A first physiotherapy session is mostly assessment rather than treatment. It runs around 45–60 minutes, most of which goes on taking the history of your complaint, examining you and drawing up a plan. You leave knowing what the problem is, roughly how long it will take and what to do at home.
What to bring
- Any MRI, X-ray or CT images and reports
- A list of the medication you take
- Any referral letter or discharge summary
- Comfortable clothing: shorts, leggings, a vest or sleeveless top
Clothing matters. If you have come about your back, your back needs to be visible; the same for a shoulder. Tight jeans and a buttoned shirt make examination difficult.
How the session runs
1. History (10–15 minutes)
Questions you can expect:
- When and how did it start? Was there an incident?
- Where do you feel it, does it travel anywhere?
- When is it worse during the day, when is it better?
- Does it wake you at night?
- What can you no longer do?
- What have you already tried, and did it help?
- Other conditions, previous surgery?
The last group screens for red flags: unexplained weight loss, night fever, change in bladder or bowel control, progressive weakness. If any are present, medical assessment comes before physiotherapy.
2. Observation and examination (15–20 minutes)
- Postural assessment: shoulder, hip and knee alignment
- Range of motion measurement — with a goniometer, recorded as numbers
- Muscle strength testing
- Special tests: manoeuvres that confirm or rule out a diagnosis
- Reflex and sensation testing where relevant
- Gait analysis
3. Explaining the findings (5 minutes)
This part should never be skipped. Your physiotherapist tells you what they found, what it means, what the plan is, how many sessions to expect and which signs would change the plan.
4. First treatment and home programme (15–20 minutes)
The first session usually includes a gentle treatment and a simple home programme of two to four movements. Keeping it short is deliberate: a list of twelve exercises does not get done.
Will it hurt?
During examination, movements that provoke your symptoms are tested. That can be briefly uncomfortable and it is necessary — it identifies which structure is responsible. Treatment is matched to your tolerance.
Mild muscle soreness for 24–48 hours afterwards is normal.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on the problem:
| Condition | Typical sessions |
|---|---|
| Acute muscle strain | 4–6 |
| Disc herniation (back or neck) | 10–15 |
| Frozen shoulder | 15–25 |
| Post-surgical (ACL, meniscus) | 20–40, spread over months |
| Chronic pain | Variable, with periodic review |
If nothing has changed after three sessions, the plan should be revisited.
Why the home programme matters so much
Two sessions a week is 1.5 hours out of 168. What you do in the rest of that time determines the outcome. Range gained in clinic is lost again within days if it is not repeated at home.
If you cannot manage the programme — time, pain, forgetting — say so. It gets cut down to something you can actually do. A perfect programme that is not done is worse than a simple one that is.
Five questions worth asking
- What exactly is wrong?
- How long will this take to settle?
- What should I avoid, and what should I be doing?
- What do I do at home, and how often?
- Which symptom should prompt me to call you?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral? You can book directly. If the assessment finds something needing medical review, you will be referred on.
I don't have a scan — can I still come? Yes. Most musculoskeletal problems are diagnosed by examination; imaging is not needed in every case.
How often should sessions be? Usually two or three a week in the acute phase, dropping to weekly and then to review appointments as you progress.
The pain has gone — can I stop? Pain resolving does not mean healing is complete. Stopping before strength and control are restored markedly raises the recurrence rate.
To book an initial assessment at our clinic in Muratpaşa, Antalya, use the online form, call us, or send a WhatsApp message.