As clinicians, we do run into this frequently;
What brings you in today?
’I have chronic back pain, I sprained my ankle, and I have this nagging shoulder pain’

We usually try to manage this in several ways:
Often it is most beneficial to pick the injury that is causing the most concern/symptoms/impact on daily living. That is the best use of time for your initial assessment.
You can then discuss with your physiotherapist when would be the best time to address the other injuries.

Another approach is for your physiotherapist to explain to you how difficult it is for you, the patient, to commit to managing more than one injury/body part at the same time. If we’re being totally honest, it is also difficult for the clinician to treat 2 very separate body parts at one time. This is not to say that if you have shoulder pain and neck pain that this would be two different scenarios. Your clinician will be able to tell you what is closely related and what is not.

At the end of the day, it is most beneficial to have a conversation with your clinician about everything that you would like assessed, and you can develop a plan regarding what approach your clinician would like to take. Education and communication are really key here.

Our goal is to help you manage an injury (or injuries) and get back to a functional, pain free, and enjoyable life!