4 Things Your Physical Therapist Wants You to Stop Doing Immediately

Stop sabotaging your progress—these common habits may be holding you back!

If you’ve ever seen a physical therapist—whether for back pain, knee rehab, or recovering from a sports injury—you’ve probably heard us say things like, “Listen to your body,” or “Stay consistent.” But there are a few things we wish all patients would stop doing immediately—because they delay healing, worsen pain, and undo our progress together.

At Emery Physical Therapy, we’re passionate about helping people in Oakbrook Terrace, Villa Park, Elmhurst, Lombard, and the greater Chicagoland area move better, live pain-free, and return to the things they love. Whether you're recovering from surgery or just want to prevent injury, here are four game-changing things you need to quit—today.

1. “Pushing Through the Pain”

We hear this one all the time—especially from athletes and weekend warriors:

“It hurts, but I just push through it.”
“No pain, no gain, right?”

Wrong.

Pain is your body’s way of signaling something is wrong. When you ignore pain, you're not showing mental toughness—you’re risking a longer recovery, compensatory movement patterns, and even permanent damage. For example:

• Pushing through shoulder pain may lead to rotator cuff tears.

• Running on knee pain could worsen meniscus damage.

• Pushing a herniated disc could cause radiating nerve symptoms.

📌 Pro Tip: Pain ≠ progress. Soreness is okay. Sharp, lingering pain is not. Let your PT know the difference.

2. Skipping Your Home Exercise Program

This one’s simple, yet it’s the number one reason progress stalls: you skip your homework.

Your personalized home exercises are designed to:

• Improve mobility

• Build stability and strength

• Reinforce correct movement patterns between sessions

Think of your therapy sessions as the classroom, and your home exercises as the studying. Without both, your results will plateau—or even backtrack.

💡 Did you know? Consistency with just 15–20 minutes of focused daily movement can reduce chronic pain and improve joint mobility dramatically.

📍 Serving patients in Oak Brook, Downers Grove, Westchester, and nearby suburbs, we make sure your plan is clear, simple, and doable—no fancy equipment needed.

3. Self-Diagnosing from Social Media or Google

YouTube might show you how to do a “mobility flow for low back pain” or a “knee popping fix”—but that doesn’t mean it’s the right treatment for your body.

Every injury is unique. You and your neighbor could both have back pain, but one might have tight hip flexors while the other has a disc bulge. Applying the wrong exercise may:

• Aggravate the issue

• Delay healing

• Create new imbalances

At Emery, we use a detailed movement screen, hands-on testing, and modern diagnostics to uncover the real root cause—not just what hurts, but why.

Leave the guesswork to TikTok. Leave the recovery to us.

4. Thinking You Have to Be “In Pain” to See a PT

This is a BIG one. Many people wait until they're limping, stiff, or suffering before seeing a physical therapist.

But here’s the truth: you don’t need to be injured to benefit from PT.

We help with:

• Improving posture and joint mobility

• Preventing future injuries

• Boosting athletic performance

• Helping you move and feel your best—even if nothing "hurts" right now

🧠 Think of PT like dental cleanings: you don’t wait for a root canal to see your dentist. Why wait for serious pain to see your physical therapist?

📍 If you're local to Oakbrook Terrace, Lombard, Hinsdale, or Villa Park, IL, book a movement screen and get ahead of injuries before they start.

✅ How Emery Physical Therapy Can Help

At Emery Physical Therapy, we combine evidence-based techniques with one-on-one care to create a unique experience. Whether you’re a high school athlete, a busy parent, or someone trying to age actively and pain-free, we’re here to help you:

• Rebuild strength

• Improve flexibility

• Restore function

• Reduce pain naturally—without drugs or surgery

👉 We offer services like manual therapy, cupping therapy, dry needling, orthopedic rehab, and performance training to treat the whole person—not just the symptoms.

🗓️ Ready to Move Better, Feel Stronger, and Avoid Injury?

Don’t wait for pain to force you into action. Stop the four habits above and schedule your initial consultation or functional movement screen today.

📍 Located at 17W699 Roosevelt Rd, Oakbrook Terrace, IL and 1698 S Elmhurst Rd, Ste 110, Mt. Prospect, IL
📞 Call us at 847-786-2014
📅 Book online or walk in—we’re here when you need us.