Passive treatment can sometimes make symptoms easier to manage, but daily life requires the body to produce force, tolerate load and coordinate movement. Exercise therapy targets those capacities directly and can be adjusted as function improves.
Key points
- Exercise can address strength, mobility, endurance, control and task-specific capacity.
- The right dose is individual; more exercise is not always better.
- Progress should be based on symptoms, function and recovery rather than a fixed calendar.
- A machine may support a phase of care but cannot practise everyday movement for you.
What a physiotherapy assessment can add
A physiotherapist can identify which movements or loads are limited and select exercises that are challenging enough to stimulate change without exceeding current tolerance.
Practical next steps
Choose a small number of exercises with a clear purpose, record how they feel and progress one variable at a time such as repetitions, resistance, range or task complexity.
When to seek medical care
Exercise should be modified or medically reviewed when there are red-flag symptoms, significant unexplained weakness, acute trauma or systemic illness.
