Understanding Physiotherapy: A Plain-English Explainer

In much of England you can refer yourself without seeing a GP first, which most people do not know.

Key takeaways

• Self-referral: available to NHS musculoskeletal physiotherapy in many areas
• Main treatment: graded exercise and education
• Most useful single change: Check whether you can self-refer locally; it is often faster.
• Commonest mistake: Expecting passive treatment alone to resolve the problem.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

The short answer

Assessment and treatment of movement problems, largely through exercise and education.

Where it fits

This is part of Back And Posture. Guidance sets out what to look for and what to do about it, which is what the rest of this page covers.

The numbers, in one place

What that means in practice

What to do with all of that:

• Check whether you can self-refer locally; it is often faster
• Do the home exercise programme, which is where the effect comes from
• Ask what the exercises are for and how to progress them
• Say early if something is not working so it can be changed

What gets people into trouble

And the things that tend to go wrong:

• Expecting passive treatment alone to resolve the problem
• Stopping exercises as soon as pain settles
• Assuming you need a GP referral first

Where to go next

• Physiotherapy: Separating Myth From Guidance
• The First Steps With Physiotherapy
• Physiotherapy — the reference entry
• Low Back Pain: What Published Guidance Supports
• What the Guidance Really Says About Sciatica

When to speak to a doctor

Seek emergency care rather than physiotherapy for numbness around the genitals or back passage, bladder or bowel changes, or weakness in both legs. See a GP urgently for pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, or progressive limb weakness.

Where this comes from

• NICE — Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy — self-referral

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.