What is Exercise Rehabilitation?
Exercise rehabilitation is the process of regaining full function after an injury. It focuses on restoring strength, flexibility, endurance, and power through targeted exercises and drills. Often overlooked, rehabilitation is just as critical as the initial treatment for an injury.
The goal of rehabilitation is to return to pre-injury levels of physical fitness across all areas. A comprehensive rehabilitation and strengthening program is essential not only for full recovery but also to prevent future injuries.
Whether the injury is sports-related, from an accident, or due to repetitive stress, the principles of rehabilitation remain similar. It’s important to recognize that each person is unique and will respond to exercises and treatment plans at different rates. A well-rounded rehabilitation program should focus on rebuilding muscle strength, endurance, and power, while also improving flexibility, balance, proprioception, and functional movement.
Three Stages of Rehabilitation at Our Office
RELIEF
The goal of this stage is to support the body’s healing process by reducing inflammation, improving mobility, and increasing flexibility. It’s important to take the time needed for proper recovery—rushing through this stage can lead to inadequate healing and increased risk of re-injury.
CORRECTIVE/STRENGTHENING
At this stage, we focus on correcting muscle and joint imbalances that often contribute to injuries or occur when the body heals incorrectly after a previous injury. We work to break old habits and build new ones, incorporating strengthening, endurance, power, and balance exercises.
MAINTENANCE