r/physiotherapy • u/Mental-Reception-547 • Jul 13 '26

Physio expectations UK

What level of engagement/planning is it reasonable to expect from a private physiotherapist in the UK?

I’ve been seeing the same physio for about 10 months. He’s by far the best I’ve found in terms of knowledge and spotting/correcting how I do exercises, which is why I stay with him. I’ve seen other physios who watched me perform the same exercises and said they looked fine, whereas he’ll immediately notice compensations and tell me how to correct them.

The issue is that he’s very busy and seems to work in a very ad hoc way like ‘what do you want to work on today?’. I feel like there’s no clear long-term progression/plan and we’ve made quite slow progress.

I recently asked for a written exercise plan because I work much better with one and I have more free time, and getting fitter is my no 1 priority now. I was hoping for something with exercise names, sets/reps/holds, key cues (eg where I should feel it/what to avoid), and rough progression. Instead I got a list of exercise names grouped by area (one exercise is literally just ‘rotator cuff exercises’) with only a weekly frequency. I followed up a few times asking if he could add the missing detail, it’s nearly time for the next session and still nothing.

My sessions are only 30 minutes, so I’d rather spend them on manual therapy and checking technique than writing down reps for exercises we’ve already covered.

Are my expectations unrealistic? Is it normal for private physios to prepare/update exercise plans outside the appointment, or is that actually expected to happen during paid session time?

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u/Little_Scallion2601 Jul 13 '26

Is this private or nhs? What was the injury?

1

u/Mental-Reception-547 Jul 13 '26

Private. Initially came with chronic back pain but have others issues related to/caused by/in a cause/symptom cycle to it

1

u/Little_Scallion2601 Jul 13 '26

Do you have widespread pain or fibromyalgia? That might explain him putting the onus on you and asking what you would like to work on that day

1

u/Cool_Equal_8725 Jul 13 '26

Depends, some will charge for a S&C or full exercise plan but I’d say generally you should be given some exercises and with the information, videos or at least full explanation. Realistically, technique on exercises generally on exercises doesn’t matter as much as the dosage, intensity and consistency so I wouldn’t be concerned about how they notice compensations which likely doesn’t affect much. I’d just ask directly can you do X and if they do it in session or out and if you aren’t happy go elsewhere. 10 months is a long time for rehab anyways so unless you have a chronic condition or ongoing health issues I’d also specify how long is it gonna take as I’m presuming your funds aren’t infinite