Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of commonly asked questions regarding Pure Physiotherapy’s services. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask us directly.
FAQ Topics
Preparing for a Session
How much does a session cost?
We try our best to make sure our expert physio service is as affordable as possible. The cost of a session will depend on the clinic you’re being seen at and what service or treatment you may be having. For full details, please visit your local clinics page where you can see the relevant costs and available service.Â
How long are the appointments?
Typically, pure physiotherapy’s treatment sessions are around 30 minutes in length. This allows us to understand how pain and symptoms may have changed between sessions and then adapt your personalised treatment accordingly. Occasionally sessions may be slightly longer or shorter depending on the needs of the individual patient. With some of our more sports specific rehabilitation, extra sessions can be booked. If you feel you require longer sessions, you can simply book a double session allowing an hours’ worth of rehabilitation and treatment time as required.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
We work hard to try and allow patients to book a physiotherapy assessment or treatment with us as quickly as possible. We recognise there are significant waiting lists within the NHS currently and we are trying our best to get patients in within a matter of hours or days. Our aim is that everyone has access to quality physiotherapy as quickly as possible.
Do you have parking?
Most of our clinics have free on street parking around the clinic centre. There are a few clinics which may require a short walk into the clinic itself from the car park area. You can find details of both parking and the best ways to reach our clinics, either by car or public transport, on the individual clinic pages. If you have any further questions about where to park or public transport, please feel free to contact our reception team who would be happy to help. You will also receive an e-mail with directions and information which should help with your first attendance at the clinic.
Why have I been referred?
We get referrals from a wide variety of places which can include solicitors, private insurance such as Bupa or AXA orthopaedic consultants as well as sports teams, workplaces and many others who all value the expertise we provide. Typically, we receive referrals because a course of assessment and rehabilitation has been recommended. We manage each and every referral with due care, respect and dedication.
Do I need a referral from my GP?
You do not need a referral from your GP or other health professional to attend pure physiotherapy clinics. We are regulated by the health care and professions council (https://www.hcpc-uk.org/ ) which means we are independently able to assess treat and diagnose problems within our professional scope. The title of physiotherapist is protected by law and anyone calling themselves physiotherapist must have gone through an accredited degree programme. As a result, we are able to see patients who can ring or contact the clinic directly and correspond appropriately with other health professionals if needed with the consent of the patient.
Can you provide physiotherapy under my health insurance policy?
We see many patients via their private health insurance policy and Pure Physiotherapy is accredited by all major private health insurers. Each health insurance company has its own requirements in terms of access to physiotherapy and it is worth discussing your specific requirements with your own healthcare insurance provider.
Do you do home visits?
We do offer home visits within reasonable distances from our clinics. We charge the time to travel to and from the home visit within our normal hourly structure and the best thing to do if a home visit is required is to talk to our reception teams who be happy to talk through the available options.
Do you do evening and weekend appointments?
All of our physiotherapy clinics offer evening appointments and some offer weekend appointments too. If you are struggling to attend during the day please call our reception team who will be able to help.
Do you provide sick notes for employers?
We can provide reports and recommendations to employers and often get asked by employers and occupational health organisations to supply reports for this reason. We’re also able to liaise with your GP at your request and with your consent which we also find very helpful in certain cases management as and when needed.
Are your physiotherapists regulated by the Health and Care Professionals Council?
All of our physiotherapists are regulated and registered with the health care professions council. We do not accept any physiotherapist who does not have this current regulatory approval.
The Session
Can I bring a friend/family member?
If you feel more comfortable bringing a friend or family member to your physiotherapy consultation this is not a problem. We are there to help you and you are the focus of our support. Therefore, if you feel having someone with you during your sessions would be helpful that is absolutely no problem.
What should I wear?
Given the fact that physiotherapy can involve hands-on treatments, as well as advice, exercise and rehabilitation, it will be sensible to attend with loose fitting clothing to allow the joints to move fully. Depending on your injury or condition you may consider shorts and appropriate underwear which may help if we’re assessing certain joints requiring the removal of outer clothing. If you do feel you wouldn’t like to remove any outer clothing please do talk to the physiotherapist. This is absolutely fine, as we can usually work around clothing to ensure you feel comfortable and we are still able to be clinically effective in our assessments and treatments. You should never feel uncomfortable during your consultations and please do continue to communicate with the physiotherapist if you feel any degree of worry or discomfort in terms of clothing.
