Your First Visit at Recovery TLV — What Happens in 60 Minutes and Why It's the Most Important Hour
Most physiotherapy first visits last 20 minutes, hand you a generic exercise sheet, and book you for ten follow-ups before you have understood your own diagnosis. At Recovery TLV the first visit is 60 minutes, one-on-one, ends with a written individualised plan with demo videos, and asks you for no commitment beyond that single session. ₪400 flat, no deposit, no referral required. This page walks you through exactly what happens — minute by minute — so you know what to expect before you book.
What you actually leave with after 60 minutes
- A full clinical examination. Range of motion, strength testing, neurological screen if relevant, special tests for your specific region, postural and gait analysis.
- A written diagnosis in plain language. Not just a medical label — an explanation of what is happening in your tissue and why the symptoms behave the way they do.
- Pain mapping and triggers. Exact location, what makes it worse, what makes it better, what it tells us mechanically.
- A realistic prognosis. How many sessions are likely, when you should see the first measurable change, and what an early warning of a wrong path looks like.
- A personalised exercise prescription. 5–8 exercises with sets, reps, frequency, progression criteria — and a short demo video for each, sent to your phone by WhatsApp or email.
- A take-home document. A one-page written summary you can hand to your GP, orthopaedist, or another physiotherapist — no gatekeeping.
- Optional manual treatment within the session. When clinically appropriate: joint mobilisation, dry needling, soft-tissue work, McKenzie or Mulligan techniques.
- An honest answer about whether we are the right fit. If your problem needs a surgeon, a rheumatologist, a podiatrist, or a different specialist — we will tell you on the day and write you a clear referral letter.
- A no-pressure decision. You leave with a plan and decide later if you want to come back. There is no automatic next booking, no membership, no package to pay up front.
- An invoice (חשבונית מס). Official Israeli tax invoice issued on the day, in your name — most supplementary health insurance (ביטוח משלים) reimburses part of the cost.
The 60 minutes, broken down
Every first visit at Recovery TLV follows the same five phases — adapted to your specific condition and what we discover as we go. Here is the structure so you walk in knowing exactly what comes next.
Arrival, paperwork, and a real introduction
You are greeted at the door — not by a receptionist, by Alejandro himself. The clinic operates 1:1, so there is no front desk and no waiting room queue. If this is your first time, you fill in a one-page health questionnaire (allergies, medications, prior surgeries, red-flag screen). If you were referred from a doctor and have an imaging report (X-ray, MRI, ultrasound), this is the moment to share it — we will reference it during the exam, but we do not start from it.
Your story, in your own words
The single most important part of the visit. You tell us what hurts, when it started, what makes it better and worse, what you have already tried (other clinicians, imaging, medications, injections, exercise programmes), and — critically — what you want to be able to do again. Return to running? Sit at a desk pain-free? Lift your child without flinching? Sleep through the night? Your goal shapes everything that follows. Most patients say this is the first time a clinician asked them what success actually means to them.
The hands-on assessment
This is where most of the diagnostic work happens. Active and passive range of motion for the affected joints and the joints above and below. Manual muscle testing. Neurological screen (reflexes, sensation, myotome strength) when indicated. Provocation tests specific to your condition — McKenzie directional preference for spine, Lachman/Anterior Drawer for ACL, Hawkins-Kennedy for shoulder impingement, Thomas test for hip flexor length, single-leg squat for knee tracking, and so on. Postural and gait analysis if relevant. We test the suspected problem under real load, not just on the table.
What we found and what we are going to do about it
Alejandro explains the findings in plain language — what is happening mechanically, why the pain behaves the way it does, what is reasonable to expect with treatment. You see your test results on the spot (no waiting for a report). We then build the treatment plan together: number of sessions, frequency, what each session will focus on, what the home programme looks like, what the milestones are. You receive 5–8 personalised exercises with sets, reps, and short demo videos — sent to your phone by WhatsApp or email before you leave the building.
You decide — no pressure
You can book your next session before you leave, take the written plan home and decide later, or treat the first visit as a one-off second opinion and never come back. All three are perfectly normal. Payment (₪400) is handled at the end — cash, credit card, Bit, or PayBox — and we issue the tax invoice immediately. If we decided during the exam that your case is better handled by a surgeon or another specialist, we hand you a written referral letter at this stage.
Transparent pricing — ₪400 flat, no surprises
We do not run packages, memberships, deposits, or loyalty programmes. Every session — including the first — is the same price, paid at the end of the visit.
Same price for the first visit, follow-ups, and post-surgical rehabilitation. No hidden fees. No subscription. You pay at the end of each session.
