What to Expect at Your FTP Visit

So you’ve booked your first appointment at Fine Tuned Performance… Now what? Because our patients are our first priority, we want you to feel as comfortable as possible coming into your initial evaluation at FTP, so here’s what to expect when you come in.

Check-in Process

First, you’ll check in with our receptionist— we’ll send you all your intake paperwork beforehand so you’re ready to go when you arrive. We rarely have wait times longer than a few minutes while the previous appointment wraps up, so you won’t be sitting in the lobby for long, but you’re welcome to grab a water bottle, some electrolytes, or a cup of coffee before your appointment starts.

History-Taking

Once your physical therapist is ready for you, you’ll head into their office and they’ll spend time getting to know you. While they’ll focus mostly on your athletic history, past or present injuries, and goals, we just want to get to know you better! Again, we want your appointments to be enjoyable and comfortable, so we want to learn about who you are. After you share your pain point with your physical therapist, they will begin their assessment. In the first appointment, they’ll ask lots of questions about your pain level when doing certain movements, showing you images of the human body at the muscular and/or skeletal level so that you can better understand where your pain is coming from.

Movements and Exercises

In order to work toward your goals, whatever they may be, we will spend the majority of most of your appointments in the gym (meaning you should wear or bring clothes and shoes that are comfortable to move in!). Our philosophy is that movement is best for performance rehabilitation. Whether your goal is to return to a sport after an injury or increase mobility where you have a deficit, movement is important. As you have more appointments with us, you’ll spend more and more time in the gym during the appointment rather than talking in the office. At this point, we know where you started, and we know where you want to go, so we’re going to spend the majority of the hour working toward that with you. In the gym, your physical therapist will walk through several exercises with you (they will all be documented and sent to you at the end of the day) meant to strengthen and “bullet-proof” your pain point. These are also meant to be done at home in between appointments to keep you improving!

Recovery

Depending on the contents of your appointment, we might spend time recovering a little afterward. If your plan of care calls for it, you might have dry needling, cupping, or other soft tissue work done. We might also opt for a Normatec treatment. Typically, this takes no more than the last 15 minutes of your appointment, if not less.

Overall, we’re here for you, so we tailor each appointment to the specific needs of each patient.

We never assume that you’re just like our other patients, so we really take the time to listen to your specific needs and create an experience for you that helps you reach your goals. With an hour-long appointment with a doctor of physical therapy, you will be listened to, and your needs will be taken into account. We want nothing more than to help you perform better at Fine Tuned Performance, so we’re going to get you there.

All photos by Evermore Photo Co.