Do you how important the mind is in your recovery? A recent study has reported that people with shoulder pain who expect physiotherapy to help them are likely to have a better recovery than those who expect only minimal or no improvement.
Similar studies have been done in relation to back pain and neck pain with the same outcome but this study is the first one done taking shoulder pain into consideration.
Now, we have all heard the saying of the power of positive thinking, like the story of the little engine that could, a train whose optimism leads him to overcome a mountain, “I think I can, I think I can”. And when you were in school and your coach would tell you, “If you think you’re going to lose a race, you probably will but if you think you will win the race, you’ll probably win”.
There are stories about positive thinking and optimism all around us but have you ever thought about how this positive thinking might affect your recovery from an injury?
Studies have been done for many years by psychologists about positive thinking and the data is all pointing to our determination and expectations. This means if people have a strong desired outcome, such as full recovery from an injury, they continue to strive for those outcomes when progress is slow or difficult.
So when your physiotherapist gives you advice or stretches/exercises or they ask you to come in twice a week, a positive thinking person will commit to these and in turn, see better outcomes.
Another interesting outcome from the study is also how much improvement the participants said they would get, is exactly what happened. Participants who said they would “completely recover” after physiotherapy treatment did even better than patients who expected to “much improve”.
So next time you book your physiotherapist appointment and your sitting in the waiting room, be mindful… “I think I will completely recover, I think I will completely recover”.
Kelsey Lamont – Physiotherapist
