Treatments – General

Your first visit – what to expect?

At your first appointment we will ask you questions about….

• The problem you have come to us with
• How and when your problem started
• How your problem is behaving
• Any medication you are taking (and if it is helping)
• What you think may have caused your problem
• What it is preventing you from doing any activities, or sleeping
• What you can and cannot do because of this problem

This questioning gives us an indication of what structure is causing the problem and how we examine and treat you.

If you are taking any medication for pain relief, please continue to take this, the physiotherapist will still be able to find out what the problem is.

If you have had X-Ray or MRI scans, either recently or in the past, please bring any reports with you.

We will then examine you, please wear clothing that enables you to move freely, we may also need you to remove relevant clothing.  (If you would be more comfortable please bring along a pair of shorts to wear and a strappy top). This is necessary so we can see how your whole body moves and what actions are restricted.

If you would like a chaperone with you in the treatment room, please let us know prior to your appointment so we can arrange this. We are also happy for a family member to be present during the examination and treatment if you wish.

During the examination we look at how joints, muscles and nerves move as well as looking at posture and muscle strength. This may involve detailed palpation of those structures we feel may be causing the problem. A thorough examination can mean looking at how the whole body moves in order to establish the cause of the pain.

Treatment given is dependent on the needs of the patient and their problem at that particular time and may involve the use of manual therapy; soft tissue massage; electrotherapy (Laser, Ultrasound, Interferential, Pulsed Shortwave); acupuncture; specific exercises to stretch or strengthen muscles; posture advice and advice on daily activities. We will often give guidance on pain management.

If necessary we can refer for a private MRI scan and also advise whether you would benefit from seeing a specialist.