Treatment tip – you don’t need a referral to come in for assessment.
What can I expect from my first assessment?
We will normally ask you to come in a few minutes prior to your appointment to fill in the appropriate paper work for our patient data base. We can help you fill out an ACC claim too.
You will have a full ½ hour session with a physiotherapist. We will ask you a series of questions about your problem, how it affects your normal daily activities and what your goals are for recovery. It may be that you want to walk around the bays or are training for the Coast to Coast. Everyone is different and that is why we like to spend the time with you at the beginning to find out what your expectations are.
After we’ve taken a thorough history, we will look at how you move, assess whether you can move appropriately and fully and identify any discomfort. We may look beyond the specific area because some problems can be more complex. We believe it is essential to get the “full story” so we don’t waste your time and you improve as fast as possible. Depending on the complexity of your problem we may continue assessing other areas in future sessions or start treatment straight away.
Usually you will get some treatment during the first session. You will certainly get advice to manage your problem better. We will always encourage you to do as much as you possibly can to get you better as fast as possible. This may invovle a big or small home program or simply a change in daily activities.
What can I expect from treatment?
Each time you come to see us for treatment we will reassess how you’re going and make sure you’re on track to achieving your goals. There are a variety of treatment options that physiotherapists use and you will have a personalised program and schedule of recovery.
Your treatment may include:
- Mobilisation and manipulation
- Soft tissue massage
- Movement patterning advice
- Muscle imbalances
- Acupuncture
- Bio feedback
These are manual techniques applied to joints and soft tissues of the body. They help restore movement and reduce discomfort and pain.
This can help reduce any scaring and swelling in the soft tissues to decrease discomfort and ensure the soft tissues heal optimally.
This is a huge area of physiotherapy. What you do in the 23 hours we are not seeing you may have a huge impact on your problem. We will make sure you are not doing things to irritate or aggravate your problem. Whether it is advising you how to get on and off of a chair, in and out of a car or altering your walking pattern.
This relates to faulty movement patterning. It is really important that you use of all your muscles appropriately. We spend time assessing muscle imbalances and give you a home program to addresses any weakness or tightness in the muscles.
Acupuncture can be a fantastic adjunct to physiotherapy to reduce pain reduction and to promote the healing process.
We have several devices which can help show you and motivate you to perform an appropriate task or exercise.
Our physios will always provide you with a dynamic and motivating session. We want to make sure that you’re doing all the right things to best help your recovery and we are there to motivate, encourage and educate you on the best way.