What to expect: FAQs

What can I expect at my first appointment?

All patients will experience an extensive 90 minute evaluation. The initial evaluation provides a valuable interaction between both of you and your physical therapist. This allows you the opportunity to tell your story from everything leading up to your symptoms to where you are in life now. This will lead to an extensive orthopedic assessment to analyze your movements and determine if there are external contributors to your internal symptoms. An orthopedic assessment can include, but is not limited to, range of motion, strength, flexibility and functional mobility assessment. If indicated, a pelvic floor assessment will be performed. If not indicated, the remaining time allotted for the evaluation may be used for answering questions, training in a home exercise plan and beginning treatment.

What do you learn from a pelvic floor assessment?

If indicated, an external and internal assessment of the pelvic floor muscles and surrounding tissues will be performed. This allows for an increased understanding of your areas of tenderness or pain, the strength and coordination of your pelvic floor muscles, and the mobility of any scar tissue limitations you may have. This is usually the shortest part of the evaluation but provides critical information for the development of your plan of care. If you feel uncomfortable with the pelvic floor assessment at any time, please share this with your physical therapist immediately to reduce any negative response to the evaluation process.

What happens after my first appointment and assessment?

After completion of the evaluation, an individualized plan of care will be developed based on the evaluation findings. This will be discussed with you to ensure your understanding and agreement. A home exercise plan will be prescribed for you and follow up appointments will be scheduled, if necessary, to allow for further treatment, ongoing assessment and home exercise plan progression.

Will I need to buy special equipment?

No equipment is required to participate in physical therapy at Core Strong Physical Therapy. Throughout the course of your treatment and progress, recommendations may be made for tools that you may want to acquire which will allow you to continue your progress at home. These are always optional and never required, they are simply tools to make it easier for you to self treat and maintain your progress.