My First Physical Therapy Appointment

My physio team don't work like that. They're not there to make me into an athlete, their job is to teach me strategies keep me as mobile as possible and to limit other damage.

Having said that, you may find it useful to ask them whether or not you should push through pain whilst doing the recommended exercises, and if you should how much pain is too much?

You're welcome! Mine do exactly as you're asking - they give me exercises that are tailored to my limitations. Good luck!

i've had mixed experiences with physios. with the first three or four that i saw, i frankly never got over their sheer rudeness and general poor people skills, so we never got very far. the most recent one has been much better.

what i expect a physio to do is listen to me and do an assessment related to the problem i brought. then i'd expect them to explain what they think is causing the problem and why they're recommending whatever they do recommend.

my worst problems with physios have always been because i've (un)lucked into people who didn't understand not everyone groks the human body as easily as they do, and who lacked the patience or communication skills to bridge over that gap.

I asked what I could do to reduce stress/strain on my knee during everyday activities like walking & climbing stairs, and I'm glad I did. (I have a torn meniscus, arthritis, and general wear & tear that cause knee pain/discomfort, and I'm trying to delay surgery as long as possible.)

What the appointments were like: I had one-on-one attention from the physical therapist during my entire appointment. The first session was mainly focused on assessment - talking about what problems I had, what I wanted or hoped for, examining range of motion/strength/etc. of the relevant body parts, etc.

You can prepare for this part by thinking about which actions/activities seem to be a problem for you (i.e., they either hurt when you're doing them, or you have pain after). For example, for me, things involving sharp impact (jumping, or rather landing) or torque (turning in a way that twists my knee while it's weighted) are problems.

Subsequent sessions after the first were more action-oriented: Having me perform actions/exercises, the PT observing and correcting the movement, then branching to other exercises as needed. I would be sent home with instructions to do certain therapeutic exercises on my own at home. For some of these, I needed to buy (not very expensive) equipment.

If they give you exercises to do on your own, they may give you a written description of how to do them. If they don't offer this, ask if they have a written a description (or videos on the web or somesuch) - often, the details of how you do them can be important.

At the last session, they should review with you what therapeutic exercises you should continue on your own thereafter, and how often.

I see nothing wrong with the questions you plan to ask. If they don't feel qualified to answer them, they should be willing to say so (and perhaps suggest ways to get the answer, like consulting an orthopedist, visiting a top-end shoe store that professionally fits shoes, consulting a personal trainer about ongoing regular exercise activities that work within your limitations (though the therapist may have input about what characteristics you need those activities to have), etc.).

I have had a few rounds of PT for pain in knee and hips. My left knee had a severe MCL sprain and an MRI revealed a bit of arthritis, so I had an orthopedic procedure to clean that up a bit. The PT helped with strength and balance. The second time was because a muscle in my booty was getting smoothed and sending radiating pain down the backs of my legs. I also have a history of a bulging disc at L4. I did a lot of core work then, and that also helped. Both pain in my knee, back and hips flare up, but definitely is easing up as I lose weight ( I am really fat ).

I do some stretching DVDS a few times a week now and that really helps.

rosestring wrote: »

Are there any questions that those of you who have seen a PT asked or wished you had asked at your first appointment? Also, how does a traditional appointment go?

I've seen a PT twice (currently seeing one, actually).

I initially saw one because I hurt my knee running and my doctor referred me. I loved it and found it extremely valuable (sometimes painful).

How it worked was that I met with the PT, explained the issue and gave my doctor's report/referral. The PT checked out the injury (mobility and strength) and other things that related -- specifically my knee injury was related to imbalances and underdevelopment of other muscles, largely hip flexors and glutes and hamstrings (I was overusing quads), and later looked at my running form (at the time I was overstriding)--this was a running-centric PT. We worked on various things to both help with the injury and deal with spasming muscles overcompensating for the injury and also activating and strengthing and balancing the other relevant muscles. There was some massage (not really, harder and more painful), various exercises, and then exercises to do daily as homework.

My current issue is an ankle thing related to a tendon issue (my right foot falls in on the arch when I walk and run, because in part my calf muscle isn't working right -- my ankle was swelling up terribly and throbbing after long running or walking around all day, although that is better now) and it has helped with this issue, although not as quickly or dramatically as with the first. The procedure is about the same (maybe more focus on stretching, and also different exercises, although some are the same -- my hamstrings are now strong and if anything overused).

I can't think of anything I wish I'd mentioned or asked in the first session that I didn't (I tried to be as open as possible and ask what I thought of), but I did find other things to mention as the sessions continued, I think you always will.

Hope that helps, and just go in and take advantage of it.