How long does a physiotherapy assessment take?
At Stride, a full hour, booked one on one. Some clinics run shorter assessments, and there is nothing wrong with that, but I find the first visit sets up everything that follows, so I do not rush it. You will spend the whole hour with me, not with a heat pack and a timer.
What will the physiotherapist ask me?
Mostly the questions a curious friend would ask, plus a few clinical ones. When did this start? What makes it better or worse? What does a normal week ask of your body, at work and outside it? What have you already tried? I will also ask about your general health and any medications, because those details sometimes change what the assessment looks for.
None of it is a test you can fail. Vague answers are fine. "It hurts somewhere in here and it is worse by Friday" is genuinely useful information.
What does the physical part involve?
Watching you move, mostly. I will ask you to bend and reach, or to walk, depending on what we are assessing, and I will compare sides. Then come more specific checks of joint range and strength, and sometimes simple nerve tests. Everything is explained before it happens, and if a movement is too sore to do, we work around it rather than through it.
Wear clothing that lets me see the area. Shorts for knees and hips, a tank top for shoulders and necks. There is a private room, and nothing happens without your okay.
Will I get treatment at the first visit?
Usually, yes. When it is appropriate, treatment starts the same day, so you leave with more than a diagnosis. That might be hands-on work in the clinic, or it might be one or two exercises chosen for you. What it involves depends entirely on what the assessment finds, which is why I cannot tell you in advance.
What do I leave with?
Three things. A plain-language explanation of what I found. A written plan we built together, including what you can do at home between visits. And the costs, laid out before anything starts: $110 for the assessment and $85 for follow-up visits, as of May 2026, with direct billing to most major extended health insurers.
And one honest promise: if the assessment shows physiotherapy is not what you need, I will say so and point you to who can help. Booking an assessment is not signing up for a treatment package.
How do I prepare?
Bring your health card and your insurance details. If you have a referral or recent imaging reports, bring those too, though neither is required. If your visit follows an operation, bring your surgeon's protocol; the post-surgical rehab page explains why that document matters so much. And if you want the full list of what we assess, it is on the conditions section of our homepage.
This article is general education, not personal treatment advice. Questions before booking are welcome at (519) 555-0147.