At your first appointment we will ask you questions about….
- The problem you have come to us with
- How and when your problem started
- How your problem is behaving
- Any medication you are taking (and if it is helping)
- What you think may have caused your problem
- What it is preventing you from doing, any activities or sleeping
- What you can and cannot do because of this problem
This questioning gives us an indication of what particular type of structure is causing the problem and also whether we have to be gentle with you because the tissues affected are very sensitised. If you are taking any medication for pain relief please continue to take this, and also bring details of any regular medication you take. If you have had X-Ray or MRI scans please bring any reports with you.
We will then examine the problem area, this usually means undressing down to underwear (if you would be more comfortable please bring along a pair of shorts to wear). This is necessary so we can see how your body moves and what actions are restricted.
During the examination we look at how joints, muscles and nerves move as well as looking at posture and specific muscle strength. This will involve detailed palpation of those structures we feel may be causing the problem, this doesn’t always match what you, the patient, thinks as “referred pain”. Meaning that someone may come in with what they think was a knee problem and through a detailed biomechanical examination we identify their hip, pelvis and/or their lower back as the source of the pain! Consequently a thorough examination may mean looking at how the whole body moves and establishing the original cause of the pain not just the resulting injury.
Treatment is dependent on the needs of the patient and their condition at that particular time and may involve the use of gentle manipulative therapy; soft tissue massage; electrotherapy (Laser, Ultrasound, Interferential, Pulsed Shortwave); acupuncture; specific exercises to stretch or strengthen muscles; posture advice; advice on daily activities.