Physiotherapy after an injury: what a realistic course looks like

The first session with a physiotherapist is largely an assessment. They will ask how the injury happened, what makes the problem worse and what eases it, what your work is and what you do in your free time, and then measure your mobility, strength and the way you move. A plan comes out of this. Anyone who comes expecting the first visit to be therapy usually leaves disappointed, even though it was this very visit that shaped all the ones that follow.

Recovery has its own sequence and it cannot be skipped. First comes calming the swelling and pain, then restoring range of motion, only then strength and load, and finally movement specific to your sport or your work. A skipped stage is the most common reason the problem comes back, usually just when it seems it is all over.

Timelines follow tissue biology, not willpower. Muscle tension settles within days or weeks. A mild ankle sprain needs weeks. Tendons and ligaments heal over months, because they have a poorer blood supply. After joint surgery, the way back to sport is often a matter of several months, sometimes even a whole year. These are rough figures for orientation, not promises. They depend on the nature of the injury, the procedure, your age and how you respond.

The course is not linear, and that is normal. A good week often leads to overdoing it, followed by a worse week, and many people then conclude that the therapy is not working. Mild muscle soreness the day after a session is not unusual. However, markedly worse pain, new swelling or pain that wakes you at night are not part of the plan; report them before your next visit.

You do most of the work yourself, between visits. The exercises you are given for home are the part of treatment that drives progress, and ten minutes every day means more than one long workout a week. If you cannot do the exercises or they hurt, say so instead of giving them up. Exercises can be adjusted; abandoned exercises cannot.

If your surgeon or specialist has prescribed a rehabilitation protocol with load restrictions, bring it with you, as the physiotherapist follows these instructions and fits the treatment around them. Also bring reports and descriptions of imaging tests and a list of your medicines.

A physiotherapist does not make a diagnosis and does not hide this. When the cause of the problem has not yet been explained, when the pain suddenly gets much worse or changes character, or when pins and needles, loss of strength or fever appear, they will send you back to a doctor for further diagnostics.

Physiotherapy at Medicinski center Ljubljana is self-pay, so you do not need a referral and can book yourself. Booking is managed by the provider that runs the clinic. Come to your session in comfortable clothes that allow movement and access to the area being treated.