By Michelle Silvia
Summer on the South Shore brings a welcome shift in routine with longer days, vacations, sports camps and packed calendars. But while that change is great for beachgoers, it’s often when physical therapy patients start slipping off schedule. What many don’t realize is that even missing just one or two sessions can make it harder to stay in the rhythm of healing, which may lead to missing more down the road.
"It’s so important to collaborate with your physical therapist to develop a plan of care that fits your schedule, and attending appointments, along with consistently completing a targeted home exercise program between sessions, is essential for making timely and meaningful functional improvements,” says Emily Clipston Barros, Clinical Manager at Elliott Physical Therapy.
The process of healing through physical therapy is structured, strategic, and deeply rooted in progression. It begins with reducing pain and calming inflammation, the phase most people associate with “feeling better.” In these early sessions, therapists focus on gentle movements, manual therapy, and light strengthening activities to bring the body out of acute discomfort.
But this is only the start.
Relief Is Just the First Step in the Recovery Process
The next phase is all about restoring mobility and function. This means retraining muscles and joints that may have stiffened, weakened, or compensated due to injury or surgery. Think of it as reintroducing normal movement patterns: standing up straighter, walking without limping, or reaching without pain. Without consistent work during this phase, the body can fall back into dysfunctional habits that delay healing or invite new injuries.
Going From Short-Term Relief to Long-Term Strength
Then comes strengthening. Once range of motion improves, therapists shift focus toward building muscle around the affected area to support and stabilize it. This is the part that truly makes patients resilient and ready to return to daily life or sports. It takes time and repetition. Missed appointments here mean missed adaptations.
And finally, there’s functional retraining. This could mean helping a golfer return to swinging pain-free, a teacher getting through a full day on their feet, or a parent lifting their child without strain. These final sessions often fine-tune performance and prevent re-injury, a step many patients skip if they feel “good enough” too early.
“Stopping therapy because you’re not in pain anymore is like taking antibiotics for two days instead of ten,” says Clipston Barros. “You’re treating the symptoms but not the root cause. And without completing the full course, the issue can return sometimes worse.”
Stay on Track, Even When Life Gets Busy
So why do so many patients stop short? Some get busy with summer commitments. Others assume that once their pain has subsided, the work is done. In truth, pain relief is just one milestone in a much longer journey toward recovery and strength.
Another growing challenge is accessibility especially during the summer. Between vacations and changing routines, getting to the clinic regularly becomes difficult for some patients. Telehealth visits can be a useful tool to maintain and progress healing. Virtual sessions allow therapists to check form, update home exercises, and maintain progress even when patients are away.
More importantly, consistent PT has proven results. Research consistently shows that patients who complete their full plan of care are significantly less likely to require surgery, more likely to return to pre-injury activity levels, and are better protected against re-injury. In contrast, patients who drop off early are more likely to regress, prolong their healing process, or end up back in treatment months later.
Physical therapy isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about sustainable healing. The journey may start with pain relief, but the destination is something much greater: strength, confidence, and freedom of movement. Skipping sessions might not seem like a big deal at the moment, but those decisions add up, and rarely in your favor.
As the summer rush kicks in, patients in PT for recovery need to add and prioritize their appointments on the calendar. Consistency is the single most important predictor of success in physical therapy. And for those worried about schedule conflicts, telehealth, home exercise plans, and maintaining an open line of communication with your physical therapist, will help you stay connected and accountable.
“It’s not always about doing more,” says Clipston Barros. “It’s about showing up, even when it’s hard, and trusting the process.”
About Elliott Physical Therapy
Family-owned and operated by Darryl and Patti Elliott since 2014, Elliott Physical Therapy is an outpatient physical therapy company with nine locations in Massachusetts, including Hingham and Hanover. Focused on discovering and treating the underlying causes of injury and pain, expert clinicians at Elliott Physical Therapy use proven hands-on therapy and personalized home exercise programs to relieve your pain and improve your function. Learn more about Elliott Physical Therapy here.