# What to ask your physical therapist to get the most out of your appointment.

> Sometimes getting the best physical therapy care is dependent on the questions you ask.   Here are some questions you can ask your physical therapist during your appointment.

By Elizabeth Melvin · January 28th, 2025 · Physical Therapy, Sports Medicine

# What to ask your physical therapist to get the most out of your appointment.

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## Ever wondered what you should be asking your physical therapist at appointments? Read on to learn some gymnastics specific questions you can ask, based on the time of the season.

#### During the off-season:

- Can you do a whole body physical therapy exam to let me know what weaknesses, range of motion deficiencies, poor movement patterns, or asymmetries I have?

- The new skills I’m working on include (fill in the blank). What exercises can I do to better support my body’s resilience to the forces of these skills?

- Is there any cross training you think I should be doing during the off season?

- What can I do to train for the type of endurance I need for gymnastics routines?

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**Controlling the number of repetitions of a skills can be key to staying healthy during the season.**

#### During the competition season:

- I’ve been cleared to participate in gymnastics but I still have a little discomfort. What can I do before, during, and after my practice to reduce my discomfort?

- How many repetitions of my skills do you think I should do on each apparatus?

- I realize that I need to have some relative rest between my meets because I’m feeling a little run down – what can I do during this rest period?

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**Stationary bike can be one of the modes of cross training used during the off season to maximize cardio fitness while reducing load through your joints.**

#### Throughout the year:

- Can you help me know how to concisely and accurately explain my injury to my coach?

- Can you give me things to do during (fill in the apparatus) while I’m taking a break from it?

- What things can I be doing now, while I’m recovering from injury, to make sure that I come back less likely to have this injury again?

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**Your physical therapist can give you exercises to perform, to keep your body strong, while taking a break from training.**

_Dr. Alyssa Herrera-Set DPT is a physical therapist and owner of On the Move Physical Therapy and Pilates, Belmont, CA._

## Contact
- Email: info@gymnasticsmedicine.org
- Web: https://gymnasticsmedicine.org