Physiatry/Pain Specialists:
- On the initial visit for your Pain Consultation, expect to remain with us 1.5-2 hours depending on the complexity of your condition. On certain occasions you will be asked to come back a second time to complete the evaluation.
- If you have difficulty communicating in English, please make sure you attend with a companion (friend or relative) who can interpret for you.
- Make sure you bring a valid health card; otherwise, you will not be seen.
- For your first visit, you will complete an intake form and register at our reception desk.
- You will then be thoroughly examined by our pain clinicians. Please bring suitable clothing for the examination (e.g. If your pain complaint is in your upper extremity, please bring a tank top. If your pain is in the lower extremity, please bring shorts).
- Since our Centre is open to trainees from universities and major training institutions, we will ask your permission whether they can attend the history and physical examination. You have the right to refuse if this makes you uncomfortable. Your refusal will not affect your assessment and treatment in any way.
- If you miss an appointment or cancel without 24 hours’ notice, charges recommended by the Ontario Medical Association will apply.
Chiropractors:
During your initial Chiropractic appointment, you will be required to fill out initial intake forms for the Chiropractor to have a general understanding of what brings you into the clinic. Please come 15 minutes before the appointment to fill the forms. You should expect to be with the Chiropractor for 1 hour to help determine the cause of the problem and how to treat it. The appointment is broken down into 4 parts:
- Detailed history – Patients are asked relevant questions relating to the details of their current complaint, what tests or treatments have they received and whether the treatments worked for them, general health history, and information regarding sleep, mood, home and work environment, occupation, among many other things. The goal is to obtain a global understanding of the patient’s problems.
- Physical examination – With the information obtained from the history, the practitioner will examine the patient’s posture, gait, range of movements, will perform special tests relating to the areas of complaints, assess areas of tenderness to palpation, and conduct a thorough neurological examination.
- Report of findings – With the information obtained from the history and physical examination, your Chiropractor will discuss what they found during the exam and a diagnosis will be communicated and thoroughly explained. At times, a patient may be referred for further testing if more information is required to make that diagnosis.
- Plan of Management – After the diagnosis is made, the Chiropractor will recommend various treatments and propose a duration of treatment to effectively deal with the problem. The risk of those treatments will be discussed and if the patient consents to the plan, a written consent is signed, and the treatment journey begins.
Naturopaths:
- During your initial Naturopathic assessment, you will be required to fill out an intake form for the doctor to understand your health complaint so the doctor can be prepared during the assessment. You should expect to be with the Naturopathic doctor for 1 hour where an in-depth comprehensive history, examination, and plan of management will be discussed.
- You may be sent for certain lab tests to help the doctor establish a specific diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient. Lab tests can also help to monitor how the patient is responding to treatment.
- You will be counselled on supplements and a nutritional plan, to help you achieve the goals discussed during the plan of management.
Massage Therapy:
- When you come in you will fill out a health history form in the waiting area. Then, your therapist will review your health history and bring you into the treatment room. They will ask you questions about what brings you in for your visit.
- After discussing your session goals with you, the therapist will leave the room to allow you to get on the table in an agreed upon position.
- Disrobing is not necessary but will allow your therapist to perform techniques with lotion, which can be more comfortable.
Psychotherapy:
- The initial interview is focused on gathering information about you and the nature of your problems.
- The initial interview may take 1-2 sessions depending on the complexity of issues discussed.
- At the end of the initial interview, the psychologist/psychotherapist will provide feedback to the client and both therapist and client will develop the treatment goals of therapy.
- This will also include a tentative number of sessions needed to achieve the treatment goals.