How to Prepare for Your First Physical Therapy Visit
If you’ve never been to Physical Therapy before or it has been a while and you’re generally anxious about your first upcoming appointment with us, don’t fear! I’ve prepared a list of ways to prepare for your first appointment so that your 45-60 minutes spent with us is the most beneficial for you and to hopefully lessen any anxiety!
1. Arrive (fashionably) early!
Plan to arrive at your first evaluation 10-15 minutes early to complete any necessary paperwork and initial questionnaires that we may have for you. This way, your physical therapist can spend more one-on-one time with you, which allows us to get to know you better.
2. Prepare with a list of…
Symptoms: How would you describe your pain? How long have you been dealing with this pain? Any numbness or tingling? How often do you have the pain and how long does it last? Was this caused by an injury and if so, can you describe what happened? Most notable in the morning, during the day, or at the end of the day?
Aggravating and relieving factors: What activities or positions increase your pain? Are you limited in your hobbies, work, or day-to-day functional activities? What things relieve your pain (i.e. heat/ice, medications, stretches, massage, etc.)?
Important dates: dates of previous imaging performed (X-rays/MRI) including what was reported and any plans for future imaging or follow-up appointments with your referring doctor or specialists
Previous medical history: any previous injuries or surgeries? History of high blood pressure, diabetes, dizziness/fainting, seizures, cancer? Any heart history (both individual or familial)?
Questions: it may be helpful to write down & bring in a list of questions for your PT; often this may include, “how long do you foresee me being in PT for?”, “how often should I be performing exercises at home?”, etc.
3. Dress to Impress (the PT)
Plan on wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that is easy to move around in and accessible to any pertinent skin assessment. For example, if you are being seen for the first time after a total knee replacement, either wear stretchy sweatpants or shorts so that your PT has the ability to assess the surgical incision/scar and any bruising or swelling that may be present.
Sneakers: it is preferred to perform exercises with sneakers on and allows your PT to assess if you may need new shoes or discussion about types of shoes for your specific foot alignment
Accessories: Including assistive devices (i.e. walker, cane, crutches) so we can assess for proper fitting and usage. May also include compression wraps, support sleeves, brace and/or sling, etc.
4. Be aware that you may be sore after your 1st visit
In order for your PT to properly and thoroughly assess you, we need to determine what positions and/or movements increase the specific pain that you’re coming into PT for, to determine the root cause. To determine this, we will assess your range of motion and strength, which may increase your symptoms or induce fatigue. Know that this is normal and is not malicious; rather a way to understand what we can improve on to make you feel better!
5. Most importantly, don’t stress!
Most importantly, don’t stress! We are here to listen to you, understand you, and want you to feel better. We are genuinely interested in learning who you are as a person rather than just treating an injury. With all the information gathered during your 1st visit, your PT will come up with an individualized plan and work towards reaching goals that are specific to YOU!
So let us help you! If you have been dealing with pain, both acute or chronic, schedule a visit to see one of your local HJPT physical therapists to get assessed. Give us a call at 616.256.8679 or reach out to any one of our clinics to schedule an appointment!
