The Top 5 Problems with Physiotherapy
By Matt Virden, Physiotherapist, Better Physio Group
Physio, or physiotherapy, is one of those professions that has had its problems. Some people have bad experiences. Others feel like they haven’t been listened to. One of the most common things we hear is “it didn’t work for me”.
Here, we explore the top 5 most common problems with physiotherapy, why they happen, and what the solution is to find the right physio for you.
Here are our Top 5 Problems with Physio:
- “It doesn’t work for me.”
- “I just got given exercises.”
- “My physio didn’t even touch me.”
- “It’s too expensive.”
- “I didn’t get a diagnosis, I still don’t know what’s going on.”
Continue reading to find out more, and find the right physio for you.
“Physio doesn’t work for me.”
This is often due to a lack of improvement. Generally, people want to feel better, have less pain, and achieve the things they thought they no longer could.
And as physios, we want the same thing too. There is nothing more satisfying than guiding and helping a person through their journey and seeing them achieve their goals or feel better in themselves. It’s why we get into this career. We want to help people.
Sadly, this doesn’t always happen.
Generally, this is down to a few reasons:
The therapist hasn’t explored the motivations or goals of the patient.
Everyone is different and has different outcomes. Maybe your goals are different to the assumed goals
There hasn’t been a clear diagnosis.
This is discussed further in the blog, but without a clear diagnosis, it can be difficult to move forward.
The patient hasn’t been involved in the plan.
Sometimes the therapist doesn’t involve the patient in the decision-making process or planning of treatment, meaning that person isn’t in control of their care. This leads to a plan that doesn’t suit their needs or isn’t appropriate for their level.
Physical markers aren’t tested properly.
Without physical tests and clearly identified areas to work on, the path to improvement isn’t clear.
The physio hasn’t “found” your pain.
If they can’t find your pain, then they probably don’t understand what it is
The rehab wasn’t appropriately loaded.
A common treatment for pain and injury is to rehabilitate by increasing the capacity of your tissues; through appropriate load to drive positive adaptations to your tissue. Many physios don’t have the skills to design rehab plans that achieve this.
Here are our solutions to make sure physio works for you. Read on to help you find the right physio.
Solutions:
Clear goal setting
By taking the time to get to know someone and understand their goals and desires, we get a much better sense of what a good outcome actually looks like for them. We tailor treatment, investigations and input to match these goals, so we’re both working from the same page from day one.
Getting the diagnosis right
A clear diagnosis means the patient and the physio know exactly what they’re dealing with. From there, we can set realistic targets, agree an expected timeframe for recovery, decide how much hands-on involvement is needed, and refer for specialist input if required.
Genuine patient involvement
Treatment shouldn’t be something that happens to you, it should be something you help shape. Our physios talk through the options with you, explain the reasoning, and build a plan around your life, your priorities and how much time you actually have to commit. You leave every session knowing what’s happening next and why.
Proper physical assessment
We don’t guess. Every plan is built on a thorough assessment of strength, movement, flexibility and function, so we know precisely what to target and can track your progress against something measurable, not just “does it feel better?”
Clear identification of pain
We are clear about where your pain is and use accurate palpation to find your pain
Appropriate loading
All of our physios have a scientific understanding of tissue physiology and adaptations to load and exercise. You can be sure your rehab is pitched at a level appropriate for where you are on your journey.
“I just got given exercises.”
We’ve heard it before. Many times.
Somebody has just been handed a sheet of exercises, told to go away and work on them for a few weeks, and then book back in to see if there has been any progress.
If you went to a kitchen showroom hoping to find someone to fit a new kitchen for you, how would you feel if that person just handed you some sketches, told you to try and figure it out for yourself for a few weeks, and then come back when you’d done some work? You’d be pretty disappointed. You’d feel like you’d been palmed off. Like you weren’t worth the time and focus to explain what options were available, what the process was, and what the next steps were.
Sadly, this equivalent still happens in physio. Patients don’t receive a proper explanation, the reasons for their issue aren’t described and the areas to address and improve aren’t presented to them. And the reasoning behind why certain exercises are chosen isn’t fully explored.
Luckily, there’s a better way.
When the assessment is thorough and your pain is explained clearly, the plan and treatment make more sense.
At Better Physio Group, we take the time to explore why people are in pain or have an injury. We test physical markers – strength, flexibility, and range of movement. We investigate other factors that could be at play, like stress, sleep and nutrition. We explain why certain recommendations are made. For example, if someone has a weakness, we’ll explain why a particular exercise, and a particular set of reps and sets, has been chosen to target that problem. And we make sure any adjustments fit around your life, so they’re realistic to manage rather than another thing on your to-do list.
“My Physio didn’t even touch me.”
Manual therapy. Massage. Palpation. Mobilisations.
These are all forms of therapeutic touch – the act of using one’s hands to examine, assess and treat a patient.
It’s been contested by many, at different ends of the spectrum, about how much good it does. On one hand, some are adamant that touch or manual therapy does absolutely nothing to help a person. On the other end of the scale are those who exclusively mobilise, manipulate and massage patients’ joints, muscles, fascia and skin, claiming it does wonderful and magical things.