Do I have to remove clothing?
You may have to remove some outer clothing although will never be asked to remove underwear. The outer clothing removal is dependent on the area of the body that is undergoing treatment. In many cases we’re able to work around clothes such as leggings, shorts, T-shirts or vests. However, there may be situations where removal of outer clothing is required and this can be discussed with your physiotherapist. At no point should you be feeling uncomfortable during your physiotherapy sessions and please do maintain a two-way dialogue with your physiotherapist. We would stress that your underwear will never be removed in a physiotherapy session and often appropriate underwear such as sports type underwear is the easiest to work with in terms of joint movement as well as maintaining dignity.
Do I need to bring a GP letter or MRI scan with me?
If you have correspondence from your GP, hospital consultant or recent scans or X-rays, please feel free to bring them with you. Your physiotherapist may choose to assess you without being unduly influenced by other opinions in the first instance. This is not unusual as it gives a fresh pair of eyes on the current clinical perspective. However, we would encourage you to bring these documents with you if you do have them as it can add a richness to the assessment and ultimately lead to improved treatments and outcomes in some cases.
What should I expect on my first visit?
During your initial assessment your physiotherapist will typically ask a range of questions which in turn may lead to further questions in a process called clinical reasoning. This clinical reasoning process is designed to allow us to identify the most likely cause of your problem. Without asking these clinical questions we will be unable to confidently diagnose the root problem. Following this questioning we will typically move onto physical assessment to confirm or test the clinical diagnosis which has been considered. This may involve the removal of some outer garments and the movement of different body parts to assess how joints muscles, tendons and nerves are moving in relation to each other. The whole assessment process typically takes around 30 minutes although in complex cases this can be slightly longer. Following this, a working diagnosis can be arrived at allowing appropriate advice, education and rehabilitation to commence. We would stress that the assessment and further treatments are a two-way process between the physiotherapist and the patient. Please do feel fully empowered to describe any sensations of pain or otherwise and keep talking to the physiotherapist during your assessment and treatment process. The more information we can receive on how things are feeling and how things changed depending on the position or activity the more we are able to help develop a rehabilitation plan which is most effective for you.
Post Session
I have not been sent my exercises?
In the vast majority of instances, undergoing certain exercise is the fundamental route to resolving musculoskeletal problems. Even if the exercises seem quite simple, continuing them in a consistent manner as advised by the physiotherapist is likely to yield significant long term positive changes. Sometimes the physiotherapist will draw or print exercises for you or use digital apps. Irrespective of how you learn the exercise, regular and consistent adherence to the rehab programme is likely to yield the best benefits. If you were expecting to receive some exercises via post or digitally and you haven’t received these please do get in touch with the reception team.Â
Should I be worried about pain during exercises?
Exercises designed to improve function and rehabilitate from injury or pain typically will be somewhat uncomfortable themselves. In order to improve damaged or weakened structures it is quite normal to stress the body’s soft tissues allowing and supporting change and improvement. This physical stressing process can cause discomfort, although the pain should not progress towards extreme levels. Your physiotherapist will advise on what is quite normal to expect post treatment and during exercise. If your pain levels are significantly beyond what is being advised it is sensible to stop or reduce the intensity and discuss this with your physiotherapist at the next consultation. If you have particular concerns, please contact the administration team and they can pass on to the physiotherapist and we can come back to you as soon as possible. As a rule of thumb if the pain is progressively increasing and the physiotherapist has said that this is not typical it is sensible to not persist with exercise effect pain is continuing to increase.
I’ve been doing my exercises for 1 week, why am I not better?
Research studies have shown that in order to achieve long term tissue recovery, exercises typically take 6 to 8 weeks to make a significant difference. There are some instances where pain will feel better very rapidly, and tissues may improve within a matter of days or even hours. However, it is quite normal for exercise and rehabilitation programmes to take several weeks before the benefits are felt. Your physiotherapist should be able to advise on rough timescales as to when you will feel the physical, performance and pain related benefits. It is very important to follow the exercise programme as closely as possible and work in partnership with the physiotherapist on any concerns or adaptations needed to the exercise and rehab programme as things progress.