercises, you might prevent this from happening again! During rehabilitation, your physical therapist might also say things like “your hips are weak.” You want to hold onto that information and keep that in mind when you continue to strengthen your body.
Let’s talk about chronic pain and continuing physical therapy after discharge (when PT ends). Chronic pain is long-term pain (i.e. pain that has persisted for more than 6 weeks). If you live with this type of pain, then I would say that at least part, if not all of your physical therapy should be long-term. For example, if you are coming in for back pain and your therapist tells you that you have a weak core, continuously working on your core might be a good idea. If your PT says things like “your nervous system is tight”, you might want to keep that in mind and continuously work on moving your nervous system.
Let’s talk through another example. You come in for neck pain that is causing a “pinched nerve.” This results in pain and tingling down your arm. After 1-2 months of physical therapy, you have no symptoms and you are feeling like your function is back to 100%. Do you have to continue with physical therapy? In scenarios like this, yes! Kind of! If you know you have a history of neck pain and had this happen, you may want to continue working on your posture, stretching your upper back, and other things you and your PT went over. It may not be at the same frequency as you did when you were initially having a problem, but it’s good to keep your exercises as part of a weekly plan to keep your body tuned up.
I always tell my clients that no one is perfect with physical therapy at home, especially after a long period of time when physical therapy ends; however, if you can remember major concepts you learned in PT and continue to work on them, this can significantly help your body for the rest of your life.