A consultation is a physio assessment: the first appointment at which Kaloyan Zarkov, a kinesitherapist (physiotherapist), assesses your condition and looks for the cause of the problem. It is a good first appointment when you aren’t sure which treatment you need. By the end you know what he thinks is going on, what can be done and how long it usually takes. Kaloyan speaks English, so you can have the consultation in English or Bulgarian.
What to expect
The consultation starts with a conversation. Kaloyan asks when and how the pain started, what makes it worse, what you do day to day and what you want to be able to do again. He looks at the scans, test results and hospital discharge summaries that you bring.
Then he watches how you stand and move, and checks the range of movement in your joints, the strength of your muscles and, where needed, sensation and reflexes. With these tests he looks for exactly where the problem comes from, because the place that hurts isn’t always the cause. Wear comfortable clothes that you can move in.
At the end Kaloyan explains what he found and suggests a plan: which treatments, how often and roughly how long. He often shows you your first home exercises during the consultation itself. If he thinks you need to see a doctor or have tests, he will tell you straight.
When to choose a consultation
- You have pain and don’t know whether you need massage, kinesitherapy (exercise and manual therapy) or physiotherapy (device treatments).
- You want a second opinion on a problem that won’t go away.
- You have a scan (MRI, X-ray) and want to understand what it means for your movement.
- You want to start exercising after a long break or an injury.
- Your child slouches and you want to know whether they need corrective exercises.
When to see a doctor first
- After a fall or a knock, if you have severe pain or swelling or can’t put weight on your leg. It may be a fracture.
- With numbness in the groin or problems controlling your bladder.
- With pain and a fever, unexplained weight loss, or pain that wakes you every night.
