Your first appointment. No surprises.
Lots of people come to physio for the first time and don’t know what to expect. Here’s how it goes, minute by minute, so you arrive prepared and we can spend the time on your treatment.
How your first appointment works
Your first appointment with us takes 45 minutes instead of the usual 30. We take that extra quarter of an hour on top, and it doesn’t cost you anything extra.
Arrival and check-in
Rosi at the front desk takes your prescription and insurance card, scans the card and sorts out the co-payment. The first time, you fill in a short form about yourself and your medical history.
about 10 minutesTalking it through
Your therapist comes to get you and takes the time to ask questions. Since when, doing what exactly, what helps, what makes it worse. If you have a doctor’s letter or test results, we go through them together now.
about 10 minutesExamination
We look at your posture and how you move, check mobility and strength and test individual structures. You tell us what you feel. We tell you what we find.
about 10 minutesFirst treatment
We start treating you at the first appointment, not the second. What exactly we do depends on the examination and on what’s on your prescription.
about 15 minutesPlan and follow-up appointments
You’ll hear where this is heading, how many sessions make sense and what you can do at home. You get your follow-up appointments right away as a series, so you don’t have to call every week.
about 5 minutesAfterward
You go home with an appointment card and usually two or three exercises. Not twenty. Two or three that you’ll actually do.
Exercises for homeWhat to bring and what to wear
The three questions we get asked most on the phone, answered here in advance.
Please bring
- The original doctor’s prescription. Without a prescription we can’t treat you at the insurer’s expense. The details are on the page Prescription and co-payment.
- Your health insurance card. We scan it at your first appointment each quarter.
- The co-payment or your exemption card. We charge it once for the whole prescription, not per appointment.
- A large towel. For the treatment table. We have spares in case you forget.
- Test results, if you have any. Surgery report, doctor’s letter, X-ray or MRI report. We don’t need the images on CD, the written report is enough.
What to wear
- Comfortable clothes you can move in. Sportswear is ideal, but you don’t need it.
- Shorts or leggings for knee, hip and back. We need to be able to see and touch the area.
- A tank top for shoulder and neck. Easier than a tight sweater.
- Clean indoor shoes for equipment training. Only for physio on equipment, and usually not yet at your first appointment.
- You can change here. There’s a changing room with hooks and a lockable locker.
Questions almost everyone asks us
Usually after the treatment, at the door. So here they are beforehand.
Does the treatment hurt?
Some of it is uncomfortable, but nothing should really hurt. With manual therapy and when we work on tense muscles, you’ll feel firm pressure. Tell us right away if it gets too much. We’ll just work differently, that’s no problem and nobody loses face.
Sore muscles the day after are normal and not a bad sign.
Do I have to undress?
Only as far as we need to see and treat the affected area. For back and shoulder that usually means taking your top off, for knee and hip wearing shorts. You stay covered, and our treatment rooms are closed single rooms, not cubicles with a curtain.
How many appointments will I need?
That’s on your prescription, six sessions is usual. After the examination we’ll tell you honestly whether that’s enough, whether a follow-up prescription makes sense or whether you should actually see your doctor again.
Can I drive or go to work after the treatment?
As a rule, yes. After intensive manual therapy or lymphatic drainage, some people feel a bit tired or slightly lightheaded for half an hour. The first time, it’s better not to plan anything important straight afterward.
Will I always have the same therapist?
Yes, that’s a principle for us. Whoever examines you at your first appointment keeps treating you. Only during vacation or sick leave does someone from the team step in, and then with a proper handover. You can see who works here on the Team page.
What if I’m late?
We treat you for the time that’s left. The next appointment belongs to someone else, and we don’t keep them waiting. Give us a quick call if you’re stuck in traffic, sometimes we can shift things around.
Do I have to cancel if I have a cold?
With a slight sniffle you can come. With a fever, a stomach bug or a bad cough, please cancel and we’ll reschedule. That costs nothing, even at short notice, as long as you let us know.
Can someone come with me?
Yes. Children come with someone anyway, and for older patients it often makes sense to bring someone along. There’s room for a chair in the treatment room.
Canceling, rescheduling, not showing up
Not a nice topic, but we’d rather sort it out beforehand than afterward.
Our appointments are firmly booked and usually full. If you don’t come and don’t let us know, the room sits empty, even though someone else urgently needed that slot.
Please cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Then it costs nothing, and we can give the slot to someone else. By phone from 8 to 12, outside those hours on the answering machine. We check it every morning.
For shorter notice we usually don’t charge anything if there’s a good reason. But if someone repeatedly doesn’t show up without letting us know, we send them a bill for the missed appointment. That’s also in our treatment terms, which you sign at your first appointment.
The same goes for us. If we have to cancel an appointment, we call you instead of leaving you standing at a locked door.
Our hours at a glance
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday7:30 to 19:00
- Wednesday7:30 to 15:00
- Friday7:30 to 14:00
- Saturday, Sundayclosed
- Phone hoursMon to Fri, 8 to 12
Directions, parking and step-free access are on the page Contact and directions.
Ready for your first appointment?
We’re currently taking new patients. It takes one to two weeks to get a first appointment, usually less after surgery.