Frequently Asked Questions

Put simply, physiotherapy is the treatment of injury, illness and disability through movement and exercise. Physiotherapists are highly qualified healthcare professionals who are trained to assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, from sports injuries to osteoarthritis. All of the Chartered Physiotherapists who are employed here at The Physio Lounge are members of the Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC) who regulate all Physiotherapist to ensure the highest quality of care. If you would like to check the HCPC register for any of our physiotherapists, please click here.

Acupuncture is the process of inserting very fine needles into specific areas of the body to assist with pain management and symptom relief. It can be a useful method to control pain for those who have poor reactions to painkillers or those who simply don’t want to take them. We also offer cosmetic acupuncture at select clinics, which can help to stimulate collagen production in the skin and reduce the effects of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles.

If you have pain or a problem of an unknown origin, it’s usually best to book a full physiotherapy assessment to identify the root cause and decide on the best way to manage it. Even if you feel you have an idea as to what it might be, it’s still best to let us take a look so we’re able to make sure that the treatment is suitable for your individual abilities. Sports massage can be a brilliant treatment to help you prepare or recover from an event, or just to help you feel looser in general. If you’re still unsure which you need then you can contact us directly and one of our physiotherapists will be able to give you some further advice.

We generally recommend that people wear “gym clothing” for their appointments. Physiotherapy assessments involve plenty of movement and we will often need to visually examine the problem area too. We recommend a t-shirt or vest top, shorts and trainers for most assessments. If you are worried you might feel uncomfortable and would prefer to see a physio of the same gender, contact us and we will do our best to arrange this.

A physiotherapy initial assessment lasts from 30–60 minutes depending on how our services are accessed. Certain Insurance Providers allocate pre-set times as part of their terms and conditions, but we always offer our self-funding customers up to 30 minutes to ensure there is plenty of time to get to the root of your problem and to provide treatment. We collect information not only about your current condition, but also about your medical and social history, so we can gain a better insight into how best to treat your issue. If you take any medications, it’s helpful to bring your prescription sheet or a list of what you’re currently taking with you. After we’ve had a chat and built up an idea as to what might be going wrong, we will undertake a thorough physical examination. This is individualised for everybody and is tailored to you depending on many different factors including your pain level at assessment, physical ability and what you are comfortable engaging with. We will then provide an accurate diagnosis and bespoke treatment plan. Treatments always involve exercise as part of physical rehabilitation but can include a wide variety of manual treatments, such as spinal mobilisation/manipulation, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilisation (IASTM), sports massage, acupuncture and much more.

Yes, we offer home visits across a broad area around the Cheshire, Merseyside and Manchester areas. Our initial assessments are an hour long and we need to factor travel expenses into the billing too. We always endeavour to ensure that these costs are kept as low as possible. Home assessments can be particularly handy if you are recovering from surgery, unable to access one of our clinics or struggle with everyday mobility. If you are still unsure whether or not this is right for you, visit our dedicated Home Visits page or contact us to speak to one of our physiotherapists to discuss your needs and how we can help.

This is a tricky question and the answer will typically depend on many different factors including your physical ability, the severity of the issue and your personal goals, to name a few. An average course of physiotherapy tends to last anywhere from six to ten sessions.

We absolutely deal with sports injuries. Our physiotherapists all have extensive backgrounds either in professional sports or in the management of sports-related injuries and we are all keenly involved in sports and fitness ourselves. We are experienced with all levels of sports injuries, from the weekend couch-to-5ker to those competing at the elite professional level.

We work with some of the finest surgeons, radiologists and GPs across the North West and have spent many years forging robust clinical relationships with them. We frequently communicate with other professionals involved in your care to ensure that we are all informed and working together to achieve your goals. In the unlikely event that you do need an onward referral, we will ensure that it is completed swiftly and accurately to avoid any unnecessary delays in getting you the care you need.

Absolutely. Some patients prefer to attend with a chaperone and we are more than happy to accommodate this. Where possible we can also help if you have a preference for a male or female practitioner. All children under the age of thirteen must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

If you are funding the appointment yourself, you do not need to go via your GP and you can self-refer directly to us. However, for certain insurance providers you may require a referral from your GP. If you are unsure as to how to go about this, feel free to contact us and we can help to guide you through the process.

That would depend on the type of symptoms you are experiencing. If you have flu-like symptoms please contact your GP or NHS 111 for further advice. In line with our infection control policy, we advise that you do not attend our clinics until you are symptom-free to reduce the risk of spreading infection. We enforce a 24-hour cancellation policy — please contact us as soon as you are aware that you cannot attend your appointment to avoid incurring cancellation charges.

Yes. All of our clinics are open for face-to-face appointments, but if you would prefer not to come into clinic we can also provide virtual consultations online. If you would like more information please contact us.

All of our physiotherapists are trained to deal with all aspects of musculoskeletal issues and all are likely to be capable of dealing with your problem. We regularly check the knowledge of our physiotherapists and hold monthly CPD sessions where our therapists can share knowledge and ensure they are up to date with the latest clinical practices and treatment techniques. You can check out our team bios for more information on their background — please note that the bios are not exhaustive and our team will have more experience than listed there because of ongoing clinical development. If you have any questions about your physio’s knowledge, contact us and we will answer any questions you may have.

We offer multiple booking options for our privately paying patients to choose from: an initial 30-minute stand-alone assessment, or a 30-minute assessment immediately followed by 30 minutes of treatment. A stand-alone 30-minute assessment will most likely not include treatment time because we use the full window to assess in detail — your next booked session will be the start of your planned treatment. You can opt for a 30-minute assessment immediately followed by a 30-minute treatment session (60 minutes in total) which guarantees treatment as part of your first visit. For insurance patients, assessment times vary depending on your provider. Our admin team can advise on the assessment time for your specific insurer — don’t hesitate to ask.