Your first visit will typically start with an initial evaluation by a licensed physical therapist.
The therapist will ask you about your subjective complaints, perform tests and measurements, assist patients set treatment goals for physical therapy, design treatment program, and formulate an initial home exercise program.
Physical therapists will implement the treatment program based on the findings on the initial evaluation. Physical therapist will ask about your pain scale before, during, and after the treatment. Each session includes the use of physical modalities as needed; manual treatment; and corrective exercises.
Most cases respond to physical therapy treatment however there are few cases that do not respond at all. This is case to case basis. Variables that cause poor progress are chronicity of the problem, non-compliance to treatment recommendations, false belief system (macho man), no exercise history, malingering, secondary gains (litigation, work avoidance), and etc.