When people aren’t quite certain of what to expect regarding any new, upcoming event that they are about to experience, they may find themselves either anxious, curious or even frightened as to what to expect for when the time arrives.

When it comes to getting ready for your first physical therapy appointment, many people simply have very little or even no idea as to what to expect. This can create anxiety or feelings of nervousness, or even frustration, which are all very understandable.

Your first physical therapy appointment will consist largely of an evaluation and likely some initial treatment for your injury or condition. Your physical therapist will begin by asking you a number of questions regarding the issue(s) you’re having and will likely finish with some introductory treatment and education based on the nature of your injury or condition.

If you’re interested in learning how to prepare for your first physical therapy appointment, be sure to check out my article: How to Prepare for Your First Physical Therapy Appointment.

How long will your physical therapy appointment take?

For most outpatient-based physical therapy clinics, the your first physical therapy appointment (the initial session) will be a bit longer in duration than subsequent treatment sessions that you will be coming back for.

While every clinic can be a bit different, most initial sessions are approximately an hour or so in length, while subsequent treatments are thirty to forty-five minutes. The initial session is always a bit longer since your therapist will need some extra time to ask questions pertaining to what it is that’s bringing you in. Remember however that every clinic can be a bit different.

Arriving at the clinic: Forms and paperwork

When you first walk through the clinic doors, you’ll likely have a few papers and forms to fill out. Arriving at the clinic 15-20 minutes early is a good idea since you can then have the time you need to fill out any paperwork without the need to rush or have it cut into your actual appointment time.

Your private treatment area & meeting your physical therapist

Once it’s time for your appointment, you will likely be taken to an area of the clinic where your therapist will meet you. Depending on the nature of your visit and the type of therapist you’ll be seeing, you may be taken to either a private room or an area of the clinic with a privacy curtain that wraps around the area you’ll be treated in.

You can also request a private room for your evaluation if you haven’t been placed in one. Physical therapists understand that the need for privacy can be very important for certain people, especially if they will be discussing sensitive information or have a condition that requires a quiet, dark or private room.

Once you’ve met with your therapist, they will then proceed to perform an examination based on your condition and the answers you provided at the very beginning of the session.

Beginning the session: The interview

During the first portion of the appointment, your therapist will likely ask you a number of questions in order to better determine and understand what’s likely causing your pain or issue(s). It’s important for you to answer these questions in your own words and that you share any information you feel is important to you.

Each therapist will have a different way of asking questions, and the questions that we may choose to ask can vary largely based on numerous factors. The list of questions below are some of the typical questions we tend to ask. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather a list of general questions you may expect to be asked during the start of your first physical therapy session.

We understand that it can be hard to describe what you may be feeling, or that you may not have answers to some of the questions we may ask. This is perfectly fine and in fact quite normal. Sometimes you may not know how your injury or condition occurred, what makes it feel better or worse, and so on. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers. Few patients ever do.

Questions that your physical therapist may ask you

The following are some of the general questions that your physical therapist may ask you as you begin the interview:

• What is your primary reason for visiting the clinic?
• How long ago did the pain or issue begin and has this happened before?
• How would you choose to describe the pain or issue that you’re having?Where exactly are you feeling the pain?
• How bad does the pain get at its absolute worst?
• Does it ever go away completely?
• Is there anything (activities, positions, etc.) that helps to get rid of the pain?
• Is there anything (activities, positions, etc.) that seems to make the pain worse?
• Have you injured or had issues with this part of your body before?
• Have you been taking any medications for this issue?
• Have you sought help or treatments from other medical professionals?
• Do you have any other medical issues, either current or in the past?

Proceeding to the physical evaluation

Once your therapist has asked the questions that they feel are most important to the situation and have provided you with answers to any questions that you may have at that point in time, the session will then proceed to the physical evaluation.

This is the portion of the appointment where your physical therapist may ask you to perform certain movements as they observe what is taking place with your body as you do.

Once your physical therapist has had the chance to watch you perform certain movements that they would like to observe, they will typically then perform some form of a hands-on assessment, where they may use their hands to feel the area that is painful or dysfunctional. They may ask you to do certain activities that will challenge your strength or range of motion while asking if there is any pain associated with them.

Therapists can learn a lot about your condition based on watching you move, testing your strength, range of motion, movement quality and so on, so be prepared to be poked, prodded and challenged both strength and movement-wise a little bit.

Beginning treatment

The second-half of your first physical therapy session typically involves beginning some treatment for the condition that is causing your problem(s). After having asked you a number of questions and then having been pushed, poked and prodded a little bit, your therapist will likely have a good understanding of what is going on, or at least a good idea of where and how your treatment should begin.

This is the portion of the session that will have the greatest extent of variability from one patient to the next. The type, intensity and extent of treatment for your initial session will vary greatly based on factors such as: How long this injury or condition has been going on for, how severe it may be, your personal goals, your personal abilities, and much more.

Your physical therapist will likely prioritize pain reduction/elimination as the initial top priority if you’re in a moderate or high amount of pain. If your pain is minimal or more of a nuisance, then your therapist may prioritize treatment a bit differently. Again, this depends on a number of factors.

Wrapping up the treatment: Homework and addressing questions

Once you’ve had adequate time for your therapist to help initiate some treatment, things will wrap up and your therapist may choose to give you some “homework” to work until the next treatment session. This can include therapeutic interventions that you can perform on yourself (typically for managing pain), therapeutic exercises or movements that can also help you to feel better, along with education of activities and positions that you may need to avoid for the time being.

Once your homework has been given, your therapist will want to make sure that any questions you have are both answered and understood. Physical therapists place a high degree of treatment and care on education. The more informed you can be towards all factors pertaining to your condition and circumstances, the better off your recovery will be.

Determining a treatment plan

Typically done at the end of the treatment session, your therapist will work with you to come up with a treatment plan for subsequent treatment visits. These are typically shorter in time than the initial session since the therapist won’t have to perform the interview or as much testing for future appointments.

Your treatment plan will be based on what your therapist feels will be most ideal for treating your condition as well as what is most feasible for you (financially, time-wise, etc.).

Concluding remarks

When you don’t know what to expect for your first physical therapy appointment, it can be a bit unnerving or even anxiety-inducing. Hopefully the tips within this article will help you to gain a bit of a better understanding of how you can expect your initial physical therapy appointment to go if you’re visiting an outpatient-based clinic (i.e. a clinic that you visit and then leave without needing to stay overnight, such as a hospital).

If you’re still a bit nervous or apprehensive about going to physical therapy, remember that many people have been in your shoes before. When you’re nervous or don’t know what to expect, the first session is the toughest one. Rest assured, your physical therapist will do what they can to help you feel welcomed and comfortable.

Above all else, remember that you will walk away stronger from this experience when all is said and done.

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1. How to Prepare for Your First Physical Therapy Appointment