Goal setting
Before starting rehabilitation for your shoulder, it is important to consider setting some goals. Setting meaningful activity goals can help with motivation during rehabilitation as often the process of recovery can be slow.
By setting activity goals (alongside your exercise targets) and tracking progress, this allows individuals to see improvements with rehabilitation. If you are struggling to achieve these goals then you can make the necessary changes to your rehabilitation programme as required.
There are a few things worth considering when setting goals.
They key is to set goals that are:
- Realistic
- Enjoyable
- Specific
- Timed
An example of a goal for shoulder pain is shown below:
‘By the end of September, I would like to have enough strength in my shoulder to be able to lift and carry my grandchild’
At set intervals you can review the activity to see if this is getting easier for you to perform.
If it is not, maybe consider if the goal is at too high a challenge for you at the moment? Remember setting realistic targets, will help you achieve them and keep moving forwards.
If you continue to see no progress, it might be time to discuss with a health care professional to see if they can help you problem solve, to allow you to get back on track with your goals.
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