Match the clinic to your specific condition
Sports injury rehabilitation, post-surgery recovery, chronic pain management and neurological rehabilitation each require different expertise. Describe your condition and any doctor referral clearly when comparing clinics.
Ask whether the clinic has experience with your specific diagnosis, not only general physiotherapy services, before booking your first session.
Example: A patient recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery books at a clinic that mainly treats general back pain and posture issues, and finds the therapist's protocol does not match the specific, staged rehabilitation timeline their orthopedic surgeon recommended. Asking upfront 'have you specifically treated post-ACL surgery patients before, and do you coordinate with the referring surgeon's protocol?' would have surfaced this mismatch before starting treatment.
For a stroke or neurological rehabilitation case, ask specifically about the clinic's experience with that condition category, since the techniques and pacing involved differ substantially from a sports injury or general musculoskeletal case, and a general physiotherapist may not have the specialized training this requires.
Verify therapist qualifications
Ask for the treating therapist's registration with the Nepal Health Professional Council and their specific experience with your condition.
Ask whether the same therapist treats you throughout your recovery or whether sessions rotate between different staff members.
Example: A patient begins treatment with an experienced senior therapist for the first two sessions, then finds later sessions are handled by a junior staff member with a different treatment approach, disrupting the consistency of the recovery plan. Asking clearly at the start 'will I see the same therapist for my full treatment course?' sets the right expectation from day one.
If a clinic is reluctant to confirm a therapist's registration or specific experience when asked directly, treat that hesitation as a signal worth taking seriously, since a properly qualified therapist should have no difficulty confirming this basic information.
Understand the treatment plan before starting
Ask for an initial assessment that explains your condition, expected treatment duration and realistic recovery expectations, rather than an open-ended commitment.
Request a written or verbal treatment plan with milestones so you can track whether progress matches expectations over time.
Example: A patient with chronic lower back pain starts physiotherapy without any timeline discussion, and after eight sessions with no clear improvement, still has no benchmark to judge whether the treatment is working or needs adjustment. Asking at the outset 'what improvement should I expect by session 5, and by session 10?' gives concrete checkpoints to evaluate progress against, rather than continuing indefinitely without a clear signal.
For a condition with a typical recovery timeline (a common sprain versus a complex post-surgical case), ask the therapist to explain roughly how your case compares to that typical timeline, since this helps set realistic expectations and flags early if your recovery is progressing more slowly than expected.
Ask about session structure and equipment
Ask how long each session lasts, whether it is one-on-one or involves multiple patients simultaneously, and what equipment the clinic has for your specific needs.
For home exercise components, ask for clear written or demonstrated instructions rather than a rushed verbal explanation you may forget.
Example: A patient books a session expecting dedicated one-on-one time, but finds the therapist splitting attention between three patients simultaneously in a busy clinic, resulting in less hands-on guidance than expected. Asking directly 'is this a one-on-one session, or will you be attending to other patients at the same time?' clarifies what to expect before committing to a treatment course.
For home exercises, ask for a printed handout with images or a short video demonstration rather than relying purely on a verbal explanation given at the end of a session, since most patients forget the specific details of an exercise demonstrated only once under time pressure.
Compare cost and session packages
Ask for per-session pricing and whether package discounts are available for a longer treatment course, and clarify what happens if you need more sessions than initially planned.
Ask whether insurance documentation or receipts are provided if you plan to claim treatment costs from an insurer.
Example: A patient buys a 10-session package at a discounted rate, then discovers after session 10 that their recovery needs several more sessions, but the clinic's per-session rate without a package is significantly higher than the effective rate within the package. Asking upfront 'what if I need more sessions than this package covers?' and understanding the pricing structure for additional sessions avoids this cost surprise partway through treatment.
If you plan to submit costs to a health insurer, confirm before starting that the clinic provides itemized receipts with the necessary details (diagnosis code, session dates, therapist registration number), since missing documentation is a common reason insurance claims for physiotherapy get delayed or rejected.
Track your own progress
Keep a simple log of pain levels, mobility and function before and after sessions, so you can discuss progress objectively with your therapist rather than relying on memory alone.
If progress stalls or the treatment does not feel right, ask for a reassessment or consider a second opinion from another qualified therapist.
Example: A patient feels vaguely that their shoulder mobility 'hasn't improved much' after six weeks but has no specific data to back this up when discussing it with the therapist. A simple log noting a 1-10 pain rating and a basic mobility measure (how far the arm can raise) before and after each session turns a vague impression into concrete evidence that can guide whether the treatment plan needs adjusting.
If after a reasonable number of sessions (typically several weeks) there is no meaningful change, and the therapist cannot explain why or adjust the approach, seeking a second opinion from a different clinic is a reasonable and common step, not something to feel awkward about requesting.
