Online physiotherapy has become far more common in recent years, but it's fair to wonder whether a video call can really replace sitting in front of a physiotherapist in person. The honest answer is: it depends on what you need treated.

What online physiotherapy actually involves

An online appointment isn't a pre-recorded video or a symptom-checker chatbot. It's a real consultation with a qualified physiotherapist over video call. They'll ask about your symptoms and history, watch you perform specific movements to assess your posture and mobility, and build you a personalised exercise programme, correcting your technique live, just as they would in a treatment room.

When online physiotherapy works well

Online sessions are genuinely effective for conditions that are managed through exercise, movement correction, and ongoing guidance rather than hands-on treatment. That includes:

• Most musculoskeletal pain (back, neck, shoulder, knee)
• Chronic pain management and staged rehabilitation programmes
• Exercise-based strength, mobility and posture work
• Later-stage recovery after surgery, once your surgeon has cleared you for more independent movement
• Ongoing check-ins and programme progression for existing patients

When you'll need an in-person appointment instead

Some treatments simply require a physiotherapist's hands, and there's no honest way to replicate that over video. These include:

• Sports massage and deep tissue work
• Acupuncture
• Electrotherapy (TENS, ultrasound, interferential therapy, NMES)
• Manual therapy techniques like joint mobilisation and myofascial release
• Falls risk assessment and walking aid fitting, where safety depends on a physiotherapist being physically present

A simple way to decide

If your main issue is pain that responds to movement, exercise, or postural change, online is very likely a good fit. If you're dealing with muscle tightness that needs hands-on release, recovering from a recent fall, or need equipment-based treatment, book in-clinic instead.

If you're not sure which applies to you, that's a completely normal position to be in, and it's exactly what an initial assessment is for. Book either format, and your physiotherapist will tell you honestly if the other would serve you better.

Related reading: See our full Online Physiotherapy page for a complete breakdown of what's available online, worldwide.