No. In Singapore you can see a physiotherapist directly without a GP or specialist referral, and you can book straight into Stride yourself. If your care later needs a doctor — for a scan or a specialist opinion — we will say so and help coordinate it. Some insurers ask for a referral before they reimburse, so it is worth checking your own policy if you intend to claim.
It depends on the injury, how long it has been there and your goal, which is exactly why our Recovery Plan Estimator gives you a phased, indicative range rather than a vague answer. A straightforward back or neck issue might settle in five or six sessions; a sports injury with a return-to-play goal usually runs longer; post-surgical rehab is a months-long programme. After your first assessment your physio gives you an honest, specific estimate — and we would always rather make you independent than keep you coming back.
Your first visit is a full assessment of about an hour. Your physiotherapist takes a detailed history, watches how you move, tests the relevant joints and muscles, and walks you through, in plain terms, what is driving your problem. You then get hands-on treatment on the day and leave with a clear, written home exercise plan and a sense of the road ahead. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in.
The principles are the same, but sports physiotherapy is geared towards getting active people back to their sport, not just out of pain. It keeps you training in some form wherever it is safe, focuses heavily on rebuilding strength, power and control, and finishes with objective return-to-sport testing before you are cleared. Our sports physiotherapists understand the demands of running, football, the gym and triathlon, and rehabilitate towards those demands specifically.
Yes — post-operative rehabilitation is one of our core specialties. We follow your surgeon’s protocol precisely and are happy to coordinate directly with them, so everyone is working towards the same milestones. We rehabilitate ACL reconstructions, knee and hip replacements, shoulder repairs and ankle and foot surgery, progressing you from early movement through to full, tested strength on our gym floor over the months recovery genuinely takes.
We have three clinics: Tanjong Pagar in the CBD, Novena at the medical hub (home to our women’s health suite), and East Coast (our runner and triathlete base). All three have full rehabilitation gym floors. Weekday hours run 8am to 8pm, with Saturday mornings from 8am to 2pm, and we keep early-morning and evening slots open so recovery fits around work and training. You can choose your preferred clinic when you book.
Both. While we are known for sports and post-surgical rehabilitation, the most common problem we treat is everyday lower back pain, followed by necks, shoulders, knees and hips in people who are not athletes at all. Whether your pain came from a marathon or from carrying a toddler and sitting at a desk, the same assessment-led, phased approach applies. Our Injuries We Treat pages explain how we handle each one.
Many of our patients claim through their insurer or a corporate health plan, and we can provide itemised invoices and reports to support a claim. Coverage, limits and whether a referral is required vary by policy and insurer, so we always recommend checking the specifics of your own plan before you start. We will give you everything you need on the documentation side; the eligibility itself sits with your insurer.
Your contact information and clinical notes stay confidential, governed by Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). We rely on them purely to deliver your treatment and, only where you ask us to, to liaise with your doctor or insurer — they are never passed on or used to push unrelated services. Everything is stored securely, and you are welcome to ask us what we have on file whenever you like.
Still have a question?
No referral is needed to book a physiotherapist in Singapore. Message us with what’s going on and we’ll point you the right way.