A Physio Appointment With Hayden

A Physio Appointment Is Not That Scary

If you have never been to a physio before, or perhaps you have been to a physiotherapist elsewhere in the past but have never seen Hayden, then you may be wondering what to expect of your first appointment with him. Over the years Hayden has seen countless patients who have never seen a physiotherapist before, sometimes these people arrive mildly anxious, other times just completely blind but open to what a physiotherapist is and does.

What Does A Physio Appointment Look Like

So, what does a physiotherapist do? And more specifically if I am seeing Hayden for the first time, then what is that going to play out like, what should I anticipate will happen…? Patients generally seek the assistance of a physiotherapist for a wide variety of reasons, ranging from managing a painful complaint of a joint or a muscle, to wanting help getting back to their best following an injury or accident, often patients are looking for assistance with improving their posture, or movement to enhance their quality of life, day to day function or sporting capacity.
Hayden is very used to seeing patients who simply feel they require a quick check that their “knee” is ok and that nothing too serious is going on, often they are only looking for a few tips on how they could improve things. Similarly, a regular booking would be someone with a tight back that needs a “loosen up” and a better idea on what they could do to stop it from getting tight.
Hayden is also just as comfortable at helping people negotiate their way through more significant issues, rehabilitation following surgery, or help getting back to their best after a substantial injury, or bout of pain. Whatever the reason it is important to Hayden that he understands what has bought you to see him so he can work with you to address exactly what you are looking for. This requires the initial part of the session to sound out the reason you booked the appointment in the first place, and then a few related and relevant questions to dive a bit deeper. making sure nothing is missed that could impact the treatment process.

The Reason Behind Needing A Physio Appointment Is Frequently Varied

Everyone’s reason for coming and relevant medical history will be different, but Hayden prefers to spend a bit of time here as it helps ensure appropriate advice and treatment is given. As a ballpark it would be common in this initial appointment that you could spend up to 10 mins chatting through things before, he begins any “assessment”. Time spent “assessing” the injury, posture, movement… Whatever it may be will vary. In some situations, it will be clear what is required following the initial discussion with you what this issue is. So much so, that physical assessment needs are minimal and “treatment” whatever that may entail can commence immediately. Yet in other situations “matching” up what you say, with the results of any imaging or tests you have had done and relating this to your movement capabilities, posture, strength… and making sense of it all, to ultimately form a plan of attack regarding any treatment can understandably take more time. Hayden is aware even in these more complicated situations people like to go home with something, which may be having had some hands-on treatment, some self-management strategies, ideas regarding activity changes, some home exercises, or all the above (time permitting).

The Human Body Is A Complex Machine

Given individuality and the complexity of the human body It is difficult to lay out what constitutes a standard physio session. However, as a platform, in Hayden’s opinion there needs to be a bit of discussion around the issue and the impact it is having on you. He says, “you wouldn’t take your car to the mechanic and say fix it, without at least telling them a bit about what’s been going on with the car”. Following some initial discussion, just like the mechanic Hayden will most likely need to “run a few tests” before looking to “fix” you. As previously mentioned, sometimes things are a quick fix, and this is great! A little bit hands on work here or there, some soft tissue or joint mobilisations, a few exercises or movement tips… And then “see you, if we need to see you”.
Other times, things are more involved than that. If need be, Hayden is in it for the long haul, but aware many people booking in to see him do not need much help at all. Many patients are just looking to feel or move a bit better, sometimes even they just want to be told there is nothing to worry about. Honestly, all of this is fine. Hayden has worked in New Zealand, England, and Australia for many years and has learnt that across the world everyone is the same, but at the same time we are all just a little unique. There is no dumb reason to come and see him, and you certainly cannot say he has seen it all, but it is pretty rare and it’s a great day when he’s surprised by something a patient comes in for.