When having any form of therapy it can often be daunting to come in and have an initial consultation as many people aren’t sure what to expect. The initial session is structured to help the therapist and client feel comfortable, understand the issues they are facing and build a plan moving forward to achieve the treatment goals. This short article should help you know and understand what’s involved in an initial session when visiting First Choice Therapy.
Subjective Assessment
The subjective assessment is the first and one of the most important elements of the initial session. A subjective assessment involves various questions such as ‘ What pain are you experiencing? ‘ ‘What are your goals in regards to receiving treatment?’ etc….. The subjective assessment allows the therapist to build up a picture of the client's needs and what treatments will be the most beneficial/effective. It’s common that a subjective assessment will lead to a discussion in regards to diagnosis and what may be causing the discomfort that a client is experiencing. The therapist will try and get as much information as possible during this time but if you can’t remember specifics or certain details then don’t worry!
Objective Assessment
The objective assessment is the method by which a therapist discovers the clinical signs of the pathology rather than just the symptoms. A therapist will be looking at things such as the range of motion of a joint, for example how far you can move your shoulder upwards. It’s common for a therapist to also look at things such as muscle flexibility, movements that cause discomfort, nerve tests, and generally looking and palpating the areas that may be affected. Hopefully, during this time the therapist will be able to confirm any diagnosis that they were considering during the subjective assessment and discuss this with the client.
Treatment
After both a subjective and objective assessment treatment can begin on the area affected as now the therapist will know what treatments will be beneficial for how the client is presenting. Treatments may include massage, manipulations, stretching, or mobilizations. The therapist will explain why certain treatments may be beneficial and guide you through what to expect with the various techniques.
Debrief and Rehabilitation
Hopefully, after receiving a few treatment techniques the affected area should feel more comfortable often with a reduction in symptoms. After the treatment period, the therapist will debrief you on things such as diagnosis, treatment methods, and advice going forward. The debrief allows for any questions or concerns to be answered and importantly any exercises to be prescribed to help with your rehabilitation. Exercises will be given to help stretch tight muscles, increase mobility at a certain joint or just to allow for an easing in symptoms. This time also allows for the therapist and client to discuss what treatment pathway is most beneficial ( for example how many sessions you may need and how frequently) in order to get you pain-free and feeling great!
If you have any questions about coming in for your first session or any concerns about booking in then don’t hesitate to contact us via email at firstchoicetherapybw@gmail.com or just give us a call on 07597703213.