Physiotherapy
in Rome San Giovanni
Assessment and treatment of acute, long-standing and post-operative musculoskeletal problems, with manual therapy and therapeutic exercise dosed to the individual case.
What I actually do
Musculoskeletal physiotherapy is not "the massage" and it is not "the machine". It is a process with three parts that move together: working out what is generating the problem and what is keeping it going, settling the system down enough to be able to work, and rebuilding load capacity until you are back to the movement you need.
The assessment
A full history, examination of active and passive movement, specific orthopaedic tests, neurological screening where indicated, palpation. Every test is there to confirm or rule out a hypothesis. At the end you get an explanation, in plain language, of what is going on.
Manual therapy
Joint and soft-tissue techniques used towards a stated goal: gaining range of movement that is then trained, or settling sensitivity in an acute phase so that exercise becomes possible. Manual therapy on its own, without the rest, produces temporary relief.
Therapeutic exercise
This is the part that decides the result months later. Targeted strengthening, load progression, motor control, reconditioning. The exercises are chosen and dosed for you, taught here, and reviewed at the following sessions: a sheet of exercises handed over and never checked again is worth nothing.
Education and load management
Understanding why pain behaves the way it does changes how you experience it and the decisions you make. How much to walk, when to start running again, how to set up your desk, what to do when the symptom returns: those conversations are part of the treatment.
Mi sono rivolta al Dott. Gherla a Roma per un dolore persistente alla gamba sinistra e già dal primo incontro ha individuato la causa. Grazie alle sedute di fisioterapia e agli esercizi personalizzati da fare a casa ho visto miglioramenti in tempi rapidi. È un fisioterapista e osteopata molto competente, professionale e disponibile, capace di mettere subito a proprio agio. Benefici concreti già dopo le prime sedute. Consigliatissimo per chi cerca un fisioterapista e osteopata a Roma!
Appointments
- Initial assessment Physiotherapy and osteopathy together. History, physical examination, an explanation of what is going on, and first treatment where the case allows. It is the entry point to everything else.
- Follow-up session For patients who have already had the initial assessment. Length, frequency and number of sessions are set in the plan agreed at the assessment, not before.
- Video consultation For going back over the exercises you were given, correcting how you perform them, or taking stock of treatment already under way. It does not replace the first visit: a physical examination has to happen in person.
Fees are shown in the online booking diary and are given to you in full at the first visit, together with how many sessions I expect and how often. Healthcare services, invoiced in a form that qualifies for Italian tax relief.
When physiotherapy is the right call
- Musculoskeletal pain lasting more than two or three weeks that is not settling on its own.
- Recovery after orthopaedic surgery, where load needs to be progressed under control.
- Sports injuries and return to activity, where the criterion is not "it stopped hurting" but "it holds the load I am going to ask of it".
- Recurring problems that come back reliably after every course of treatment: usually that means the rebuilding of capacity was missing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a doctor's referral to see a physiotherapist?
No. In Italy physiotherapists are direct-access healthcare professionals: you can book without a referral. A referral is needed for treatment funded by the Italian NHS, not for private practice. If you already have imaging or test reports, do bring them: they change the reasoning.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on the case, and anyone who gives you a number over the phone before examining you is guessing. At the end of the first session I tell you my estimate and which signs we will use to check whether it is working. If after three or four sessions I am not seeing the change I expected, I change approach or refer you on — I do not keep repeating the same thing.
Is physiotherapy supposed to hurt?
No. Some passing discomfort during certain techniques, or in the first hours after exercise, can be normal — but severe pain is not a sign that something is working, and it achieves nothing. If a technique hurts, say so and we change it.
Can I keep training while I am being treated?
In the great majority of cases yes, with modified loads. Stopping altogether is almost always the worst option: you lose condition and coming back takes longer. We work out together what to keep, what to reduce and what to postpone.
Book an appointment
The first step is working out where the problem comes from. That is exactly what the initial assessment is for, before any treatment.