At your first appointment, your physiotherapist will spend time getting to know you and the problem that has brought you to the Manchester Movement Unit.
They’ll also examine your body and you may need to undress, so we suggest bringing loose fitting clothing, such a vest and shorts, to help you feel more comfortable.
Physiotherapy takes into account the whole person, and so your physiotherapist will examine your general health, ask around your hobbies, your lifestyle and working patterns.
This helps to make sure that they have a full picture of your health and can understand the impact your condition has on your life.
Your physiotherapist will examine your body to assess your posture and range of movement, and to learn more about any pain you may have.
At each stage, your physiotherapist will explain what they plan to do and talk through their reasoning behind it.
Depending upon your problem, your physiotherapist may ask you to move in certain ways, test muscles or perform some functional tasks. They may also perform some special tests to identify which specific structures could be causing your problems.
During the examination, your physiotherapist will ask questions to find out further information about your problems. They’ll constantly check that you are comfortable, so please say if you feel any discomfort.
Once your physiotherapist has examined you, they’ll explain your problem to you so that you can really understand what is happening. Then, they’ll talk through a treatment plan, letting you know the treatments they feel will have the maximum benefit to you.
Your physiotherapist may do some treatment at your initial appointment but this depends upon the problem. This is because, in some cases, the assessment can irritate the problem and by carrying out treatment in the same session, it may produce pain or worsen irritation. If this is the case, your physiotherapist will discuss this with you.
Your physiotherapist may also recommend exercises, stretches or massage techniques that you can continue doing in your own time to help you manage pain in the long term or reduce your risk of injuring yourself again.
Each physiotherapy appointment at the Manchester Movement Unit lasts up to 45 minutes.
You may find some sessions are a little shorter as the therapist has to document their findings within the session.
The number of physiotherapy sessions you’ll require depends upon your condition, how long you’ve had the problem, and how quickly your body responds to treatment.
Your physiotherapist will discuss if, when, and how often they think you’ll need to return to receive the full benefit of treatment.