One of the most common questions we get in the area of physical therapy is, ‘How do I get started if I think I need physical therapy?’ Well, we have dedicated this article to that question. Now, physical therapy is so vast and has many different specializations. Each patient requires a physical therapist suited to the techniques associated with their condition. For instance, at Arise Physical Therapy, we specialize in Active Release Technique, Graston, Myofascial Release, Cupping, and Strength and Conditioning. There are other areas of physical therapy, such as Pediatric PT, Neurological PT, Pelvic Floor Disorders, and many more that other Physical Therapy Practices specialize in.
This is where we introduce, what we call, our Discovery Session. We want you to understand how we conduct our Discovery Sessions and what you can expect to be taking away from one of these.
What is a Discovery Session?
The Discovery Session helps us to find the primary reason for your pain, and provides you with the opportunity to discuss some of the options available for getting started. This session gives you the opportunity to tell your physical therapist everything that’s going on with your body that may be causing you pain or discomfort. The purpose of the Discovery Session is to help you understand what is wrong with your body, and to decide whether or not we are the right PT practice for you.
Our Holistic Discovery Session Process
At Arise PT, each therapist conducts their own style of the Discovery Session. The goal of the Discovery Session is to have you walking out of our clinic feling better than when you walked in. What sets Arise PT apart, is that we always give our clients a clear overview of their treatment plan. We walk our clients through the recovery process and provide an indication of how long it should take them to achieve their goals. All of this, of course, from a holistic approach.
So here are the steps of how we get started:
Step 1: You can make your initial inquiry through our social media account or website.
Step 2: After that, we set up a personal profile and get you ready for an initial discovery session with us. This would comprise of your name, address, contact details, your chief complaint and/or diagnosis from your physician, and other pertinent data.
Step 3: When you arrive, we usually have a layed back conversation to get to know you a little better, and understand the background of your situation. This is to establish a good rapport with you to help you feel more comfortable opening up to us with your health needs. We then take note of your history as we consider any prior injuries or conditions you have experienced. We take this step very seriously because we want our patients to feel and understand that they can trust us as we keep all of our patients information completely confidential.
Step 4: After a thorough interview with you, one of our physical therapists will get to work and conduct a physical assessment of you. This is where our therapists work on our your mobility and movement. You may be asked to either lie down, sit, or to stand up, while the therapist performs manual therapy on affected areas of your body. Our therapists look at your body as a whole, and not just the injury itself. This way, they can truly see what other parts of your body may be affected, and also, what kinds of Physical Therapy techniques may be required to treat your condition.
Step 5: Finally, after the hands-on assessment, the therapist will then need to create and report outcomes and results of the physical assessment and what type of treatment is best for you. This step is also where you get both visual and audio instructions for exercises that you can do at home (at-home care). You will need to continue your treatment plan at home as consistancy is key in the recovery process. More than likely, you will not experience a full recovery if you solely rely on clinical sessions alone. The exercises and stretches we will show you are designed to help you get stronger and more flexible on a daily basis, provided you are putting in the work.
Typically, most clinics will conduct a Discovery Session within about 20 minutes, but here at Arise PT, we go the extra mile with you and want to ensure we have checked everything before sending you away. You can expect our discovery session with you to last about 30 minutes to an hour. This, of course, depends a lot on your physical condition and whether you have pre-existing injuries or not. Remember, we take a holistic approach, meaning our therapists not only assess the physical level of your complaint and condition, but also assess how it may be affecting your overall well-being.
At Arise PT, our physical therapists like to see you on a weekly basis. Once they have seen enough progress in your recovery, they will often change your sessions from weekly to fortnightly, or sometimes monthly. After your Discovery Session, you will leave our meeting well informed, educated, and motivated to undergo your recovery process. If you would like more information about our Discovery Session, or if you have any questions you would like to ask one of our physical therapists, then please get in touch today!