Physical Therapy helps you regain muscle control and mobility. Your doctor might recommend physical therapy after an injury or stroke to help you recover.
Physical therapy looks a bit different depending on your needs and mobility level, so you should follow the direction of your care team when it comes to exercises. They will probably recommend obtaining physical therapy supplies to use at home.
What Do I Need for Physical Therapy?
The specific tools for physical therapy depend on the area that needs attention. Speaking to your doctor or physical therapist is the best way to learn precisely what you’ll need.
Tools That Help With Your Recovery
People tend to use a couple of standard tools for home recovery exercises, such as rehab putty.
What is Rehab Putty?
Rehab putty is perfect for hand strengthening and hand and finger exercising. The putty provides resistance, and as you squeeze, pinch, and twist the putty, you strengthen your hand and finger muscles. Your physical therapist might recommend rehab putty if you are recovering from a hand or finger injury.
Rehab putty is also great stress relief. Resistance bands are also common exercise tools used during physical rehab.
What are Resistance Bands?
Resistance bands are great tools for training various muscles throughout your body without causing too much strain. You can find many different kinds of resistance bands. The ones that physical therapists use are called therapy bands.
The goal of the therapy band is gentle strengthening while you heal. They are flat bands that are typically four feet long. The flat surface and the length of the therapy band allow physical therapists to adapt them to many exercises. While many rehabilitation bands contain latex, you can also find non-latex options.
In some cases, your physical therapist might recommend that you use resistance tubing, which, unlike the therapy brand, has a tube shape and can offer a greater variety of resistance. Some tube-shaped resistance bands have handles to make the grip easier, while others do not.
Other Physical Therapy Accessories
While therapy putty and therapy resistance bands are popular, there are also a few other tools to consider.
- Yoga Mat: If you are working on the floor during physical therapy, ask your therapist about getting a yoga mat. A yoga mat provides a clean, soft place to sit at home while doing your physical therapy homework.
- Grip Strengthening Balls: These are an alternative to therapy putty and help you work on grip strength. Simply hold the ball and squeeze for a few seconds at a time.
- Stationary Peddlers: These are just the peddles without the bike and can help you work on your strength and balance.
- Free Weights: Your physical therapist may recommend that you use light free weights in addition to resistance band training.
- Ankle Weights: Ankle weights can help you strengthen your leg muscles. These are typically three to five pounds, and you would strap them around your ankle.
Beyond the tools, an open mind and a positive attitude are also critical. Physical therapy can be a long process, and it always helps to stay optimistic. For great physical therapy accessories, shop at Simply Medical today.