Well over 80 percent of Americans suffer significant back pain. Among suffering patients, receiving a visual and manual assessment of their upper and lower spine and extremities by a doctor, osteopath, chiropractor or physical therapy clinic provides peace of mind, even before any immediate pain relief. The vast majority of patients return to their regular activities relatively pain-free within a few weeks with no treatment at all. Others, however, do need to see a doctor, if they experience the following:
Back Pain After an Injury
* Back pain and burning sensation, numbness, or tingling
* Whenever pain travels upward and outward from the lower back or down one or both legs after work or home-related injuries
Back Pain Caused by Other Factors
* Auto accidents
* Impaired balance from changes in a woman’s center of gravity during pregnancy as the baby grows and eventually settles into the lower
pelvis
* Incorrect needle placement during an epidural, caudal, or saddle block anesthesia procedure.
Following physical examinations with non-invasive treatment without resorting to addictive opioids or liver and kidney-damaging over-the-counter medications provides optimum patient outcomes. Additionally, the relationship between back pain and exercise reveals that gentle stretching and movement provide significant benefits.
If you have recently experienced a serious illness or injury, have developed pain, or are suffering from reduced movement, your doctor has likely recommended that you participate in physical therapy to help you return to normalcy. But even if they have been able to provide you with a list of doctors or urgent care centers that offer physical therapy programs and helped you schedule an appointment, you may feel unsure about this prospect. What if you use the physical therapy equipment incorrectly? What if you are unable to do the physical therapy exercises the doctor has prepared for you? Whatever your concern, you are far from the first patient to be worried about the journey ahead. For this reason, doctors and therapists often make a number of suggestions to help patients who are about to visit an urgent care clinic or medical center to undertake one of these programs. Read on to learn how you can prepare for your first appointment.
Write It Down
Before your appointment, write down any questions you might have to reduce confusion from the start, whether you’re wondering what type of physical therapy equipment you’ll be using or how long the exercises will last. Therapists and doctors also recommend that patients document the symptoms and medical problems they are experiencing, how long the problems have lasted, any medications they are taking, any important personal information (such as recent stressful events), any environmental factors that may have contributed to the problem, and the medical conditions of close relatives. This information can answer a number of questions the therapist will have, helping them identify the right physical therapy equipment and exercises for your condition.
Gather Relevant Information
Even if you have already taken notes on your medical history, bringing any lab or diagnostic reports you have regarding your current condition can be extremely helpful to your therapist. Additionally, consider bringing the contact information of any doctors and specialists you are working with in case your therapists has questions you are unable to answer. This can also be useful if there are any medical professionals who need to be kept informed of your condition.
Prepare to Get to Work
Physical therapy isn’t just another appointment: instead, it involves actual work. Accordingly, call ahead to see if there are certain clothes you should wear to make the process easier, and make sure you take any glasses, hearing aids or other implements that you may need to be fully present. If you are a first-time patient, you should also consider bringing a family member or other trusted individual with you to help you feel comfortable, accurately convey your medical information, and take notes on the therapist’s instructions.
Physical therapy is an increasingly common treatment for everything from back pain to the effects of a stroke due to the benefits it offers many patients. Because of this, it is necessary to make sure that you arrive at your appointment ready for the journey you are about to undertake. To prepare yourself, follow the steps listed above and get ready to increase your mobility and return to normalcy. More like this article.
