Frequently Asked Questions
What is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is simply rehabilitation to get you out of pain and back to what you love doing. Through the journey you will probably start to feel stronger and get moving better, picking up loads of practical advice along the way. It is effective following an operation, due to a sports injury, for a sore back or for women’s health to name just a few things!
How does it work?
Often it is a combination of hands-on therapy and exercise. After asking a whole series of questions to get to know you and your problem we will look at your movement, strength and do some specialist testing of certain things. They won’t hurt! We promise. From this we will be able to give you a likely explanation of what is causing your pain and the name of your condition. You will then start a period of treatment which will include rehabilitation exercises for movement and strength and you will possibly have some hands on therapy if it is required.
Do you do hands on therapy?
Depending what you are coming to see us for – yes! This will either be joint mobilisations or soft tissue work. However, we will very rarely do a whole session of hands on Physiotherapy; it is often just treating the symptoms and not the cause. By integrating hands on therapy WITH exercises for movement and/or strength then we will get you better more quickly! If you want an hour long massage then we have separate massage therapists who are highly skilled at this and would recommend doing this alongside your Physiotherapy sessions.
What age groups do you treat?
- In Wimbledon we treat newborn (with our wonderful paediatric Physiotherapist) all the way through to nonagenarians.
- In Esher we treat girls and women from 16 years and over
How do you ensure I am seeing the right person for my condition?
We have a large and highly qualified team. We will always ensure you are seen by the right person for your condition so if you have any questions regarding this you can ask our admin team and they will ensure that you are seen by the person most appropriate for your symptoms e.g. shoulder pain! We are also highly collaborative so if we feel that you are best seen by a different team member we will say so and move you over to them!
How do you accept payment?
Most people pay by card and yes, we take Amex! We can also send an online Stripe link for payment or lastly we accept bank transfers. Sorry, no cash!
What are your opening hours?
- In Wimbledon our opening hours are:
Monday 7am – 8pm
Tuesday 7am – 8pm
Wednesday 7.30am – 7pm
Thursday 7.30am – 8pm
Friday 7am – 7pm
Saturday 8am – 2pm
- In Esher our opening hours are:
Tuesdays 8am – 5pm
Are you open Saturdays?
- Yes, in Wimbledon we are open on Saturdays 8 – 2pm
- In Esher we are not open on Saturdays
Do you have ground floor access?
Yes, we have ground floor access to two of our six treatment rooms with ground floor toilet access too. The gym is up a flight of 10 steps and the rest of our treatment rooms are down 6 steps
Where do I park if there are restricted hours on Russell Road in Wimbledon?
You can park at Wimbledon Theatre which is a 3 min walk away or on Palmerston and Derby roads which are also a 3 minute walk from the clinic.
Can I park onsite?
- Wimbledon: Yes, we have 4 parking spaces at the clinic. Drivers Please note: The road we are based on is pedestrianised during term terms between the hours of 8am and 9.15am and between 14.45 and 16.00. If you drive in to us between those hours you will receive a fine from Merton council. Anyone on site already can leave without a fine.
- Esher: There is no parking at Esher Health Village. The nearest car parks are Heather Place Care Park, Berguette Car Park, Civic Centre Car Park or the Waitrose Car Park.
Where are you based?
- Wimbledon: We are based at 54 Russell Road which is in central Wimbledon, on the same road as Wimbledon Theatre and Nando’s. We are slightly set back from the road down a small driveway.
- Esher: We are based at Health Village Esher which is on Church Street. The entrance is slightly set back from the road.
Do I have to be really sporty to come and see you?
Absolutely not! You can love reading, art, movies, dog walking, knitting or nothing at all! We see people with pain for no apparent cause and are here to help you feel better and live a more comfortable life.
Can I use health insurance?
- In Wimbledon: Yes, we bill directly to Allianz, AXA, BUPA, Cigna and WPA. If you have BUPA insurance you can see Ella, Gus, Jack, Ryan or Lachlan. If you have Aviva insurance you will have to book a self funded initial appointment. We don’t bill directly to Vitality so if you are insured by them you will have to pay our usual fees and claim back with them. We will provide you with the paperwork to do so!
- In Esher: We only accept WPA, Allianz and Cigna in Esher for Women’s Health Physiotherapy
How do I use my health insurance?
Yes, you can see all our Physiotherapists if you have WPA, Cigna, Allianz or AXA. If you have BUPA or Aviva you can see certain Physiotherapists in the team. We don’t accept Vitality.
How does it work with insurance?
You have to have your insurance details sorted BEFORE you attend your session. If you don’t you will be asked to self fund. You will need to contact your insurance company to get an authorisation code and number of sessions authorised (e.g. BUPA usually give 5 sessions). You will then need to provide us with your membership number, authorisation code and number of sessions authorised.
Remember, you need to call your insurance company up BEFORE coming to see us.
What shall I wear?
Wear whatever you feel comfortable in! If you are coming for a lower limb problem then please bring shorts if you are able.
We will probably end up in the rehab gym at some point so comfortable clothes are more helpful than jeans for example but if you come in jeans or your suit, don’t worry, the session can still go ahead!
Is there somewhere I can shower and/or change?
- In Wimbledon: Yes, we have a shower and you can change in the bathrooms or in a clinic room.
- In Esher: there are no shower facilities in Esher. If you need to change you will be able to do that in the clinic room while your Therapist steps out for privacy.
