Home exercises and recovery

Recovering from an injury can feel challenging, but incorporating home exercises into your rehabilitation routine can significantly enhance your recovery process. They play a key role in a holistic Physiotherapy Treatment Plan. At Restorativ Physiotherapy, as a part of your treatment, patients receive a customised online home exercise program with videos and the option to record their progress.

1. Enhanced healing and reduced recovery time

Home exercises play a crucial role in accelerating the healing process. A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research found that home-based exercise interventions significantly reduced pain and improved physical function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. The study reported a 32% reduction in pain and a 25% improvement in physical function (1).

2. Improved strength and flexibility

Regular home exercises help you to maintain and improve muscle strength and flexibility, which are essential for a full recovery. Research published in JAMA demonstrated that a home-based exercise program significantly improved functional recovery following rehabilitation after hip fracture. Patients who participated in home exercises showed notable improvements in strength and mobility (2).

3. Increased compliance

Home exercises empower you to take an active role in your recovery, leading to higher compliance rates which ultimately aids your recovery. A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that patients who were given structured home exercise programs had a compliance rate of 80%, compared to 50% for those who only received in-clinic therapy (3).

4. Cost-effective rehabilitation

Incorporating home exercises doesn't cost you anything and can help save money in the long run by reducing the number of in-clinic visits. Research indicates that patients who follow home exercise programs can reduce their rehabilitation costs by up to 40% (1).

5. Convenience and accessibility

Home exercises offer the convenience of performing rehabilitation activities at any time, without the need for scheduling appointments. This flexibility ensures that you can integrate exercises into your daily routines, leading to more consistent practice and better outcomes. Our home exercise programs all have videos of the exercises to help ensure you are doing them correctly.

6. Monitoring progress and adjustments

Regularly performing home exercises enables you and your physiotherapist to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments to your treatment plan. Keeping track of improvements in strength, flexibility, and pain levels can provide valuable feedback to ensure the plan is meeting your needs.

7. Mental and emotional benefits

All exercise has positive mental and emotional effects. Staying active and seeing progress can boost morale and reduce some of the stress associated with your recovery from injury. Our patients often report feeling more in control and optimistic about their recovery journey when they are actively following their home exercise program.

(1.). Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research volume 18, Article number: 503 (2023) Effectiveness of home-based exercise interventions on pain, physical function and quality of life in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2: JAMA Effect of a Home-Based Exercise Program on Functional Recovery Following Rehabilitation After Hip FractureA Randomized Clinical Trial ; Nancy K. Latham, PhD, PT1; Bette Ann Harris, DPT, MS2; Jonathan F. Bean, MD, MPH3,4; et al

3. Front. Rehabil. Sci. , 24 February 2022 Sec. Rehabilitation for Musculoskeletal Conditions, Volume 3 - 2022