Your first visit
What to expect at your first appointment
Coming to a new clinic when you are sore and unsure what is wrong is nobody’s idea of a good morning. Here is exactly what happens, from the car park to the exercises you take home.
Sheila O’Donoghue, Clinical Director, on what happens when you arrive and what the first thirty minutes involve.
Before you arrive
Nothing here should be a surprise.
A first appointment is mostly talking. We need to understand the problem before we touch it, and you need to understand our view before you agree to anything.
If you would rather watch than read, Sheila O’Donoghue, our Clinical Director and Lead Physiotherapist, walks through the same visit on video. Either way, nothing is done without being explained first, and you can stop at any point.
The appointment
How a first appointment runs.
First appointments are thirty minutes as standard, or an hour if you book a Platinum session.
Arriving
Park on site at 34A Star Lane and come straight in. If stairs are difficult, tell us when you book so we can see you on the ground floor. Arriving five minutes early gives you time to settle.
At reception
Our front of desk team will take a few details, including your GP surgery and medical history. You will wait a couple of minutes, not half an hour.
The conversation
Your clinician asks what the problem is, when it started, what makes it better or worse, and what you want to get back to. That last answer shapes the plan most.
The assessment
We watch you move, test the joints and muscles involved and check the areas around the painful one, explaining as we go and stopping if anything is too sore.
The explanation
We tell you what we think is going on, in plain terms, including what we are unsure about. If a scan would add something, we can often do it here with diagnostic ultrasound.
Agreeing a plan
We give you a realistic view of what this will take, without booking you into a long course. If physiotherapy is not the right answer, we will say so and tell you what is.
Treatment on the day
Treatment usually starts at the first appointment, whether hands-on work, taping or safe movement, and we will tell you how it may feel afterwards.
Your exercises
You leave with two or three exercises rather than a long list. If you are unsure you will remember them, ask and we will write them down or send them to you.
Coming in
What to bring and wear.
The appointment works better when we can see the painful area move.
- Loose clothing you can move in, or shorts and a vest top to change into. There is somewhere to change
- Any scan reports, clinic letters or discharge notes you have been given
- A list of the medication you take
- Your glasses, if you need them to read an exercise sheet
- Someone with you, if you would rather not come on your own
After the appointment
What happens between appointments.
Most of the work happens between appointments. The exercises only need a few minutes most days, and tying them to something you already do, like putting the kettle on, makes them far more likely to happen.
Your second appointment is usually a week or two later. We check what has changed, drop what is not working and move you on. If nothing has shifted, we want to know, because that tells us something too.
If something changes
- A short flare-up after treatment is common and usually settles in a day or two
- If an exercise is clearly making things worse, stop it and ring us
- Ring 01702 965 509 if you are worried, rather than waiting for the next appointment
- New numbness, weakness or pins and needles is worth telling us about straight away
FAQs
Common questions.
Do I need a referral from my GP?
No. You can book directly with us. If we think your GP or a consultant should be involved, we will tell you and write to them with your permission.
How long will the first appointment take?
Thirty minutes as standard. If you would like more time, you can book a 60 minute Platinum session, which costs more.
Will I actually be treated on the first visit?
Usually, yes. The assessment comes first, but once we know what we are dealing with, treatment normally starts the same day rather than at the next appointment.
What if I do not want hands-on treatment?
Then we will not do it. Say so at the start, or at any point during the appointment. There is almost always more than one way to treat a problem, and a good deal of what works is exercise and advice rather than hands-on work.
Can someone come in with me?
Yes. Bring whoever you want. A second pair of ears helps when there is a lot to take in, and if you would rather not be examined on your own, tell us and we will make sure you are not.
Ready when you are.
Call or WhatsApp us on 01702 965 509 and we will find a time that suits you.