If you are heading into your first physiotherapy consultation, you might be feeling nervous. You are already in pain, might be worried about the condition and the prognosis and additionally, you might also be uncertain about the session itself. You don’t know what to expect. Even if you’re dealing with a medical professional, you probably can’t help but feel a little unease. Are they good? Experienced? All this confusion is normal. At Dr7 Physiotherapy Perth and Inner Northern suburbs, we will make you at ease and set you on your path to recovery.
To help ease these concerns, we’ll outline how a typical treatment plan will go. We hope that this will help you better understand how the process works.
The initial session begins with our experienced physiotherapist looking for a way to gain an understanding of the patient. The source and the cause of the discomfort is the focus, but the questions will vary.
In many cases, relevant documentation and a full examination are the starts. Questions asked may include things like medical history, general physical condition, and any existing illnesses or problems. The key here is getting a complete picture of you along with the condition that needs treatment.
You’ll want to keep your clothing loose and comfortable. Physiotherapy assessment often requires you to move or do some physical tests, as a means of assessing mobility , strength and range of motion.
Reflex and nerve testing might happen. It varies based on the condition.
In cases where clothing covers the pained area, you might be asked to remove it. This is, so the therapist gets a better view of the troubled area. Try to not wear anything tight or clothing that would take a long time to remove or put back on. You will be in a screened-off treatment area and draping with towels are used as appropriate.
After the observation, you’ll get a proposed treatment plan.
The therapist will determine how many sessions are needed. What might just be a few sessions for one could end up taking weeks for another. There is no singular approach, but instead, things are adjusted to fit specific individuals. Different conditions and different degrees of the same condition will affect treatment session and progress.
The average session lasts only about half an hour but this will vary based on the individual.
Treatment techniques vary and may include massage, joint mobilisation and manipulation, taping , acupunture ( dry needling ), electro-therapy such as ultrasound, interferential and TENS, laser. Specific exercises will be outlined for your condition. Education and advice is a vital part of a good physiotherapy session. Hands on treatment is important in most cases, but ironically it’s the physio’s knowledge and their words that will benefit your recovery the most.
Dr7 Physiotherapy is here to help. Please contact us if you have any further questions.
