Is it Typical to Experience Soreness After a One-on-One Physiotherapy Session?

elderly man in navy blue pants with white long sleeve shirt feeling soreness in his leg after physiotherapist session

After an injury or after surgery, a joint may be painful if it is moved or stretched. The knee, elbow, or hip will hurt as the patient recovers from the injury or surgery. For example, knee pain is to be expected after knee replacement or other knee surgery.

Physiotherapy May Cause Pain After Treatment

Physiotherapy may hurt the joint for the first few sessions. This pain should be temporary and should never make the pain worse than before your session. It should be more of a discomfort. Keep your physiotherapist informed about your pain level, especially if the last one-on-one session increased your pain. 

The long-term goal of physiotherapy is to reduce or remove pain. The therapy sessions will get easier on you after the first week or two. Your joint is healing and some soreness and pain are part of the healing process.

Some Pain Is to Be Expected

Beginning any exercise program results in some pain or discomfort. This is especially true when a knee, shoulder, or back has experienced the pain of surgery. There is a difference between the pain of surgery and the discomfort of physiotherapy.

If you have increased pain rather than discomfort, this is something to tell your physiotherapist before your next session. They will apply heat or cold or use other pain-relieving methods and will not repeat the exercise that caused this pain increase until you are ready for it.

Communication With Your Physiotherapist is Necessary

Your physiotherapist does not know if you have increased pain from your last session unless you tell them. Remaining quiet will not help you reach your goal of reducing pain and to heal. Your therapist will not take it personally if you tell them that your pain is worse. They may have used the same exercises on others who were not affected the same way. Everyone has their own threshold of pain.

An additional injury could result if you do not tell your therapist about increased pain. The therapist will listen and make adjustments to your program as necessary.

Choose a Physiotherapy Site Known for Caring Physiotherapists

You may have tried to explain your increased pain after sessions to your physiotherapist without results. You may have been told to “grin and bear it” or “not be a complainer.” This means that you need to find a new professional. Physiotherapists are trained to listen carefully to their clients and to have compassion for them.

Compassionate Physiotherapy

Your physiotherapist should encourage you to do more and to move forward towards healing. If you want to receive a customized physiotherapy program, we can help. Our physiotherapists are sensitive to your comments and welcome any discussion about physiotherapy sessions. Contact us to schedule an appointment for an evaluation. A unique program will be designed for you with the most comfort that will lead you to recovery after injury or surgery. We also have experience in treating chronic problems of the skeletal system. Our professional physiotherapy can lead to less discomfort from surgery, injury, osteoarthritis, and joint pain.