What to Expect

Physical Therapy

What can I expect on my first visit?

On your initial visit we request you arrive approximately 10-15 minutes early to fill out necessary paperwork. You may also choose to download our patient intake forms ahead of time from our website and bring them with you (see “PT Forms” under FAQs). You will need to bring your prescription and/or your referral from your doctor (if you have one) and your insurance card. Your initial physical therapy visit will take approximately one hour and will include a comprehensive assessment as well as initiation of your treatment plan by a licensed physical therapist.

How long will the appointments last?

Your initial visit will take approximately an hour. Subsequent visits may last from 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the diagnosis and treatment plan.

What should I wear?

We recommend you bring or wear loose, comfortable clothing to allow the greatest ease in movement and to provide your physical therapist access to the involved body area. We do provide shorts and gowns if needed. We also recommend you wear or bring athletic shoes for proper support during exercises. Please refrain from wearing cologne or perfume to your acupuncture sessions.

Will I see the same therapist each visit?

It is our policy that patients see the same therapist for all of there visits in order to keep consistency in care and develop a stronger healing relationship. If however, a therapist is out of the office for one or more days, we strongly urge patients to continue with their regularly scheduled appointments to avoid gaps in treatment and set-backs in progress towards goals. Sometimes a patient’s schedule may not match up well with his or her initial therapist’s availability. When this is the case, it may be necessary to alternate therapists to accommodate the patient.

How many visits will I need?

This number of visits varies widely. You may need just one visit or you may need months of care depending on your diagnosis and condition. We will re-evaluate and measure your progress every 3-6 wks at which time a progress report will be faxed to your doctor or sent with you to take to your doctor at your next follow-up appointment.

What do physical therapists do?

Physical therapists are experts in movement and function, and in addition to rehabilitating people from injury, they also focus their skills on preventing injury, loss of movement, and surgical intervention. The foundation of physical therapy treatments is primarily therapeutic exercise and functional training. This includes educating patients on injury prevention, postural re-education, and exercises that patients can continue on their own. Additionally, many physical therapists receive specialized training in manual therapy techniques to address postural, musculoskeletal and neuromuscular pain and dysfunction. Physical therapists also use treatment modalities such as hot and cold packs, ultrasound (which uses high frequency sound waves to produce heat), electrical stimulation to muscles and nerves for pain reduction as well as retraining and strengthening muscles, and mechanical traction for spinal disc injuries. Usually, PTs will use a variety of there skills in one treatment, incorporating therapeutic exercises with the hands-on techniques and mechanical modalities.

Will I get a massage at physical therapy?

Massage may be part of your treatment. Physical therapists are trained in a variety of manual techniques which may be part of the rehabilitative process. Massage is used for three reasons typically – to facilitate to decrease swelling in an area, to relax tight muscles, or to relieve pain.

Will I have to do exercises?

Therapeutic exercise is an important part of your rehabilitation program. Compliance with a home exercise program will speed recovery, and increase the effectiveness of your therapy and help minimize re-injury or re-occurance of symptoms. We make sure that all exercise are performed correctly in the clinic before they are prescribed for your home program. A handout may be given with diagrams to help you remember your home program.

Acupuncture

What can I expect on the first visit?

On your initial visit we request you arrive approximately 10-15 minutes early to fill out necessary paperwork. You may also choose to download our patient intake forms ahead of time from our website and bring them with you (see “Acupuncture Forms” under FAQs). Payment is expected upon arrival.

Your initial acupuncture visit will take approximately 1 1/2 hours. First, your acupuncturist will sit with you and ask information regarding your physical health, lifestyle, family history, social background, your emotional well-being, and what your personal goals and wishes are that you would like to see manifest. This initial conversation helps to guide your practitioner in how to provide the most effective and healing treatment possible. Next, a Chinese physical exam will be given, which includes gentle palpation of different points and areas on your torso, arms and legs, observation of your skin, your eyes, and your tongue, complexion, and flexibility. You may or may not receive a needle treatment on your first visit.

Do the needles hurt?

Acupuncture needles are very fine, solid, sterile, stainless steel needles nearly as fine as a piece of human hair. In this respect, they are very different from hypodermic needles used to draw blood or to administer medication. Most of the time, needles are inserted just below the skin’s surface and the sensations vary from person to person. You may feel nothing at all or perhaps a momentary dull ache or tingling.

How long do the needles stay in?

Sometimes needles are inserted and left in for 15 – 20 minutes or more and the patient is either lying down or sitting comfortably while the needles are in. Sometimes, and more often the case in five-element acupuncture, the needles are inserted and removed immediately after, and the patient rests for awhile without the needles in. This may vary from treatment to treatment depending on what the person needs.

What to wear?

It is recommended you wear loose, easy to work around or remove. It may be necessary to remove some clothing or undergarments for access to the necessary points on the body. In such cases, your practitioner will drape and cover you with a sheet or blanket. Many of the most powerful points are located on the arms legs and will be needled during most visits, so loose pants and/or sleeves is recommended to access these areas.