Your First Visit
There’s always the inevitable paperwork, but we try to do as much of this as possible for you when we verify your insurance benefits. You can also download the patient forms, fill them out at home and either e-mail them back to us or bring them with you.
Your first visit will take approximately 60-90 minutes depending on the complexity and actuality of your injury. If you had recent surgery you may not tolerate more than an hour and we will complete the evaluation on your second visit, if necessary.
The evaluation process consists of 3 parts: the anamnesis or questions phase, the actual evaluation and the start of your treatment.
- The Anamnesis: here’s where we ask you questions pertinent to your problem, pain, injury, surgery or whatever the reason for your visit may be. We will ask about what makes it worse or better, what medications you are taking, your past medical history etc. Please feel free to bring a list of medications, previous surgeries, braces, orthotics or anything else you think may be relevant to your injury.
- The Evaluation: We look at things such as posture, mobility, strength and stability. In most cases we will do a functional movement assessment, looking at how your body moves as well as compensatory movement patterns.
- The Treatment: After completing part 1 and 2 we will have a good idea about the extent and severity of your injury as well as the probable cause. We will start treatment addressing pain and swelling, if necessary, using modalities such as heat/ice, electrical stimulation or ultrasound. We may use manual therapy techniques to address loss of mobility and stiffness and will start you on an exercise program to regain strength, balance, coordination etc.
During your follow up visits we will continue to re-assess your status, look for things that work or are not working and make adjustments accordingly. The evaluation process is not finished after your first visit: we will continue to “tweak” until you’ve achieved your goals!