One of the hardest aspects of a rehabilitation program is adhering to it consistently throughout the duration of the program. Often most rehabilitation programs are designed to increase strength which means it will take a minimum of 6 weeks to see a noticeable change and often much longer to get significant changes. Thus, adhering to a strength program week after week is often hard to do. So how can we increase adherence?
Strength testing is a tool physiotherapists often use and there are several reasons how it can positively impact adherence to a rehabilitation program. Firstly, it is a great way to record an accurate measure of baseline strength to then be able to track any changes of time. It can be nice to have a repeatable test to see how far you have come.
Secondly, it can also help provide accountability of the therapist and the client. If there doesn’t seem to be any changes in strength over time the tests provide a point of reflection for the therapist to adjust the program. It also allows the client to reflect on how well they have adhered to the program to date.
Finally, strength testing can also be conducted to compare the strength of the client to that of their peers. It may provide motivation to improve your strength relative to your peers and it also may identify areas of the body that need strengthening.
Come visit us at Brickworks Marketplace or Salisbury and we can take some measures to help keep you motivated and work towards your goals!