We talked in part 1 about what may bring you in to the clinic. Now let’s explore what you can expect from a physical therapy visit including Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT). The initial information is very important, as we probe exactly what happens to your pain with certain parts of your life, this gives us a lot of information about what to expect in the physical exam. During the physical exam, we will test multiple movements or positions, always asking if the pain or motion is “better, worse, or the same?” We are looking for a movement or position that makes the problem better, but information is gained from all responses.
Often, the “homework” is a particular movement or position that is supposed to be repeated quite frequently throughout the day - maybe 8 times! If a particular item is helpful, but just not getting “all the way”, then the therapist can add overpressure in a variety of manual techniques to get further responses, faster responses, or longer lasting responses. Over the visits, the movement may change or adjust until all movements are full and not painful. By the end of the episode of care, you will be empowered with the knowledge of how to maintain the changes made, and what to do if more acute pain were to return.
Some will end their care here, and others will need some time to strengthen or train to return to an activity that was put on hold, or to do something new in order to stay healthy! Whatever your final goals are, we are here to help you at Prevail!
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