Physiotherapy can be an invaluable way to regain your strength, apply healthy habits to your day, and work towards physical recovery. Whether you’ve been involved in a car crash or have a sports injury, or if you’re simply dealing with ongoing pain, this modality of treatment has the power to build strength and get you back to life as usual.

With that said, physiotherapy is by no means a magic treatment! As with all things worthwhile, it takes work on your part to ensure you see results that stick around. And since most people don’t see a physiotherapist daily, you might be wondering how you can best keep up with your routine between sessions.

One of the best ways to keep your forward momentum with physiotherapy is to use the same tools as the experts while you’re at home. With the right equipment (and the right knowledge to use it), you’ll see results exponentially faster, helping you recover, get stronger, and feel your best that much sooner.

What kinds of tools should I use at home?

Depending on the issue that brings you into physiotherapy, there are a number of tools you might consider investing in. Here are just a few of the most invaluable physiotherapy tools to consider:

• Stability balls – Also known as exercise balls, the inflatable rubber spheres of various sizes are ideal for people with pain in the back and other large muscle groups. They can be used for breath work, fascial release, and core strengthening. 
• Resistance bands – These are a mainstay in physiotherapy clinics everywhere. These thick rubber bands come in a variety of tensions and strengths, meaning you can work your way up to a level that’s right for you. It’s common to use resistance bands for strengthening and stabilization work for joints like shoulders, wrists, and hips.
• Fascial release therapy balls – As the newest innovation in physiotherapy equipment, these balls are one of the best ways to precisely target pain and tension in the body. They come in a variety of sizes, textures, and densities, making them ideal for a variety of physical complaints. Use a spiky, lighter one to massage your feet, forearms and neck, or a dense, rubber one to work out tension in the glutes, thighs, or calves. Though you’ll need at least a handful of balls to get the full effect, the precision offered makes them well worth it. 

So now that you know what kinds of physiotherapy tools to look out for, how do you know if they’re the right choice for you? Simple—by examining the benefits.

Physiotherapy equipment has the power to decrease recovery time, help you keep up with your routine, and encourage a healthier lifestyle in general. These are some of the top benefits of using physiotherapy equipment at home between sessions.

1. Take charge of your recovery

If you’re working through physiotherapy, it’s because you want to improve your physical health and start feeling your best again. While physiotherapy may not offer instant relief, it has the more important benefit of true, lasting wellness. 

Working with physiotherapy equipment at home is a great way to empower yourself to keep improving, whether you’re seeing a professional physiotherapist that day or not. 

2. Keep up with the mental aspect of a strong routine

While the physical side of physiotherapy can be a challenge, it’s important to consider your mental well-being as well. Physiotherapy takes repetition and discipline to be effective, and there’s a mental component to staying consistent with the routine. 

By having the tools you need on hand, you’re more likely to build good habits. A steady physiotherapy routine can also improve your mental health and neuroplasticity (brain and learning function), meaning the results will only increase over time. 

3. Learn more about your body

As you work with your physiotherapy tools over time, you’ll become more familiar with both the equipment and the way it works with your body. Being the one to perform your routine, and being curious to explore sore or tight spots from different angles, is a great way to learn about your anatomy and the unique quirks of your body in particular. 

Having this knowledge makes future physiotherapy treatments much more effective. Plus, you’ll have more body awareness to help you prevent injuries or damaging postures in the future as well. 

4. Reduced cost of treatment

For those without a comprehensive benefit plan, physiotherapy might not be an option as often as you’d like. But with physiotherapy tools, you exchange a one-time, up-front investment for years of access to the equipment you need to recover. 

There’s no substitute for a qualified, experienced physiotherapist to guide you through the mechanics of the body and the ways to strengthen it. However, having physiotherapy tools on hand can help you keep up with treatments between infrequent sessions, saving you money along the way.

5. Improved safety for high-risk individuals or those with complications

For those who aren’t able to easily come to a physiotherapy clinic—whether due to complications post-medical treatment, illness, or anything else—having tools for physiotherapy in the home can be a huge asset. This is a way for people to get many of the benefits of physiotherapy in the safety of their homes, especially when aided by video appointments or other virtual resources. 

6. See results faster

In general, you can expect to see faster results if you have (and use) professional physiotherapy tools at home! They’re a great way to keep up with your routine between physiotherapy appointments, build healthy habits, and even prevent or treat other minor issues in the future—all from the comfort of your home.

When to use physiotherapy equipment

While it’s fairly simple to get the tools you’d find in your physiotherapist’s clinic, they are by no means a replacement for an expert’s knowledge! The simple equipment used in physiotherapy can seem easy enough to use, but get the guidelines to use the equipment safely so you don’t run the risk of creating or worsening an injury by using it incorrectly.

That’s why it’s best to speak to a physiotherapist about your specific situation before using any equipment. I’ll be able to tell you how to safely and effectively use each tool to treat your injury without creating any other issues. Plus, I’m happy to show you exactly which tools to use, for which body part, saving you time and energy! 

Where to find quality physiotherapy tools

As you can see, there are several benefits to having professional physiotherapy equipment at your disposal. But where do you find equipment that’s right for the job? One great place to start is at my online shop. I offer several of the tools described above, and as I mentioned before I can show you how to use them properly during and in between your sessions. Gift cards are also available if you know anyone who’d prefer to do their own shopping for equipment.

I’ve collected an assortment of some of the best physiotherapy tools out there, and I use them every single day to help my clients alleviate pain, build strength, and feel their best again. You can shop for these tools online now, or get in touch today for any other questions.