Your physiotherapy questions, answered

No. Anyone can book directly with us without seeing a GP first. The exception is private medical insurance, where some policies require a GP referral before they will authorise treatment, so check with your insurer if you intend to claim.

An initial physiotherapy consultation of 45 minutes is £72 and each 30 minute treatment session is £62. Neurological physiotherapy is £82 and a home visit is £95. Podiatry, massage, hypnotherapy and our other services are priced on their own pages and on our Fees page, or reception will tell you on the phone.

If you have private medical insurance, your policy may cover physiotherapy with us. Before you book, check with your insurer that your policy includes outpatient physiotherapy, whether they need a GP referral first, and whether they will give you an authorisation number. Bring that number to your first appointment. Our Insurance and private cover page explains the steps in more detail.

Healthflex is cashless. You can pay by card at reception or by bank transfer.

Availability changes through the year. The online booking system shows the next free appointment for each clinician in real time, which is the quickest way to check. You can also ring 01428 642577 and reception will tell you the earliest appointment for the service you need.

The clinic is open Monday and Tuesday from 8:30am to 8:30pm, Wednesday to Friday from 8:30am to 5pm, and Saturday from 9am to 1pm. We are closed on Sundays. Not every clinician works every session, so the online booking system shows live availability for the person you want to see.

Ring reception on 01428 642577 or email reception@healthflex.co.uk. Please give at least 24 hours notice to change or cancel. Appointments cancelled with less notice, and missed appointments, are charged the full fee. Our cancellation policy, linked at the foot of every page, has the details.

Your first physiotherapy appointment lasts 45 minutes. Your physiotherapist will ask about the problem, your general health and what you want to get back to doing, then look at how you move. Where it is appropriate, treatment starts in the same session, and you leave with a plan and an honest estimate of how many sessions you are likely to need.

Wear or bring loose, comfortable clothing that lets your physiotherapist see and move the area being treated, such as shorts for a knee or hip problem. Bring a list of any medication you take, and any scan results or hospital letters that relate to the problem.

Many straightforward musculoskeletal problems settle within three to six appointments. Longer term and neurological conditions are worked to a plan over a longer period. Your physiotherapist will give you an honest estimate at the end of the first appointment rather than leaving it open ended.

Some hands on treatment and some exercises can be uncomfortable while you are doing them, particularly with a stiff joint or an irritable nerve. It should never be more than you have agreed to. Tell your physiotherapist what you are feeling and they will adjust what they are doing.

For a fresh injury in the first day or two, ice for short periods can help settle pain and swelling. NHS advice for sprains and strains is an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel, for up to 20 minutes every two to three hours. For long standing stiffness, heat usually feels better. Neither is a treatment on its own, and if you are not sure which applies to you, ask at your appointment. Please note that you should not apply heat or cold to areas with reduced or poor circulation or reduced sensation, to the front of the neck, or over open wounds, and you should not use either if you have Raynaud's disease, severe heart disease or high blood pressure.

Usually yes, in a modified form. Complete rest tends to prolong most musculoskeletal problems. The NICE guideline on low back pain and sciatica (NG59), for example, encourages people to stay active rather than rest in bed. Your physiotherapist will tell you what to keep doing and what to leave alone for now.

Ring us and describe the problem. If we think you need a GP, a scan or a different service we will tell you before you book rather than after you have paid for an appointment.

Yes. Our physiotherapists are chartered and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, which is the statutory regulator for the profession in the UK. You can check any physiotherapist's registration on the HCPC website.

All three treat musculoskeletal problems and there is real overlap in what they do. All three are also regulated by law in the UK: physiotherapists by the Health and Care Professions Council, osteopaths by the General Osteopathic Council and chiropractors by the General Chiropractic Council. Chartered physiotherapists are also members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Physiotherapy tends to place more emphasis on rehabilitation and exercise alongside hands on treatment.

Yes. Ask for someone by name when you book. If you are not sure, describe what is bothering you and reception will match you to the clinician with the right specialism.

Yes. Neurological rehabilitation is our most specialised area and covers stroke, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and balance and falls. We can see patients at the clinic or at home within about five miles of Haslemere, and we work alongside NHS community teams rather than in place of them.

Yes. Home visits are £95 and cover Haslemere, Grayshott, Hindhead and Liphook, within about five miles of the clinic. The first visit lasts up to an hour and later visits up to 45 minutes. They suit people who cannot easily travel, including many of our neurological patients.

Yes. Video and telephone consultations are available and suit review appointments, exercise progression and advice, particularly for patients who cannot travel easily. Ring reception to arrange one.

Yes. Pelvic health physiotherapy helps with bladder and bowel problems, pelvic floor weakness, pelvic pain, pregnancy, recovery after birth and menopause related symptoms. The first appointment lasts 60 minutes and costs £82. Follow ups are £72 for 45 minutes or £62 for 30 minutes, and a postnatal Mummy MOT is 90 minutes for £115.

We see young people, and a parent or guardian needs to be present in the appointment for anyone under sixteen. Ring 01428 642577 first with your child's age and the problem so we can confirm we are the right service.

There is free parking at The Edge on Woolmer Hill in Haslemere, with spaces near the entrance and step free access into the building.

Seek urgent medical advice rather than booking physiotherapy if you have numbness around your back passage or genitals, difficulty passing urine, unexplained weight loss with back pain, a fever alongside severe pain, or sudden weakness or drooping on one side of the face or body. For sudden face, arm or speech symptoms, call 999. If you are not sure how urgent your symptoms are, call NHS 111.