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      What should you expect on your first visit?  What should you bring?  Sometimes a little nervousness can develop when one finds out they need to go to physical therapy.  They've heard from their neighbor down the street that it is extremely painful, or that no one really takes the time to work with them, etc.  Every clinic is different, and for that reason, let me explain what your first physical therapy visit at Change SPTI will be like.

Click to read about what is done in physical therapy

 
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What should I bring?
    Here is a list of things you need to bring to your first visit:

1. Your doctor's prescription for physical therapy
2. Your insurance card
3. If your insurance is Worker's Compensation, we must have authorizaiton before we begin treatment
4. A photo ID
5. If the patient is a minor, it is recommended that the parent/guardian be present for the first visit
6. Clothes that are suitable for your condition.  For example, if you are coming for your knee, bring some shorts.  If you are coming for your shoulder, bring a shirt that allows access to the front and back of the shoulder/shoulder blade.

What will I be doing on my first visit?
    Well, the first thing you will have to do is fill out some paperwork (the necessary "fun" of treatment).  Allow around 10-15 minutes for this process.  After you are finished, you will be taken back to a treatment table.  Here your physical therapist will ask you some questions about your present condition (what happened? how long has this been going on? etc..)  At this point your therapist will also ask you about your personal goals for therapy.  What is it that you want to accomplish in your time here?  After the initial questions, your physical therapist will go through a series of tests with you.  He/she will look at your posture, your body's movement and strength, and other relevant factors to your condition.  The goal of all this is to figure out: what tissue is injured, what is the state of your condition and what are some contributing factors that got you there in the first place? 
    After the testing, your therapist will develop a plan to get you to your personal goals.  Most of the time, some form of treatment will be started on the first visit.  This may involve some kind of manual therapy, exercise or modality (i.e. electrical stimulation- not as scary as it sounds-, ultrasound, ice, heat, etc).  Your therapist will make sure you understand what is involved with your condition, and educate you on how to care for yourself.  If you ever have any questions, please ask.  We love questions.

Will physical therapy hurt?
    We do our best to accommodate to make rehabilitation as comfortable as possible.  You will never be forced to do something you don't want to do.  Depending on what you are coming in for, you may or may not experience pain.  Everyone comes in because they have some kind of pain already, and we are very mindful of that.  Some things that need to be done to progress you out of your dysfunction and into a fuller life experience can be painful.  An example of this is stretching out a "frozen shoulder."  This process is painful to most people.  However, we will never stretch you beyond where you allow us to, and we have ways of doing this to give you the most benefit with the least amount of pain/discomfort.