Staying on track with your rehabilitation
by Margie Olds
Staying On Track
The process of recovery from a shoulder dislocation and/or shoulder surgery is more like a marathon than a sprint. It takes a concerted effort for a number of months. To help you stay on track and motivated for the duration of your rehabilitation program, you might find the following strategies useful:
- Make sure you know exactly what you are supposed to do at each stage of your rehabilitation program and how you are supposed to do it. Ask your rehabilitation professional to clarify any aspects of the program that you don’t fully understand.
- Set aside time in your daily schedule to complete the home portion of your rehabilitation program. Plan ahead for days when you will be traveling or when your schedule is out of the ordinary.
- Make your home rehabilitation program as pleasurable as possible. Watching television or listening to music while you do your home rehabilitation activities can increase your enjoyment of and participation in the home rehabilitation program.
- Schedule your clinic appointments at a convenient location and during time blocks you are likely to be available on a consistent basis.
- Use guided imagery to make the recovery period more comfortable. Research has demonstrated that regular use of the guided imagery sessions on the accompanying audio CDs can not only reduce pain and anxiety, but also accelerate your recovery.
- Keep a daily record of your rehabilitation activities. Use the ACL Rehabilitation Journal on this CD-ROM to document what you do in rehabilitation, indicate how you feel, set rehabilitation goals, and chart your progress.
- Treat rehabilitation as a form of physical training. Work toward your rehabilitation goals as you would any other important sport or exercise goal.
- Reward yourself for the effort you devote to rehabilitation. Giving yourself rewards or special privileges as you achieve your rehabilitation goals will provide extra incentive for you to stay on task in your rehabilitation.
- Use positive self-talk to maintain a positive attitude throughout rehabilitation. Follow the self-talk instructions in the ACL Rehabilitation Journal section of this CD-ROM to deal productively with any obstacles or frustrations you encounter and help you stick with your rehabilitation program.
- Enlist the support of a rehabilitation buddy. Find a friend or family member who will provide you with encouragement to stick with your rehabilitation program on a consistent basis. You and a fellow patient undergoing rehabilitation at the same time might agree to be each other’s rehabilitation buddy.
- Schedule your clinic appointments at a convenient location and during time blocks you are likely to be available on a consistent basis.
- Use guided imagery to make the recovery period more comfortable. Research has demonstrated that regular use of the guided imagery sessions on the accompanying audio CDs can not only reduce pain and anxiety, but also accelerate your recovery.
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