Your first appointment will last up to 30 minutes.
Please ensure you arrive in plenty of time as parking is restricted at busy times.
Your appointment will consist of:
- You may be asked to provide your email address when you arrive. This is so that we can send information and exercises relating to your condition electronically if it is deemed appropriate. If you provide your email address you will receive a verification email from us. Please respond to this email accordingly.
- A series of questions about your problem. There may be quite a few questions but the more information we have at this stage, the better chance we have of diagnosing and treating the condition correctly.
- Where appropriate there will be a thorough examination of the area. We want you to feel comfortable during your appointment so you may wish to bring with you suitable clothing to aid assessment i.e. if you have a knee problem, you may wish to bring a pair of shorts, if you have a shoulder or neck problem, ladies may wish to bring a thin strapped top.
- You will need to bring a recent list of your medication.
- It is helpful if you know the results of any tests that you may have had for the affected area. (including scans, x-rays and blood tests)
- Once a working diagnosis has been made, it will be explained to you and options for treatment discussed. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.
- If it is thought that physiotherapy treatment will be helpful for your condition, the appropriate course of treatment will be offered.
- If this includes splints, walking aids etc. they will normally be provided on the day of the assessment if available.
- It is highly likely that your treatment will involve a specifically targeted home exercise plan to help to strengthen or stretch the affected structures. It is important that you are willing to do these exercises on a regular basis if you wish to see good long term benefit from your physiotherapy sessions.
- The physiotherapist will also provide you with advice on how to best manage your condition. This is to help prevent a recurrence of your symptoms in the future and may include lifestyle advice and postural education.
- Referral on for further treatment and/or investigations may be made if appropriate. We have direct access to the Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland musculoskeletal clinic, and the podiatry department. We can also ask your GP to refer to other NHS services should it be deemed appropriate.
- A child under 16 MUST be accompanied by their legal guardian or a parent.
- For those with communication difficulties, we are able to provide interpreters, including sign language, although you are welcome to bring a family member or a carer if your would prefer.
- If you need reading glasses, please bring them with you. Before your assessment you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire. This does not affect your treatment. We ask all our patients to complete one before their course of physiotherapy and then again on completion of their treatment. This enables us to monitor our performance and make sure that we continue to use the most effective treatments. You should receive a paper copy of the questionnaire with your appointment letter. Please ensure that it is completed before you attend for your first appointment.