When To Rest and When To Move | PT Effect

When To Rest and When To Move: Understanding Functional Limits in Physical Therapy

Discover how guided movement limitations in physical therapy help you heal while preserving daily functionality.
Read Time: 3 minutes
Oct 28, 2024

In physical therapy, a common scenario unfolds when patients experience pain or limitation with a specific movement, such as reaching behind the back or squatting deeply. For many people, these movements are part of everyday life, making it frustrating to avoid them even temporarily. Yet, physical therapists may sometimes advise you to avoid the motion for a period, a suggestion that may initially sound restrictive. However, this approach is far from a simple avoidance tactic. It is a nuanced, purposeful strategy aimed at helping you recover while maintaining functional movement as much as possible.

Limit Painful Movements

Physical therapists often meet patients who describe pain when performing specific movements. These movements may be a repetitive task or a more infrequent activity like reaching back to fasten a seatbelt. This feedback from your body is essential because it helps identify movements that cause further irritation. When therapists recommend avoiding painful motions, it is a short-term recommendation to allow your body to heal without unnecessary strain. Therapists know that limiting a movement temporarily can prevent you from further aggravating inflamed joints, tendons, or muscles.

Resting Irritated Joints

Therapists know that testing a painful motion repeatedly, such as trying to reach behind your back every hour, serves only to reinforce pain pathways and maintain inflammation. Your body responds to repetitive stress on irritated structures by increasing inflammation and pain. When a movement pattern continuously triggers irritation, the pain cycle becomes hard to break, ultimately slowing down recovery. Therapists aim to break this cycle by guiding you to avoid those movements, letting the area rest so inflammation can decrease and healing can occur.

Unnecessary Painful Movements

As you follow your therapist’s guidance, it’s natural to feel the urge to test the painful motion to check your progress. Reaching behind your back a dozen times a day only reinforces pain pathways, telling your nervous system that the movement is associated with discomfort. Reducing or eliminating these check-in movements can help your body focus on healing without the added burden of stress from unnecessary motion.

Maintaining Functional Movement

Although therapists recommend avoiding repeating a painful motion, functional movement remains a priority. Physical therapists emphasize that limiting painful movements isn’t about immobilizing or keeping you from participating in life. Everyday activities like reaching for a cup, grabbing a seatbelt, or performing a light squat are typically allowed and even encouraged, as long as they’re done within comfortable ranges. This approach enables you to keep the muscles around the affected area active, which is crucial for retaining joint mobility and preventing stiffness.

Functional Mobility and Healing

Finding the right balance between limiting your mobility to minimize additional irritation and maintaining functional use of your joints is important for proper recovery. This balance ensures that the irritated joint doesn’t stiffen or lose range of motion, allowing the injury to heal without compromising mobility. Therapists aim to maintain as much functional movement as possible while giving specific structures time to recover. Once inflammation decreases, they will progressively reintroduce the previously painful motion, starting within a comfortable range and eventually returning to full activity.

The Role of Patient Education in Physical Therapy

Physical therapists strive to help patients understand the difference between protective movement and avoidance, showing them that not all movement restrictions are created equal. Avoiding a movement for a short period is not the same as avoiding it indefinitely. Therapists may work with patients to modify tasks to make them more comfortable, perhaps suggesting an alternative way to perform the action, such as reaching with the opposite arm or moving within a smaller range. This approach helps patients understand that the goal is not to eliminate motion but to reduce strain on the injured area. By modifying tasks, patients can continue their daily routines without compromising the healing process.

Returning to Full Function

The ultimate goal is always a return to full function. Once the inflamed area has had a chance to heal, your therapist will work with you to gradually reintroduce the previously painful movements. They’ll assess how well the area responds, introducing the movement with minimal resistance and ensuring it feels comfortable. This reintroduction phase might involve specific exercises that build strength in the area, improve flexibility, and restore normal movement patterns. By gradually reintroducing movement, therapists help ensure that you can perform the motion pain-free and without fear of reinjury.

Focus on Function, Not Restriction

Physical therapy is about function, not restriction. Therapists don’t aim to limit your ability to perform motions or to make you fearful of moving. Instead, they work to create an environment where healing can occur while still encouraging functional, comfortable movement. Movement is essential for circulation, muscle health, and joint flexibility, all of which contribute to the body’s ability to recover. Therapists prioritize movements that keep you active in your daily life, like reaching, bending, and squatting, but guide you to avoid those that may stress the healing area.

Moving Smarter, Not Harder

Physical therapy is not about pushing through pain but about moving smarter. The therapist’s role is to help you understand how to listen to your body’s signals, identify when discomfort indicates strain, and know when to rest versus when to move. If a particular movement feels restricted, your therapist may show you alternative exercises to maintain joint health without risking aggravation. This individualized approach provides tools for you to use during recovery, empowering you to take an active role in the healing process.

Adapting to Each Phase of Recovery

As therapy progresses, your body adapts. The injured tissues repair, inflammation subsides, and your ability to tolerate previously painful movements improves. Each phase of the recovery process builds upon the last, creating a gradual path back to pain-free movement. Your therapist may integrate exercises that mimic the avoided movement within a controlled range. This process ensures that by the time you fully reintroduce the movement, your body is prepared, strong, and ready to handle it without pain or dysfunction.

Move With Confidence

By the end of your recovery journey, the goal is to restore your ability to perform all functional movements without limitation or fear of pain. Whether it’s reaching, bending, lifting, or any other motion, you should feel capable of confidently performing these actions. Your therapist may even encourage you to continue exercises that promote mobility and flexibility as part of a long-term maintenance plan to prevent future issues.

Get in Touch With a Local Physical Therapist

Physical therapy is about helping you live comfortably and move freely. If you have questions about which movements to avoid or want to know how physical therapy can support your goals, reach out to a licensed therapist. They can provide insights and strategies tailored to your unique situation, supporting your journey back to a full, active life without pain.

The PT Effect Team Is Here To Assist You

The skilled team at the Physical Therapy Effect is here to assess your needs and recommend the most effective treatment plan to help you achieve lasting relief and enhanced mobility. If you have questions or need a consultation, feel free to reach out to us at 619-544-1055 or email info@pteffect.com. Our experienced professionals are dedicated to helping you reach your movement goals and improve your quality of life.

For informational purposes only.

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Mark Shulman

Dr. Mark Shulman

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), FAAOMPT, COMT, CSCS

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Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists.


Mark Shulman

Dr. Allison McKay

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), PRPC

Co-Founder


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The Physical Therapy Effect

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