Physical Therapy – What to do to Get the Most from Your PT Session
We go to physical therapy because we want to get to the other side – of whatever the situation is.
Maybe you’ve been in an accident.
Maybe you just realized that your neck won’t move right.
Maybe you just finally looked in the mirror and your left shoulder and your right shoulder don’t match – at all.
Whatever the reason, physical therapy takes a commitment. It means going to two appointments weekly with homework between the sessions.
Some people go to their physical therapy sessions and do their homework and things seem to just go right.
I’ve gone to physical therapy sessions several different times in my life. Each experience impacted my life differently.
In my 40’s, I went to physical therapy, and followed the series of PT sessions up with a fitness club membership which helped me immensely. The physical therapy sessions followed by the regular fitness sessions changed my life for the better. The impact of these physical therapy sessions lasted the better part of a decade.
A couple of decades later, my physical therapy experience was just as positive but the therapy was completely different. I spent a lot of time on the table receiving heat treatments. My back and shoulders loved this attention and appreciated the healing applications I received twice weekly.
Now, with different needs, my current physical therapy experience is different yet again. My body does not want to move so fast. Healing is not so easy this time. I leave each session feeling fatigue and pain. My body needs to rest and restore. It needs attention beyond what is happening at the physical therapist’s office.
It took two sessions for me to realize what was happening. What did I do? I ran for the Reiki therapy!
I’m sharing this with everyone because I’m seeing other people coming away from the physical therapy session who need restorative healing. Some people get this information quickly. Others need a little nudge.
What I’m finding is that the physical therapy session is not completed without a Reiki session to follow up.
Actually, other modalities work well also. Reflexology certainly offers the deep calming needed to end a session totally.
But, really, it doesn’t matter whether you schedule Reiki or Reflexology or massage or ………… Many modalities available will work.
The important thing to know is that when we get physical therapy, the work takes your body “so far”. To get your money’s worth in healing, schedule the Reiki session on the same day if you possibly can – certainly within 36 hours.
Schedule these bodywork sessions think of them as part of your life. They stimulate your body’s own healing processes.
When you combine Reiki or Reflexology or whatever modality works best for you, you will receive more healing for your health care dollars.
If regular Reiki sessions turn out to be a challenge, take some classes and learn to give sessions. That way you can exchange sessions with others.
Ask a friend to join you in a learning adventure. The two of you can learn together and exchange sessions. This is self-care, an important activity which we all need to include in our daily lives.
Thanks for reading this blog post! New articles have been posted for 10 years. This blog was created to be a conduit for your own healing.
With blogs, books, classes, and sessions, I am not here to change your story. Instead, I am here to be a conduit for your own healing.
Thanks for reading this article. Please share it with friends and relatives. Forward this post to your preferred social media network.
For more info, my books are located on www.thurmangreco.com. They are all available in both ebook and paperbook form. So far, “A Healer’s Handbook” has gone out to readers in over three dozen countries.
You can also discover more information when you explore previous posts on this blog. Posts focusing on reflexology or Reiki therapy are on both the blog and on YOUTUBE.
My Latest Information! – “A Healer’s Tarot Memoir” has just gone to the publisher!
Eight Ways to Fight the Fear
To be honest, things are becoming more and more confusing as the days go along. Every time I greet a friend or neighbor or anyone, for that matter, she talks to me as if we are all lost.
And, maybe we are.
It’s hard-to-impossible to figure out sometimes where this year is headed. Some of my friends and acquaintances are solving their dilemma by simply not reading papers or watching TV.
Others choose their channels with care, blocking out everything that seems to be problematic.
Still others are becoming information junkies, focusing their lives on a particular channel offering information they can understand and accept.
On the home front, our Woodstock community is undergoing gentrification. We’re all facing the fact that we’re living in a place far removed from the community we chose to live in when we moved here.
And, this situation comes on the heels of the stresses of Covid and everything that went with that.
Our home is hardly recognizable.
And, I haven’t even brought other news: economic, climate change, the election, our local schools – and any other thing you can imagine.
Then, there are all the economic and social changes in our country.
Sometimes, I think that each of us is on our own, private, Yellow Brick Road.
And, that leads me to the whole reason for this blog post: Fear
The Fear is palpable.
It has an odor.
I see it on the street in the way people walk and the way they talk and the way they dress.
There are some things we can do as we make our way forward into a future many of us are having trouble even imagining.
ONE. Speak Your Fear. As soon as you begin to share your fear, it begins to lose its power over you.
TWO. When fear covers you with an invisible tent, practice breathing exercises. Include meditation sessions. Find what works for you and practice it regularly. When this breathing exercise becomes a part of your life, you should be able to find calm which will send the panic running.
THREE. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise slows down the fight-or-flight reflex. The options are open here. Do what you enjoy.
FOUR. Seek out friends you can chat with who will have a calming effect on you. This step has been helpful for me. When I’m upset, I call Carey and we chat. Sometimes she calls me. Over the last few months, I’ve gathered a few friends who call me. We’re an informal support group.
angel with flowers
FIVE. Enjoy Reiki, or other bodywork modality, regularly I’m watching healing groups form in the area. People gather regularly to share and exchange their sessions. I cannot tell you how important these groups are. Peace. Calm. Lower Blood Pressure, Sleep………….
SIX. Get the what-ifs out of your life and your mind. These lists of fears can wreak havoc on your day. And, they will not save your situation. They are a waste of time which will get you nowhere. Instead, focus your energy on things you can manage.
