Your initial office visit will take a little over an hour. The first part will include an in-depth discussion about the history of your condition; your work, eating and exercise habits; hobbies; stresses; etc. All of these contribute to the state of your health. In many cases, small details about your lifestyle are important clues on how we can help you get better.
Following your history, we’ll perform a thorough examination of your spine, nerves, muscles, joints, and “fascia” (the thin connective tissues that surrounds all of your muscles). We’ll also do a series of tests to evaluate your muscle balance, motor control and how you move. Subtle muscle imbalance, joint instability, and mobility issues are frequently the underlying cause of a painful condition.
While we focus on the area of pain, we always assess the entire body. It is very common for contributory dysfunction in muscles, joints, or fascia to be found in areas other than where you are experiencing your pain. Without assessing and treating these, it is often impossible to recover fully.
Your initial visit will usually also include some treatment as well as advice on how not to injure yourself further. We’ll also start the process of developing a prescribed series of rehab exercises customized specifically for you and your condition.
