Find your perfect physio in 4 easy steps!

Choosing a physical therapist depends on your condition, your needs, and the kind of relationship you want to build. Active listening, clear explanations, and respect for your preferences all play a role in your care experience.^{1, 2} The relationship with your physical therapist is also linked to certain rehabilitation outcomes, though its importance varies depending on the situation.^{3, 4}

Your physical therapist listens to you, explains your condition, and guides you through your exercises. Good collaboration is associated with better treatment adherence in certain populations.³ Follow-up strategies can also support exercise adherence, but their average effect is small, and the evidence remains limited.⁵ The following four steps will help you make your choice.

How to Choose a Physical Therapist?

Choosing a physical therapist depends on four factors: their profile, online reviews, recommendations from friends and family, and your specific needs. Each factor provides different information.

1. What can you learn from the physical therapist's profile?

The physical therapist's profile outlines their education, areas of practice, and interests. This information will help you prepare your questions before scheduling an appointment.

Physical therapists often describe their professional backgrounds on their clinic's website. There, you can find information about their education, the conditions they treat, and their personal interests.

Recent continuing education courses demonstrate how physical therapists continue to expand their knowledge after graduation. You can ask your physical therapist which courses are relevant to your condition.

The physical therapist's career history also provides information about the areas in which they have pursued advanced training.

A physical therapist must adhere to the limits of their expertise and license.⁶ Therefore, not all physical therapists have the same level of experience with every condition. Some see people with special needs more often.

In Quebec, the Order does not issue specialist licenses in physical therapy.⁷ However, specific experience with the knee, for example, may be relevant to your choice.

Shared interests can make it easier to talk with your physical therapist. If you play a sport, ask them if they’re familiar with the movements and demands of that sport. A shared hobby alone does not prove clinical expertise.

Patients and physical therapists describe education and skills as important aspects of their relationship. Patients also place importance on the explanations they receive.¹

2. How reliable are reviews on Google and Facebook?

Online reviews describe what patients liked about their care. Detailed comments provide more insight into their experience than the star rating alone.

Reading about someone else’s experience can help you recognize your own needs. Read the details about follow-up care, explanations, and scheduling appointments.

The qualities that patients highlight can serve as a guide for you: active listening, clear explanations, a reassuring presence, or hands-on care that patients appreciate. Ask yourself which of these matter most to you.

Listening, offering encouragement, and respecting the patient’s choices are all key elements of a positive care relationship.^{1, 2} However, a review is simply one person’s opinion; it does not guarantee your outcome.

Your priorities give meaning to the feedback. A follow-up approach that works for someone else may not meet your specific needs.

3. Can we trust the recommendations of our loved ones?

Recommendations from your loved ones can help guide your choice if their reasons align with your needs. Ask them what they liked about the care they received.

Your Aunt Louise may like her hairdresser even if her choices don't match yours. The same consideration applies to a physical therapist's recommendations.

Your loved ones can describe their experiences with pain and care. Ask them what aspects they appreciated: the explanations, the schedule, the way their concerns were listened to, or the exercises, for example. These details provide more insight than just saying, “It worked for me.”

4. What questions should you ask to clarify your needs?

Questions about scheduling, privacy, explanations, and follow-up care help you clarify your needs. The clinic can then guide you based on the services available.

The clinic coordinators will answer your questions before your appointment. You can tell them what worked well and what didn't work as well in your previous care.

Your priorities may be practical or related to how you receive care. Specifying them helps the clinic advise you when you make your appointment.

A tailored treatment plan takes into account your situation, your goals, and your input. The physical therapist discusses treatment decisions with you and supports you throughout your treatment.^{1, 8}

Examples of questions to ask at the clinic

Pain relief remains an important goal. Trust, clear explanations, and collaboration are also key to your relationship with your physical therapist.¹ This relationship is associated with certain rehabilitation outcomes, but it does not alone determine your progress.^{3, 4}

Once you've made your decision, you can get started on your physical therapy journey with just one phone call. Is your appointment booked? Our article explains how to prepare for your first physical therapy session.

You can also read about how a physical therapy evaluation or treatment is conducted.

For more information, see our guide on how to identify a good physical therapy practice and on what to expect during a physical therapy evaluation.

References

Links open in a new tab.

1. O'Keeffe M, Cullinane P, Hurley J, Leahy I, Bunzli S, O'Sullivan PB, et al. What Influences Patient-Therapist Interactions in Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy? Qualitative Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis. Phys Ther. 2016;96(5):609-22. (Back to sections: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
2. Oliveira VC, Refshauge KM, Ferreira ML, Pinto RZ, Beckenkamp PR, Negrao Filho RF, et al. Communication that values patient autonomy is associated with satisfaction with care: a systematic review. J Physiother. 2012;58(4):215-29. (Back to sections: 1, 2)
3. Hall AM, Ferreira PH, Maher CG, Latimer J, Ferreira ML. The influence of the therapist-patient relationship on treatment outcomes in physical rehabilitation: a systematic review. Phys Ther. 2010;90(8):1099-110. (Back to sections: 1, 2, 3)
4. Kinney M, Seider J, Beaty AF, Coughlin K, Dyal M, Clewley D. The impact of therapeutic alliance in physical therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review of the literature. Physiother Theory Pract. 2020;36(8):886-898. (Back to sections: 1, 2)
5. Ley C, Putz P. Efficacy of interventions and techniques on adherence to physical therapy in adults: an overview of systematic reviews and a panoramic meta-analysis. Syst Rev. 2024;13(1):137. (Back to section: 1)
6. Quebec. Code of Ethics for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Technologists. C-26, Reg. 197.1. (Back to section: 1)
7. OPPQ. Code of Ethics and Disciplinary Process Archives. (Back to section: 1)
8. Wijma AJ, Bletterman AN, Clark JR, Vervoort SCJM, Beetsma A, Keizer D, et al. Patient-centeredness in physical therapy: What does it entail? A systematic review of qualitative studies. Physiother Theory Pract. 2017;33(11):825-840. (Back to section: 1)