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29 Sep 2025Your first orthopedic appointment is coming up. You feel overwhelmed, anxious, and even terrified if you’re also dealing with a chronic health condition, injury, or severe pain. This is your first time seeing an orthopedic specialist, and you have no idea what to expect.
Being prepared for your initial appointment leads to a successful appointment from diagnosis through follow-up care and either recovery or improving your range of motion. Our comprehensive guide helps you understand what you need to do to ensure your first meeting is a great one.
Before Your Appointment
In the week or days leading up to your appointment, start by confirming your appointment. Make sure you have the day and time written down or in your phone correctly. Now is the time to start collecting things you’ll need for your appointment.
The more information you provide in a journal, the easier it is for your orthopedist to get a complete picture of what the injury is, what led to it, and how to treat it. You need to be very detailed and have answers for:
1. Location of the Injury or Pain
What were you doing when the injury happened? If you have a chronic health condition, what symptoms appeared that made you get tested? If the pain isn’t in one area, share that information. If you have back pain that extends to your tailbone and down your leg, your orthopedist needs to know.
2. Pain Triggers
What triggers the pain? If you only feel it when you’re standing up from a sitting position, share that. If it happens no matter what you’re doing, that’s also important to share.
3. Type of Pain
What did the pain feel like? If you’re experiencing chronic pain, is it a dull, constant ache, or is it sharp and feels like a snap? Describing the pain helps narrow down the cause and potential injury.
4. Pain Level
Rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 10. If the pain level changes as the day progresses, rate it at each time and in different circumstances, such as the pain when you’ve been standing too long or are first getting up in the morning.
5. Duration
How long does the pain last? Is it constant, throbbing, or does it come and go? Is it there daily or only when you do certain activities?
6. Severity
Were you walking to get your mail and felt a sudden snap in the back of your leg? Did the pain or injury slowly progress or happen all at once? Does it radiate to other areas, or is it just in one area? Be as detailed as you can.
7. How Are You Treating It?
What are you doing to ease your discomfort? Are you using cold packs or a heating pad? Do you take ibuprofen or acetaminophen? Have you been wrapping the area with an ace bandage?
Establish Your Medical History in Full Detail
Your injury or ailment journal isn’t the only thing to have outlined and ready to share. You also need a complete health history to share with your orthopedist.
1. Past Medical Conditions
What health issues or injuries have you had in the past? Include everything so that your orthopedist has as much information as possible. If you have anemia and take iron pills, it’s important to share that.
If you’ve had other injuries, share what happened, how they were treated, and if you needed surgery. If you did need surgery, have a list of surgeons’ names and locations, as well as the dates.
2. Allergies
Do you have allergies to any medications, materials like latex, or substances like the adhesive on electrode patches? If you’re allergic to ibuprofen, your doctor needs to know this.
3. Medications and Supplements
Write down a list of all over-the-counter supplements and prescription medications you take. If you can get photos of the bottle and dosing instructions, do that. Otherwise, write down the name of the medication or supplement and dosage you take.
4. Gather Medical Records
If you’ve been to the hospital or seen your primary care doctor or an urgent care physician, bring copies of those medical reports with you. If you’ve had any imaging completed, bring those if possible. You may be able to print them out from your online medical chart. If not, see if your doctor can send a copy to your orthopedist.
The Day of Your Appointment
Appointment day is here. It’s time to prepare yourself to see the doctor. What should you expect during your visit?
1. Print Out Forms or Fill Them Out Online
See if the orthopedist has new patient forms you’ll have to complete and bring with you. Having them completed before you arrive saves time. You might be able to complete them online. Make sure that you do.
2. Present Your New Patient Forms and Insurance Card
If you printed out a new patient form, you need to give that to the patient registration specialist. Your health insurance card and a photo ID may also be requested.
3. Dress Appropriately
You’re going to be stripping off clothing over the affected area. If you are dealing with knee pain, very loose pant legs or shorts make it easy for the doctor to see your knee. If it’s your elbow, a t-shirt with a jacket or cardigan works well.
4. Answer Questions About Your Health
Everything that you gathered in the planning stage is going to come in handy now. You’ll share details with your orthopedist, and the more detail you provide, the easier it is to determine the best tests.
5. Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you need to, you can write them in advance.
You want to know if there are non-surgical options, and when surgery is the better option. You also want to understand what you can do to manage pain while you heal or in the long run if it’s a chronic health condition. Find out how long you’ll need before you’re feeling better. What are these treatments going to cost, or will insurance cover it?
6. Take Notes
As you get answers to your question, take notes. You might forget something important as you’re flooded with information. If you need something repeated, ask. Don’t be afraid to ask the doctor to slow down or repeat something you don’t understand.
7. Ask for a Visit Summary:
Most health offices offer a visit summary online, but you can also ask to have it printed out. It’s up to you. You want this information, however, as it will have the instructions you must follow. If you were prescribed medication, it will also be on that summary.
After the Appointment
You’ve gotten through your initial appointment with a sports and orthopedics specialist. You’re not done yet. The appointment is just the beginning. It’s important now that you follow your orthopedist’s recommendations. This means:
- Do the recommended exercises – Don’t skip any exercises because they tire you out. The more you do them, the stronger you become.
- Stick to your limits – You may feel great, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready to dive back into your favorite activities. If your doctor advised you to avoid heavy lifting for six weeks, follow those instructions.
- Take medications as advised – If you’re told to use ibuprofen every day to manage pain and inflammation, don’t skip it because you feel you’re tough and can handle the pain.
- Schedule follow-up appointments – If you’re told to come back for physical therapy twice a week and follow-up examinations in a month, schedule those appointments. Don’t put it off or skip them to save money. You need to return.
By taking these steps, you can transform your experience from a stressful medical visit to a collaborative and effective partnership with your orthopedist. Your proactive approach will not only help the doctor but will also put you on the fastest path to healing and a better quality of life. Reach out to Premium Sports and Orthopedics today to schedule your first orthopedic appointment.
