Physical Therapy in Alicante

It depends. If you want to be treated through the Social Security system, yes: you need a doctor (a primary care physician or specialist) to issue a referral. At a private practice, however, you can go directly without a referral. Of the three disciplines, physical therapy is the only one that is an officially recognized university-level healthcare profession in Spain, so a licensed physical therapist can evaluate and treat you on their own in the private sector.

The classic approach. A massage provides short-term pain relief and relaxes the muscles, but it doesn’t address the root of the problem. If the cause is weakness or poor posture, only active movement can correct it. Physical therapy is help for self-help: your participation is part of the treatment.

Ideally, you should bring three things:

• Your referral (if you’re covered by Social Security) and your health insurance card or your private insurance card.
• Relevant medical reports (surgical or MRI reports, if you have them).
• A large towel for the treatment table.

Comfortable, athletic clothing (sweatpants and a T-shirt, for example) that allows you to move freely. Since the physical therapist needs to see and feel the affected area (the knee, the back…), you may also choose to wear only your underwear.

It depends on the treatment. A physical therapy or manual therapy session usually lasts between 20 and 30 minutes. Other techniques, such as manual lymphatic drainage, can last up to 45 or 60 minutes.

Because a couple of sessions a week aren’t enough to correct deeply ingrained movement patterns or years of poor posture. The body learns through repetition. The “homework” we give you helps solidify the results and significantly speeds up your recovery.

A “yes and no.” A slight feeling of stretching or “good pain” as tension is released is normal, as is some muscle soreness the next day. A sharp, tearing, or unbearable pain, on the other hand, is a warning sign. Always tell your physical therapist how each exercise feels.

Under the Social Security system, physical therapy is free at the point of service (there is no copayment per session, unlike in other countries). In private practice, the cost of a session typically ranges from approximately 30 to 50 €, depending on the area and the technique. If you have private insurance, many policies cover physical therapy through a network of providers or via reimbursement, sometimes requiring prior authorization or subject to a limit on the number of sessions.

That can happen, of course. The important thing is to give us advance notice: since we operate on an appointment-only basis, we ask that you cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Otherwise, that reserved time slot cannot be reassigned in time, and you may be charged for it.

It’s hard to generalize. In cases of acute muscle spasms or mild muscle tightness, many people experience noticeable relief after 2 or 3 sessions. After major surgery (such as a new cruciate ligament or a hip replacement), however, physical therapy may continue for several months.