What to Expect in Redlands
Not knowing what actually happens in the room is one of the most common reasons people put the first appointment off for another month. So here it is, in order, with nothing left vague. Your first visit at Citrus Valley is about an hour, one on one with a doctor of physical therapy, and you will leave it knowing what we think is going on and what we intend to do about it.
Your first hour, in the order it happens.
Your first visit
Paperwork is done online before you arrive, so the front desk is a short stop rather than a clipboard marathon. From there you go back with a doctor of physical therapy, and you stay with that same person for the full hour. Nobody hands you off to a circuit of machines partway through, and nobody is treating three people at once in the corner of your eye. It is an hour of one on one time, which is the only way an examination like this is worth doing.
What we assess
The examination has three parts. First, a review of your concerns in your own words: what hurts, when it started, what set it off if anything did, and what you have quietly stopped doing because of it. Second, a review of your medical history, including surgeries, imaging, other conditions and anything else that changes how the area should be loaded. Third, a baseline physical exam: range of motion, strength, and how the joint actually behaves when we ask it to work. That last part is the baseline everything later gets measured against.
Your plan
Before you leave, your therapist walks you through what they found and what it means, in language you can repeat to your spouse without a translator. You will know what appears to be driving the problem, what the plan is, roughly how often you should be coming in, and what you are responsible for between visits. Most plans of care run 2 to 3 visits a week for 4 to 6 weeks, with sessions of 30 to 60 minutes. Your measurements get re-tested along the way, so whether you are progressing is a number and not an opinion.
Do the paperwork the night before.
Our intake form runs to 14 pages and it is completed online, which sounds like a lot until you consider the alternative. Every question answered at your kitchen table the evening before is a question your therapist does not have to ask you on the clock, and the hour you paid for stays an hour about your body. Patients who fill it in ahead of time consistently have the smoother first visit.
Wear something you can move in, and something that gives your therapist access to the area that hurts: shorts for a knee or a hip, short sleeves or a tank top for a shoulder or a neck, and shoes you would actually walk or train in. Bring a photo ID and your insurance card so we can verify your benefits, and bring your referral if your plan requires one. In California you can start physical therapy without a physician referral for up to 45 days or 12 visits, whichever comes first, so most people can book directly. If you are not sure where your plan stands, call or text us and we will check it before you come in.
It was my first visit. I had filled out a lengthy 14 page Intake Form online the evening before. On the day and hour of the visit, I met with "Dr. Ray."
Ready when you are.
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