The reality is there’s much more nuance. The appropriate level of touch for each client is very individual and based on what that person needs.
At Better, a good examination of somebody in pain includes some form of palpation as a minimum. It helps the therapist assess how provocative pressure applied to an injured or painful area is and gives us information on how serious an injury might be. Our skilled physios can adjust the amount of pressure and gauge how sensitive an area is, which tells us whether pain is at an expected or abnormal level, and whether the nervous system is heightened or in a state of stress.
The use of touch can also be a genuinely helpful treatment option in its own right. Some people respond very well to massage, joint movement or mobilisations. It can provide real relief, even if only in the short term.
This helps build confidence. It allows movement to feel more comfortable, normalising the way joints move, and helps muscles work more effectively. It can be relaxing and calming, making people feel more at ease and less anxious about moving.
When combined with stretches, strengthening exercises, mobility work, and other movement adjuncts such as Pilates, gym-based activity or tendon loading programmes, therapeutic touch can be a real breakthrough for many patients.
“It’s too expensive.”
In a time of rising costs and bills, it’s understandable to carefully consider where your money is going, especially when it comes to your health. You want to know you’re getting value for what you’re paying.
The trouble is, “expensive” is rarely about the number on the invoice. It’s about whether that number felt worth it; was the money good value?
A 20-minute session that ends with a generic, re-used photocopied exercise sheet, and no real explanation can feel expensive at any price. An hour-long session where you leave with a clear diagnosis, a plan you understand, and visible progress towards a goal that matters to you, tends to feel like money well spent, regardless of cost.
This is why a lot of physiotherapy problems trace back to value, not price. If sessions aren’t tailored to you, if progress isn’t tracked, or if you’re not sure why you’re doing what you’re doing, it’s natural to start questioning whether physio is worth it at all.
At Better, every session is built around outcomes, not just time on a bed. That means:
- A thorough initial assessment so nothing is missed and no time is wasted chasing the wrong problem.
- Clear, honest timeframes, so you know roughly how many sessions to expect and what “better” will actually look like.
- Treatment plans built around your goals, whether that’s getting back to running, returning to the gym, or simply picking up your kids without pain.
- Ongoing reviews, so if something isn’t working, we change course early rather than waiting weeks to notice.
Physiotherapy is an investment in your body and your time. Our job is to make sure that investment pays off.
If things don’t work out as planned, then there is a good chance someone else in the team, or someone part of our wider network of practitioners can help to solve the problem. We make it our mission to help you feel better.
“I didn’t get a diagnosis, I still don’t know what’s going on.”
Of all the issues patients have with physio, this might be the most frustrating. You’ve taken the time to book an appointment, explained your symptoms, maybe even been given some exercises, and yet you leave still not entirely sure what is actually wrong with you.
A diagnosis isn’t just a label. It’s the foundation that everything else is built on. Without it, it’s hard to know:
- Whether your recovery timeframe is realistic.
- Whether the exercises you’ve been given are actually addressing the root cause.
- If you need further investigation, imaging, or a referral to a specialist.
- Whether what you’re feeling is normal, or a concern.
At Better, every new patient assessment is built around reaching a clear, confidently explained diagnosis wherever possible. If something doesn’t fit a straightforward pattern, we say so, and we tell you what we’re doing to investigate further and the reasons why, rather than leaving you guessing. You should never leave a session unsure of what’s actually going on with your own body.
What is the Better solution?
Across all five of these problems, there’s a common thread: communication and personalisation.
At Better Physio Group, our approach is built on getting to know you, reaching a clear diagnosis, explaining our reasoning at every step, and involving you in decisions about your own care. We combine hands-on assessment and treatment with tailored exercise, honest timeframes, and regular reviews, so you always know why you’re doing what you’re doing, and what progress should look like along the way.
It’s a simple idea, but it’s one that solves most of the physiotherapy problems patients tell us about time and time again.
“What Can I Expect From Better?”
When you book in with Better Physio Group, whether that’s at our Soho clinic or elsewhere, you can expect:
- A thorough assessment focused on reaching a clear diagnosis, not a quick guess.
- Time spent understanding your goals, your lifestyle, and what “recovery” actually means to you.
- An explanation of what’s going on, in plain terms, before any treatment begins.
- A tailored and holistic physiotherapy plan combining hands-on treatment, exercise, and lifestyle factors like sleep and stress.
- Honest, realistic timeframes, with regular check-ins to make sure your plan is still the right one.
- You’re never just handed a sheet of exercises and sent on your way. You are at the centre of your own recovery, and we’re here to be the collaborative partner alongside you.
What’s the bottom line when it comes to problems in Physiotherapy?
Physio has a reputation problem, and it’s usually down to the same five issues: feeling unheard, being handed exercises with no explanation, not being touched or assessed properly, feeling like it costs too much for what you get, and never getting a proper diagnosis.
At Better Physio Group, we’ve built an approach specifically to solve these problems, with clear communication, thorough assessment, and a plan built around you.
If you’re ready to experience physiotherapy done properly, book an appointment with us today.