SEVEN. Write something. This can be a memoir, a journal, a diary, a letter to the editor, a note to a friend you haven’t seen in awhile – whatever works for you. If you’ve never written anything before, now is a good time to begin. Don’t worry. Everybody has a first sentence or chapter or essay. I had one. I never wrote anything but my name before 2013. And, now I have 2 blogs and several books – one of which has been purchased by people in over three dozen countries!
When you begin to write, don’t be afraid of a blog. My first 2 blogs certainly kickstarted my career. I bought a book by Nina Amir: “How to Blog a Book”. I read this book and followed Nina Amir’s instructions.
EIGHT Stress and what-ifs are good invitations to develop our spiritual and religious lives. This is a good time to meet fear with a renewed trust in your spiritual and religious beliefs.
Sometimes reality can be downright scary. This week, meet the uncertainty and fear in your life with a renewed calm. Work your way down the list and see what item helps you the most.
And, finally, thank you for reading this blog post!
Thurman Greco.
Find out more at www.Thurmangreco.com.
You can also find out more about healing and many other things at this blog. Let’s Live is a program airing weekly in Woodstock, NY for about 20 years. Guests on the show are people who have become a part of Woodstock for a day, a week, a decade, or a lifetime.
I look forward to hearing from you about how you like the show.
Find out more about the books at www.thurmangreco.com
Thank you for forwarding this post to your friends and family and sharing it with your favorite social media network.
.
Good Health is Not That Hard to Achieve. Really.
You and I are constantly bombarded with conflicting information about our health. What’s good. What’s bad. We’re complex beings. Good health involves our bodies physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You may not agree with all the information on these pages. But, for me, these words resonate with the truth.
For me, good health comes down to 7daily habits:
Not Smoking is Essential.
I put this habit first because it has a tendency to make people angry when they hear about not smoking or read about not smoking. So, I’m just getting it out there in front. That way, you can get over your anger reaction when we move on to the other essential habits which are easier to deal with and much more positive.
But, before we move on I do have one suggestion: Reduce your habit to five cigarettes a day. When you get down to five a day, zero is an easy goal.
Have you tried the gum from the pharmacy?
Is there a smokers support group in your area?
Hypnotherapy? Biofeedback?
Whatever?. Do whatever you have to do to give up the smoking.
Maintain a Healthy Weight.
Losing or gaining weight to reach your ideal weight gets harder with every passing year, so the younger you are when you work on your weight, the easier it is. Weight Watchers or Overeaters Anonymous may be a good option for you. Biofeedback can help.
An interested nutritionist can guide you to your goal and include specific foods contributing to your continued good health at the same time. You’ll get twice the bang for your buck with nutritional guidance. For example, if you need to gain or lose weight, and you have heart health issues, a nutritionist can work on the weight situation along with your heart disease. I don’t know about you, but I love I love to accomplish two things at a time.
Eat Many Fruits and Vegetables.
Wellness gurus teach five servings of fruits and vegetables are a minimum number for a well-nourished person to eat daily. This five-serving recommendation is easy for me to share. It can be fun. I like the idea of thinking about which five fruits and vegetables will be on my plate today. Planning for each day’s selection gives them focus and importance. Planning gives me a chance to experiment a bit. You can do this, too. It’s easier than you think. Choose one new vegetable or fruit each week at your grocery. Take it home and learn about it:
What is it called?
Where is home for this food?
What are some popular ways to cook it?
How should it be stored?
What is the best way to combine it with other foods?
How should it be eaten?
If you discover one new fruit or vegetable weekly, your dietary skills will be vastly different in a year.
Exercise Regularly
The field is open here. Your exercise can be drudgery or fun. Spend as little or as much money as you want. Choose one or two activities to participate in regularly. The point is to stay active throughout your life. Combine exercise with other daily habits. I wear a fitness watch which beeps when I don’t move enough. It also rewards me with a beep when I’ve exceeded my daily goal. I have a job requiring that I stay off my seat and on my feet. I’m making money while exercising a fun bonus!
Avoid Stressors
Stress is a biggie. It plays a part in many health problems. Meditation walks, laughter, sharing, singing, nature bathing, journaling, drawing can help you reduce stress. Make room in your schedule for stress reduction activities.
Note: There are several articles on this subject in earlier posts in this blog. I periodically discuss stress. If you look around on the blog, you’ll find much information.
Include Healing Bodywork in Your Life.
If you’ve never gotten a massage, received Reiki therapy, or other bodywork, schedule a session. Just to learn about it. As time passes, schedule another session with a different healer. Schedule a reflexology session (or other bodywork) to celebrate an event: birthday, anniversary, a good day at work, the Spring Equinox, etc.
.In short, schedule healing bodywork sessions whenever you want. If you end up on a cruise, hang out in the spa instead of the bar.
Over time, you’ll get inspired and book regular sessions. Your body will thank you for the attention! Everything always seems to go better with reflexology!
Support Yourself.
Do something nice for yourself each day. Spend time meditating. Think positive thoughts about yourself. These supportive thoughts are a treat you give yourself. You deserve it!
Thanks for reading this blog post! New articles have been posted regularly for 10 years. For me, this blog was created to be a conduit for your own healing. Please share it with friends and family. Forward it to your preferred social media network.
For more information, check out my books on www.thurmangreco.com. Purchase them at this website in both ebook and paperbook form. So far, “A Healer’s Handbook” has gone out to readers in over 30 countries.
Contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
If you enjoy the blog, you’ll enjoy my weekly shows on YOUTUBE. This program has been running with a few timeouts now and then for over 15 years. My program is an informative and entertaining unrehearsed hour with no rehearsals. You can find it on Woodstock’s own TV Channel 23 or on YOUTUBE.
My guests are people whose lives have brought them to Woodstock for a day, a week, an hour, a decade, or more.
i
