Understanding your personalised treatment plan
A personalised treatment plan is a customised approach designed to meet your unique individual needs. This process begins with a thorough assessment of your medical history, lifestyle and specific concerns.
The goal is to identify the root cause of any pain or dysfunction and develop a plan that addresses not just the symptoms, but the underlying issues. This process usually involves several steps:
Medical history
This is a critical step in understanding your overall health and any underlying conditions that may affect treatment. During this process, we’ll typically gather detailed information about your past and present health concerns.
This may include any previous injuries and conditions, current symptoms, lifestyle factors, current medical conditions (e.g. arthritis) and any family medical history.
Physical examination
A thorough physical exam is then conducted, focusing on the spine, posture and range of motion. We may assess muscle strength, flexibility and balance to spot areas of tension or imbalance, including:
- Posture assessment
We’ll examine your posture while you are standing, sitting and sometimes walking. We’ll look for any signs of imbalance, misalignment or uneven weight distribution. - Range of motion testing
We’ll test the flexibility and range of motion in different parts of your body, particularly the spine, neck, shoulders and limbs. - Spinal alignment check
We’ll physically feel along your spine, searching for any areas of misalignment or tenderness. - Muscle strength and tone
We will test the strength of various muscle groups, checking for any weakness, imbalances or muscle tension. - Joint mobility testing
We’ll also assess the movement and mobility of the joints, particularly those of the spine, neck, shoulders and hips. - Palpation
We’ll use our hands to feel for abnormalities in your muscles, bones and joints. - Functional movement tests
We may also ask you to perform specific movements, such as bending, twisting or lifting, to observe how your body responds.
Neurological examination
This is a simple set of tests used to check how well the nerves in your body are working. We’ll perform this to see if there are any issues with your nervous system, which controls things like muscle movement, reflexes and sensation.
We may test your reflexes (like tapping your knee to see if your leg kicks), check your muscle strength to ensure your muscles are responding correctly and also look at how well you can feel different sensations, such as light touch or temperature, to see if any areas have reduced feeling.
Diagnostic imaging (if needed)
X-rays or other imaging techniques may be used to get a clearer picture of the spine and joints, helping to pinpoint any misalignments or abnormalities.