How to use Curovate, the physical therapy app, every day to recover after injury, surgery or for strengthening
One of the most frequent questions we get about Curovate is: "how can I use Curovate to recover and get back to my normal life?" This video blog will answer this question and teach you how you can sue Curovate daily in your injury or surgery recovery.
For a step by step guide, with a screen recording taken directly from the Curovate Physical Therapy App, watch the video below to learn how to use Curovate every day to recover.
Step-by-step guide to use Curovate for your recovery
From the home screen of the Curovate app, you can see the stage in which you have been placed based on your surgery or injury date. For example, if you had a knee replacement on March 21st, 2024 and todayis May 10th, 2024 Curovate would place you in stage 7 since you are exactly 7 weeks since your surgery. To start your daily exercises within your assigned stage:
- Press the "Play day 1" button of your exercise stage. This will take you to the exercise screen within your assigned stage and you will be presented with the stage goals.
- Read the stage goals carefully and ensure that they are achievable within the next seven days of your recovery. This is important because each stage in Curovate has seven days. In order to progress to your next stage, you need to be able to complete all of the exercises within each of the seven days and achieve the stage goals.
- Within every single day of exercise, there will be a morning, afternoon, and evening exercise session. Click “play all” within one of the morning, afternoon, or evening sections. This will allow you to play and follow along with all of the exercise videos.
- Click “Skip” to skip the countdown and begin the exercises right away. As the exercise plays, you will see the number of sets and repetitions displayed. Curovate automatically tracks and checks off the repetitions and sets that you complete and notes the exercises you have remaining. This way, you simply have to follow along with the video to complete your recovery! You will also see the description of the exercise and the equipment needed to complete the exercises.
To complete your daily exercises to 100 percent, you must "play all" morning, afternoon, and evening exercises for each day. Note that in some cases, there might only be an afternoon and evening, or only an evening session of exercise. Also keep in mind that the evening exercise session is always the longest and contains the most exercises, meaning it has the greatest impact on your recovery. Prioritize completing the evening exercises daily.
Do I have to complete my exercises at a set time of day?
The morning, afternoon, and evening times for exercises are only suggestions. This means that you don’t actually have to complete the evening exercises in the evening. You can choose to complete the exercise sessions at any time that works best for you. If you find that you have the most time in the morning, then you can complete your evening exercises in the morning. As long as you complete all of your exercises on the same day it doesn’t matter at what time of day they are completed.
Exercise Screen Features
Video Settings
As you complete your exercises you can modify the video settings. You can speed up or slow down the exercise video, and change the amount of time you have for rest between exercises and sets as well. Note that the playback speed of the exercise videos is preset to “normal” and in most cases you will not need to change this. In case you need to slow the video down because you are moving slower after surgery, you can change the video speed to match your pace. In the rare case that you have to speed up the video, you can do that as well, just ensure that you complete your exercises carefully and with good technique. You can also view the exercise list that contains preceding exercises.
Exercise Screen Player
From the exercise screen player bar you can press the audio button at the bottom during exercise playback. This feature enables the exercise instructions to be read out to you. You can also use the player bar to skip ahead to the next exercises or go back to the previous exercise. Keep in mind that when the last repetition of the exercise is complete, Curovate will automatically move you to the next set of the same exercise, so you can focus on completing your exercises.
Exercise versus Checklist Item - what’s the difference?
On the exercise screen, you may notice that you have exercises, as well as checklist items to complete. An exercise is a movement based activity that you need to do to recover. A checklist item is something that you have to acknowledge. For example, a checklist item in Curovate can be a reminder to take your prescription medication. Aim to compelte and then check off all exercises as well as checklist items to achieve 100% adherence for the day.
What if I don’t have enough time to complete all of the exercises?
From the exercise screen, press the “not enough time” button. This will create a condensed exercise session consisting of a shorter exercise list that takes less time to complete. Curovate prioritizes the most important exercises. The exercises that are not included in the shortened session are checked off with a green check mark.
How do I move from one exercise day to the next?
In order to move on to the next day of exercises you must complete all of the exercises to 100 percent. Curovate will not automatically move you to the next day unless you have completed 100% of the previous day. From the exercise stage screen:
- Click the morning session tab and select “mark all complete” button to be moved to the afternoon exercises.
- From the afternoon session tab, select "mark all complete” button again to automatically be moved to the evening session.
- When you are on the evening session screen, select “mark all complete” button again.
Once all morning, afternoon, and evening exercises are complete, Curovate will reward you with a badge. Every time you complete a day of exercise, you will receive a badge. It will ask you if you want to move on to the next day:
- Click the button “Yes move onto the next day” to proceed to your next day of recovery.
