Medical History: Why Your Past Matters in Physiotherapy and Recovery

When you walk into a physiotherapy clinic, the first thing they ask is about your medical history, a record of your past illnesses, surgeries, injuries, and ongoing health conditions that influence how your body responds to treatment. Also known as patient history, it’s not just a form you fill out—it’s the foundation of every recovery plan. Without it, a therapist is guessing. With it, they know why your knee still aches after a fall five years ago, or why your back flares up after heart surgery, or why that ankle injury from your twenties is still affecting your gait today.

Your medical history, a record of your past illnesses, surgeries, injuries, and ongoing health conditions that influence how your body responds to treatment. Also known as patient history, it’s not just a form you fill out—it’s the foundation of every recovery plan. includes things like past surgeries—like knee replacements or open-heart procedures—which change how your body heals. It includes chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, which slow tissue repair. It even includes things you might think are unrelated, like a childhood fracture or a bout of pneumonia that left you breathless for months. These aren’t just memories. They’re physical imprints. That’s why a therapist asking about your past injuries, previous physical traumas that alter movement patterns, muscle strength, or joint stability over time. Also known as old injuries, they often resurface during rehab isn’t being nosy—it’s being smart. A 2023 study in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that patients who provided detailed histories recovered 40% faster because their treatment was tailored, not generic.

Your health records, official documents containing diagnoses, medications, test results, and treatment outcomes that guide clinical decisions. Also known as medical records, they help therapists spot patterns you might miss tell stories your body can’t. Maybe you took metformin for years and now have low B12, which causes nerve tingling mistaken for sciatica. Maybe you used herbal supplements that hurt your kidneys, making you more sensitive to swelling. Maybe you had a heart surgery and now avoid intimacy because you’re scared to raise your heart rate. These aren’t random symptoms—they’re linked. Your past injuries, previous physical traumas that alter movement patterns, muscle strength, or joint stability over time. Also known as old injuries, they often resurface during rehab connect to your current pain. Your medications connect to your energy levels. Your emotional state after surgery connects to your willingness to move. All of it matters.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just a list of articles. It’s a map of how your history shapes your recovery. You’ll see how knee replacement regret ties to unmet expectations rooted in past experiences. You’ll learn why anger after open-heart surgery isn’t just "normal"—it’s biological. You’ll find out why eating bananas with metformin matters, or why certain herbs can wreck your kidneys and slow healing. These aren’t random topics. They’re all connected by one thing: your medical history. It’s the thread running through every rehab journey. And if you’ve ever felt like your pain doesn’t make sense, it’s probably because someone didn’t ask the right questions. Here, they will.