Back Pain Pre-Exam Form in Abilene
You have told this story before. To a doctor, to a spouse, to whoever asked why you were walking like that. Here is every question your therapist will ask about your back at our Abilene clinic, laid out ahead of time, so you can think it through at home and we can spend your first visit examining you instead of interviewing you.
What your back pain pre-exam covers.
Back pain is not one problem. A disc that flares when you sit is a different animal from a joint that flares when you stand, and both feel like “my lower back” when you are the one living in it. The groups of questions below are the ones that tell those apart.
Read them before you come in. Jot your answers on your phone, on the back of an envelope, wherever. There is nothing to submit on this page and nothing to print. When you are ready to book, the form further down this page is all you need.
Where it sits, where it travels
Point to the spot. Is it centred in your low back, off to one side, or spread across the belt line? Then tell us whether it stays there or runs into the buttock, down the back of the thigh, past the knee, into the calf or the foot. How far it travels tells us how much the nerve is involved.
Back pain & sciatica →What makes it worse, what settles it
A long drive. Standing at the sink. Bending to load the dishwasher. The first steps out of bed in the morning, before your back has agreed to the day. Tell us which of those spikes it and which of them eases it. A back that hates bending needs the opposite plan from a back that hates standing.
Request an appointment →Numbness, tingling and weakness
Pins and needles, a dead patch of skin, a leg that feels like it might not hold you. Note where it is and when it shows up. One item is urgent: if you have new changes in bladder or bowel control, or numbness through the saddle area, call us immediately or go straight to the emergency room. Do not wait for your appointment.
Call (785) 263-3646 →How long, and what has been tried
When it started, and whether anything set it off. Whether this is the first episode or the fourth. Any imaging you have had, and what the X-ray, MRI or CT report actually said. Previous treatment, injections or surgery, and what changed after each one. Rest counts as treatment, so tell us if that is what you were given.
Common questions →What to bring to your first visit
- Your prescription, if a physician has already written you one
- Your driver’s licence or another photo ID
- Your insurance cards, or your Worker’s Comp or auto claim information
- A list of your medications with the dosage and how often you take them
- Copies of any X-ray, MRI or CT reports connected to your back
- Your personal calendar, so we can schedule the rest of your visits before you leave
Kansas direct access means most patients can start physical therapy without a physician referral, so you can call and be evaluated. Some insurance plans do still require one for coverage. We verify your specific plan before your first visit and tell you exactly where you stand, so nothing surprises you afterwards.
Your Abilene clinic
None of this is homework. If writing it out is not your thing, call (785) 263-3646 and answer these on the phone, or arrive a few minutes early and work through them with us at the front desk. Nobody is turned away for showing up with nothing but the problem itself. Use the form below and we will call you back to lock in a time.