If you have never been, the uncertainty is half the reason you have not booked. Here is the hour, in order, with nothing sugar-coated.
We start by talking. Not a form handed over at reception, but a conversation about what hurts, when it started, what you have tried, and — the part people forget to mention — what you want to be doing again. The last question decides everything else.
Then we look at how you move. That means the area that hurts and the joints above and below it, plus whatever activity is currently out of reach. We may put our hands on you to feel how a joint moves, which is normal and always with your consent.
You will usually know what we think before you leave, in plain language: what is likely going on, how long it should take, and what you should do before the next appointment. If we need imaging or a referral first, we say that instead — sometimes the honest answer is that physiotherapy is not your first step.
Wear something you can move in. Bring any scans or letters you already have. And if you forget everything else, you will still be fine.
