Chiropractors know the frustration well: you explain a stretch clearly, demonstrate it perfectly, and the patient nods enthusiastically… only to return a week later and say, “I forgot how to do it.”
This isn’t because patients are careless — it’s because of predictable psychological and practical barriers.
Understanding why patients forget their advice allows us to fix the problem at its root.
Why Patients Forget Their Exercises
1. The Forgetting Curve
Within 24 hours, patients forget up to 70% of what they’re told verbally.
If exercises are not written, visualized, or reinforced, recall drops even faster.
2. Poorly Understood Instructions
Patients often leave the clinic thinking they understood an exercise… only to realize later they can’t remember:
hand placement
posture
number of reps
speed or intensity
Small uncertainties result in avoidance.
3. Overwhelm
Patients in pain may feel overloaded with information.
If given too many exercises, they default to doing none.
4. Lack of Visual Cues
People learn through imagery as much as words.
A demonstration they saw once is not enough for most.
5. No Easily Accessible Reference
If the only instruction is verbal, or written loosely on paper, it gets lost, forgotten, or misinterpreted.
The Impact of Forgotten Exercises
When patients forget their take home advice:
recovery slows
flare-ups increase
patient satisfaction drops
the perception of “treatment didn’t work” grows
The good news? These problems are preventable.
How CHIROExestretch Solves the Problem
1. Clear, Professional Exercise & Educational Sheets
Patients receive clean, structured instructions with:
step-by-step guidance
purpose of the exercise
visuals that reinforce proper form
This removes guesswork.
2. Quick Customisation for Your Clinic
Practitioners can generate accurate and individualized exercise guidance in seconds — perfect for busy consults.
3. Visual Reinforcement
Most patients learn better visually.
CHIROExestretch includes clear imagery and layout that makes exercises easy to replicate at home.
4. Consistency Across Your Team
If your clinic has multiple practitioners, every patient receives the same high-quality output.
5. Better Compliance = Better Outcomes
When patients remember their advice & exercises:
healing and wellness results improve
fewer flare-ups occur
patient/practitioner confidence increases
Conclusion
Patients don’t fail because they’re unmotivated - they fail because recall is hard.
CHIROExestretch bridges the gap between “understanding in the clinic” and “successful execution at home.”
When exercises are clear, accessible, and professionally presented, patient compliance skyrockets - and outcomes follow.