How do I move to the next exercise stage?
Similarly to moving from one exercise day to the next, you must complete 100 percent of your previous exercise stage in order to be moved to the next. This means completing 100 percent of the exercises for all seven days within an exercise stage, otherwise, the app will not automatically move you to the next stage.
Once you complete seven days of exercises, you will see a pop up that asks you to confirm that you have achieved all of the stage goals. Click “Yes load next stage” to progress to the next stage. Curovate will automatically move you to the app home screen, where you will see your completed stage with an icon showing 100 percent completion! You are now ready to start your next stage of recovery.
How can I check my progress in the Curovate App?
Tracking your Adherence
Adherence is the measure of how consistently you are doing the exercises within the app. From the home page of the Curovate app, you can check for the percentage of adherence to exercise or progress:
- Select “Profile” from the bottom right of the app dashboard.
- From your Profile, go to your "Achievements" page, where you will see how Curovate tracks all of your exercise progress. You will be able to see:
- Your achieved badges at the top of the screen
- Number of days of exercise completed
- A graph that highlights your adherence
You should try to improve your adherence rate because completing daily exercises consistently will get you closer to your recovery goals. However, don’t get discouraged by a few days that you may have struggled to complete everything if you have been consistent for the majority of days. For example, if you are averaging a 94 percent adherence over 7 days, you are doing really well with your recovery!
Tracking your Range of Motion
- Scroll down on the "Achievements" screen to see your range of motion. This is where you will see graphs for knee or hip bending and straightening.
- If your graphs are blank, go to “Profile” and select “Measure Knee” to complete these measurements. Check out our blog on How to Measure Knee and Hip Range of Motion for further instructions on how to obtain these measures in the Curovate app.
Ther are 2 ways you can get help with your recovery
1. The Curovate In-App Chat
If you find that you get stuck in the app, have a question or concern that needs to be addressed, we are a quick chat message away! For example, if you have pain after completing a certain exercise send us a message in the in-app chat and we can help out. Or if you can't figure out how to use something in the app just ask us. To send a chat message:
- From the bottom of the app screen, select the "Chat" icon.
- You will be taken to a chat screen where you can type your message and send it to get help from a licensed physical therapist.
2. Video PT: 1-on-1 support
The Curovate app also allows you to directly connect to a licensed physical therapist through video chat. This is a great way to get 1-on-1 professional support in the comfort of your home. To access video PT:
- From the bottom of the app screen, select the “Video PT” icon.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Video PT page and click “Buy Video PT appointment” to purchase a one-on-one session with a licensed physical therapist.
How can I get my most common questions answered?
Curovate has an array of useful physical therapy information related to injury, surgery, and recovery provided through our evidence-based blogs and webinars. You can look up information in these blogs by using the search bar in the app:
- At the bottom of the app screen, select “Knowledge.” You will be taken to a page showcasing the blogs and webinars that are available within Curovate. Some blogs have instructional purposes, showing you how to do things in the app, while others answer the most common surgery and injury questions.
- Blogs: From the "Blogs" tab on the knowledge screen, if you have a specific question related to injury or surgery that you would like answered, select the search button at the top right of the screen and type in your question. For example, you may type in “knee replacement and long term recovery” to learn more about this topic.
- Webinars: From the top of the knowledge screen, select the “Webinars" tab, which will lead you to a screen showcasing all of Curovate’s webinars.
- Scroll through the our webinars and see all of the topics we have covered.
- Press “watch” to view the webinar you are interested in.
How to Check Your Subscription Status
If you select the “Subscription” button from the Profile page, you will be taken to a screen with details about your Curovate subscription. From here, you will be able to change your subscription. You can select from:
- Monthly
- Annual
- Premium
- Premium Plus
- Total Care
Each succeeding level of subscription has a higher number of 1-on-1 Video PT sessions. Choose the one most appropriate for your physical therapy needs and your budget.
The bottom line: completing your daily exericses will allow you to recover
Every day you should complete all of your exercises to ensure that you get the most out of your recovery with Curovate. On a daily basis, all you need to do to recover is play all your exercises following these simple three instructions:
- Press Play Day 1 from the home screen
- Press Play All on the exercise screen
- Follow along with the videos and complete you daily exercises
Conclusion
The Curovate Physical Therapy App provides you with guided exercises, rehabilitation reminders, progress tracking, and can even measure your range of motion all with your phone. To get started, simply download the Curovate App for iOS or Android using one of the links below.
If you need further customized assistance during your surgery or injury recovery check out our Virtual Physical Therapy page to book your 1-on-1 video session with a physical therapist.