How Often Should I Do Physical Therapy?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Most practitioners recommend

three visits per week initially

for a patient to receive optimal benefits immediate post-diagnosis. After your initial evaluation, your physical therapist will advise you as to the optimal frequency of visits.

Should you do physical therapy exercises everyday?

For the treatment to be effective, we highly recommend performing these exercises around

3 to 5 times a week for 2 to 3 weeks

. In order to stick to this plan, we’d like to lay out the below advice: Block off 30 minutes in your calendar on days you’d like to perform these exercises.

Can you do too much physical therapy?

In this case, more isn’t better. When you’re under the care of an actual physical therapist, s/he will assign you homework with a specific number of sets and repetitions of an exercise. Without proper guidance, you can easily overdo, fatigue, and overwork muscles, tendons, and tissue that needs to recover.

How many sessions of physical therapy do you need?

Most patients will then see their physical therapist for several visits. Just how many visits depends on the individual’s needs and progress, and the numbers can vary. “

Six to 12 visits is enough

to cover most diagnoses,” Wilmarth says, “but even one to two can get people going in the right way.”

How long should you do physical therapy for?

In general, you should attend physical therapy until you reach your PT goals or until your therapist—and you—decide that your condition is severe enough that your goals need to be re-evaluated. Typically, it takes

about 6 to 8 weeks

for soft tissue to heal, so your course of PT may last about that long.

Is doing physical therapy worth it?

When it comes to just seeing a physical therapist on the regular to check in, it’s definitely not going to hurt, but

it also might not be worth your money

. It’s a pretty personal decision, though—if it seems beneficial to you and your health and fitness goals, then it probably is worth it.

How do you know physical therapy is working?

Your therapist

may physically examine your body, detecting tightness, and the range of your pain-free motion

. These assessments will become the starting point and the foundation of a treatment plan to help you move and feel better.

Why do I feel worse after physical therapy?

If you are sore after physical therapy, that is a sign that

your muscles and body are being stressed

but in a good way. It’s similar to how strength training works. A muscle must be loaded to become stronger; there must be some kind of resistance otherwise the muscle fibers will never have the chance to grow.

What is the success rate of physical therapy?

Results: Page 2 2 At 7 weeks, the success rates were 68.3% for manual therapy,

50.8% for physical therapy

, and 35.9% for continued [physician] care. Statistically significant differences in pain intensity with manual therapy compared with continued care or physical therapy ranged from 0.9 to 1.5 on a scale of 0 to 10.

How many days a week is physical therapy?

For a patient to achieve optimum benefits soon after diagnosis, most clinicians initially prescribe

three visits per week

. Your physical therapist will advise you as to the appropriate number of visits after your initial assessment.

How long does it take for physical therapy to start working?

A good physical therapist will track progress and check whether you are making gains in range of motion, function, and strength. Generally, soft tissues will take

between six and eight weeks

to heal, meaning that a typical physiotherapy program will last about that long.

What happens if you don’t do physical therapy?


Decreased blood flow to the area can negatively affect healing

at the surgical site. Muscles can weaken and atrophy if they go too long without use. Not learning or relearning proper movement can put stress on the knees.

Can physical therapy do more harm than good?

But some techniques aren’t backed by sound science and

can even do more harm than good

. And some physical therapists perform proven remedies improperly or spend too much time on things that you can do without their guidance.

Is physical therapy stressful?

Although physical therapists (PT)

work in the notoriously stressful medical field

, they enjoy some unique advantages over ER nurses and doctors. First of all, PTs have flexible hours and generally aren’t expected to work nights. … As a result, physical therapists rarely suffer from dry spells.

How do you know if your physical therapy is good?

  • Clear Fitness Goals. Your physical therapist must be committed to making the most of your time during therapy sessions. …
  • Good Bedside Manner. …
  • Ability to Use Different Treatment Techniques. …
  • Injury Expertise. …
  • Motivation.

Can you go to physical therapy without an injury?


No, you don’t have to be injured to see a physical therapist

(PT). While many people end up in physical therapy because they are hurt and experiencing chronic or acute pain, PTs deal with more than rehabilitating injuries.

James Park
Author
James Park
Dr. James Park is a medical doctor and health expert with a focus on disease prevention and wellness. He has written several publications on nutrition and fitness, and has been featured in various health magazines. Dr. Park's evidence-based approach to health will help you make informed decisions about your well-being.