Patient Forms & What to Expect

Welcome to Integrative Physical Therapy!  As a patient, it is important that you feel comfortable with the care you are receiving and that you know exactly what to expect from us.

Please print and complete the “New Patient Forms” prior to your initial appointment.  We recommend that all forms be completed before your appointment; however, if you need to complete the forms in our office, we ask that you arrive at least 30 minutes early to ensure adequate time to complete.  If the forms aren’t completed prior to your appointment time, your treatment time could be affected.

Be sure to bring your referral paperwork (if required), as well as photo identification and insurance information.
Lastly, you can view our “Notice of Privacy Practices” if you’d like.   However, you don’t need to print these forms out, unless you’d like them for your own

• Your first visit generally lasts 90 minutes and will consist of a comprehensive evaluation including postural & pelvic assessment, movement analysis, range of motion testing, manual muscle testing and soft tissue texture assessment. We evaluate the entire body regardless of your complaints or symptoms.  You will receive a full treatment, as well as any instruction in self-treatment appropriate for your condition.
  

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• Each subsequent treatment session lasts 55-60 min. We provide an ongoing customized home exercise program in order to help facilitate lasting change.  Being an active participant in your own healing process is a vital component to your success and recovery.
  

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• Myofascial Release is performed directly over the skin in order for it to be effective. For this reason, it is important for your therapist to have access to as much of your body as possible during treatment. For men, this means wearing gym shorts; and for women, this means wearing a bra or sports bra, and shorts or underwear.  In addition, please refrain from applying lotion to any part of your body the day of treatment.
  

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• John Barnes’ Myofascial Release is intended to treat the whole person, not just where the symptoms are present. You will quickly learn that the cause of the problem is seldom located just where the pain is being expressed; it is often coming from areas somewhere else in the body.
  

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• Myofascial stretching can feel warm and often resembles  “butter melting or taffy stretching” when a release occurs.  Some patients describe sensations of heat, burning, cold, tingling, numbness,  buzzing or “bubbles popping”. These sensations can be very subtle.
  

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• Myofascial Release can be a little uncomfortable at times, but is typically described as a ‘pain that hurts good’.  After your first few treatments, it is not uncommon to feel some soreness or experience a slight increase in pain. Releasing restricted fascia may produce temporary “therapeutic pain”, which is different than injurious pain that can result from forcing the body beyond the stretch barrier. Any increased pain or soreness will typically subside within 24-48 hours, but can last a little longer for some. It is important to drink a lot of water after treatment to help flush out toxins that are released from the body and to help rehydrate the tissue.
  

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• Experiencing flare ups or an increase in symptoms anytime throughout your treatment is many times referred to as “the healing crisis” and is a normal part of your progression in therapy.  Receiving regular treatment will help you move through the healing crisis and feel better sooner.
  

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• Tell your therapist if you begin feeling new symptoms or sensations in areas other than where your original symptoms were. As you begin to receive treatment regularly, you will gradually become more aware of the three-dimensional effect of the fascial system and how every part of the body is connected with all other areas. The body tends to soften superficially before it softens on a deeper level, so as you move through the many layers of fascia, you may uncover older layers of restrictions that have been hidden by your original symptoms or pain. This is actually a sign that you are improving!
  

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• When you first begin treatment, a frequency of two sessions per week is helpful in alleviating long standing holding patterns that have developed in the body over time. Everyone progresses at a different rate, so the frequency for treatment really depends on each individual’s progress.