What Should I Tell My Physical Therapist?
You might have some concerns about your treatment and goals if you’ve never been to a physical therapist before. Here are some general physical therapy issues and points you may want to speak about during your initial assessment.
Talk about the pain you are experiencing.
Go into depth on what kind of operations you are having problems with and where the pain comes from. The more input you can give, the more your doctor can help to establish a treatment plan.
How did your injury happen and/or when did your pain begin?
Did you have an accident or injury, or did the pain grow over an extended period of time gradually? Your PT will direct you to recovery after an accident, whether it’s sports, work or surgical post-op. They will teach you movements, stretches, and techniques as part of physical therapy, using advanced equipment to address your discomfort.
What are your recovery goals?
In relation to your treatment, if you have clear objectives, let your therapist know. Would you like to run a marathon, or is it your ambition to cook dinner and be able to hit your cabinets? Your ambition, perhaps, is to have enough strength to play with your grandchildren. When designing a recovery plan that better suits your needs, your physical therapist needs this knowledge. Your rehabilitation continues with physical therapy, whether you’re a professional athlete who has sustained an injury or an orthopedic patient who needs support after surgery.
Give your physical therapist you primary care provider’s information.
Good communication with your physical therapist and your provider of primary care will help remove the need for unnecessary prescriptions and include your medical history in great detail. Your physical therapist will also help explain referral criteria and the method of decision-making.
Tell your physical therapist of any drugs you are taking at the moment.
Because of physical activity, different drugs can cause adverse side effects and the physical therapist needs to make sure you are ready for physical therapy. Make sure you have a thorough list of your drugs and be prepared for your assessment to address them.
Always tell your physical therapist your pain levels and how you feel your progress is going.
The aim of Physical Therapy is to make changes in your body. The pressures on the body will vary as physical therapists make adjustments to your tissues and mechanics, and can change where you experience the pain or symptoms. For your physical therapist, be available. Let your physical therapist know if you have any concerns about your condition or want to go through any pain you are feeling and they will go through it with you. Chances are that what you feel is fully natural and part of the process of healing.
Are You Looking for Relief From Neck Pain?
Pace Physical Therapy in San Jose, California specializes in non-surgical neck pain relief and recovery therapies. We pride ourselves on offering the best possible physical therapy available and going above and beyond for our patients. Our highly experienced physical therapist will work with you to improve your function and relieve your pain. We start by assessing the body as a whole. Oftentimes the cause of pain or an injury extends far beyond just the body part or muscle hurting. Without taking a comprehensive look at your entire self, we would be doing you a disservice in fully helping you heal and preventing future limitations. We then move on to fixing your areas of limitation. Not all diagnoses are created equal. One person with neck pain may have completely different limitations than the next person. Your recovery program needs to be specific to what YOUR body needs and not just the typical exercise program that you can find online. Just because your pain decreases or you can walk longer doesn’t mean that it is enough to get you functioning at the level you want to be. While this often signifies the end of care at your typical PT clinic we don’t stop providing guidance until we help you successfully meet every goal you set for yourself with us on day one. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!
