Your Appointment
What should I expect?
Your physiotherapy appointment will take place in the privacy of our comfortable treatment room (or your own home for a home visit appointment).
Each patient and condition is individual and we take pride in taking time and care to carry out a full and thorough assessment. We make sure that we establish what is important to you, and what you are hoping to achieve.
We will take a detailed history of the problem, and how it is affecting you, and will also ask questions about your general health and medical history including medication you take. We will then complete a physical assessment, focussing on the problem area, as well as other structures or areas of the body which may be involved.
Following assessment we will explain the findings and your diagnosis and discuss a recommended treatment plan that is specifically tailored to your needs. If suitable we may include some hands on treatment and you can also expect to be given self-management advice and an exercise programme for you to continue at home. We may recommend a course of treatment (follow up appointments) or simply provide some advice on how to manage the condition yourself.
If we do not feel that physiotherapy is likely to help your particular issue, we will advise you on the appropriate next step, which may be visiting your General Practitioner or a Consultant for further investigation.
How long will my appointment be?
The initial assessment appointment will usually be between 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you have more than one area requiring attention you may require a longer appointment, or 2 separate assessments.
Follow up appointments are usually 30 minutes. If you have more than one condition, or for a particularly complex problem, a longer follow up appointment might be recommended.
What should I wear?
We recommend that you wear loose, comfortable clothes to your appointments. The physical assessment and hands on treatment will usually require the physiotherapist to observe the way that you move, and perform a number of specific joint tests, to assess your flexibility, strength, and level of pain. In order to complete a thorough assessment it may be necessary to remove some clothing to enable the physiotherapist to observe your joints and muscles. Your comfort is important to us and we will ensure your dignity is maintained at all times. You may find it comfortable to wear shorts for a lower back or leg problem, and a vest or sports bra for neck/upper back and shoulder problems.
What should I bring?
- A list of your current medication.
- If you have had surgery or previous investigations (such as scans, or X-rays) any discharge reports, scan reports or clinic letters that you have would be helpful.
- If you are using private medical insurance to fund for your treatment please ensure that you bring your membership number and authorisation number (further detail on private insurance funding can be found here Payment information)
It is important to us that you are fully involved in all decisions regarding your care. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
