The one thing that matters most
Your physio needs to see you move. Everything else about setting up is in service of that. A phone propped against a water bottle on the floor, three metres back, tells them more than a laptop camera at desk height ever will.
Space and camera
Find a spot where you can stand, bend, squat and lie down with the whole of you in frame. A hallway or the side of a bed works. Put the camera at roughly hip height, far enough back that your head and feet are both visible when you stand, and try to face a window rather than have one behind you.
If the problem is your neck, shoulder or arm, you can sit closer for part of the session. If it is your back, hip, knee, foot or ankle, expect to be standing for a good part of it.
- Phone or tablet on a stable prop, landscape if you can.
- Camera at hip height, two to three metres back.
- Light on your face, not behind you.
- Somewhere to lie down within reach of the frame.
What to wear
Clothes that let the physio see the joint. Shorts for anything from the hip down, a vest or a t-shirt you can move the sleeve up on for shoulders. Bare feet or socks for foot and ankle problems.
What to have beside you
A chair with no arms, a step or the bottom stair, and something you can hold for strength testing, such as a full water bottle or a bag of sugar. If you have a resistance band, bring it. If you have scans, letters or a list of medication, have them to hand; you will be asked.
What happens in the 30 minutes
The first part is talking. Your physio has read what you told us when booking, so they will not start from nothing, but they will want the full story: how it started, what makes it better and worse, what you have tried, and what you want to get back to.
The middle is movement. They will ask you to do things and watch closely, sometimes several times from different angles. Some of it will provoke the pain a little; that is information, and you can stop anything that feels wrong.
The end is the plan. You will finish with a small number of things to do, a clear idea of what to avoid for now, and a written summary the same day. If your physio thinks you need hands on treatment, imaging, or a doctor, they will say so directly and tell you who to see.
If the connection drops
Rejoin using the same link. If it drops repeatedly, the rule we are building to is simple: a session lost to connection problems is finished by phone or rebooked, not charged again. Where that is not yet automatic, email hello@bookaphysio.ie and it will be sorted by a person.