With the History exam the physiotherapist gathers information from the patient, the history of injury, area of pain, duration of symptoms are all discussed here.
Following the history-taking the physical exam begins. The physical exam will vary depending on the type of injury e.g back, knee etc. In general the physiotherapist will look at the patients posture in standing. This involves assessing the alignment of the patients spine and observing for any muscle wasting ect. Following this the physiotherapist will look at the patient’s movements, strength or weakness and specific joint/muscle tests. Using the findings of both the subjective and physical exams the physiotherapist will decide the best course of treatment for the patient.