A note on insurance: most supplementary health insurance plans (Clalit Mushlam, Maccabi Sheli/Zahav, Meuhedet Adif/Zahav, Leumit Zahav) and private insurers (Harel, Menorah, Migdal, Phoenix, Clal, Ayalon) reimburse a portion of the ₪400 — typically ₪150–₪250 per session, depending on your specific policy and remaining annual quota. We do not bill the insurer directly; you pay us, then submit the tax invoice to your insurer for reimbursement.
Have a question about pricing or insurance? Get a direct answer in under an hour.
WhatsApp AlejandroWhat happens after the first visit
You leave with a written plan and your phone full of exercise demo videos. There is no automatic next booking. There is no monthly subscription. There is no follow-up call asking you to commit to a package. The plan we built together tells you exactly what to do for the next 7–14 days on your own.
If you want a follow-up, you book it the same way you booked the first visit — online at /booking/en/ or by WhatsApp. Most patients with a defined musculoskeletal problem need somewhere between 4 and 8 sessions over 6–12 weeks; some need only 2–3 sessions to learn the programme and then continue independently. Post-surgical and complex chronic cases may need longer. We will be honest about the realistic number at the end of the first visit — and even more honest about it after the 3rd session, when we have data on how your tissue is responding.
Between sessions, you can message Alejandro by WhatsApp with quick questions (a new symptom, a video of your form check, a question about an exercise) — this is included in the cost of the sessions. We do not charge for short messages.
Who this kind of first visit is for
The 60-minute 1:1 model is not the cheapest physiotherapy in Tel Aviv. It is built for a specific kind of patient:
- People who want to understand what is happening — not just be handed a sheet of exercises and a follow-up appointment.
- People who have already tried short-format physiotherapy (20-min slots, generic protocols) and have not improved.
- Active adults, runners, padel players, CrossFit and weightlifting athletes who need a plan that fits their training, not a plan that tells them to stop training.
- Patients facing a surgery decision who want a second opinion before committing — and a structured prehab plan if the surgery is going ahead.
- Post-surgical patients with a specific rehab protocol (ACL, rotator cuff, hip/knee replacement, ankle reconstruction) who need consistent 1:1 supervision through the milestones.
- International patients and expats who want a clinician fluent in English or Spanish and familiar with both Israeli and international standards of care.
If your case is straightforward and you are happy with short-format sessions through your Kupat Cholim, that is a perfectly valid choice — we will say so directly if we think it applies.
Common worries about the first visit — and honest answers
These are the questions that come up most often before patients book. None of them are silly — they all rest on reasonable assumptions about how private healthcare usually works.
You do not need one. In Israel, private physiotherapy is direct-access — adults can self-refer to a licensed physiotherapist without going through a GP first. We assess and treat directly. The Israel Ministry of Health licenses us for autonomous practice (license 10-120163) and we maintain ongoing CPD to keep that standing.
Then we say so on the day and we write you a clear referral letter with our findings to take to an orthopaedic surgeon — no pressure to continue with us. We do not perform surgery and have no commercial relationship with any surgical clinic. About 1 in 20 patients leaves the first visit with a referral to a different specialist (orthopaedist, rheumatologist, neurologist, podiatrist). That is a feature, not a failure.
No. After the first visit you leave with a written plan and decide if and when you want to come back. There is no membership, no package to buy up front, no automatic next appointment. Many patients use the first visit as a structured second opinion and never return — that is a legitimate use of the session.
Compare like-for-like. A standard 20-minute consultation costs ₪250–₪350 and gives you 4–5 generic exercises. Our 60-minute 1:1 with written diagnosis, individualised programme, demo videos, and unlimited WhatsApp questions between sessions typically replaces 3–4 follow-up visits elsewhere. Many patients improve enough from the first session that one or two more visits is all they need.
The site covers the most common conditions — not all of them. If you have a musculoskeletal, orthopaedic, sports, or post-surgical problem and you are unsure if we are the right fit, send a WhatsApp message describing the issue. Alejandro will respond within the same business day with an honest answer — either "yes, book a visit" or "no, here is who you should see instead". The triage message is free.
Yes — Alejandro is fluent in Hebrew, English, and Spanish. Sessions are conducted in whichever language you prefer; written plans and exercise videos can also be delivered in your preferred language. About 35% of our patients are international or expat — including Spanish-speaking patients from Argentina, Spain, Mexico, and the broader Latin American community in Israel.
Ready to book? Zero commitment beyond the single visit.
Choose your time directly in the clinic calendar — same-day and next-day slots are usually available. ₪400 paid at the end of the visit, official tax invoice issued, and a written plan in your hand before you leave.
First-visit FAQ — the practical questions
How do I book my first visit?
What is the cancellation policy?
Do you accept Kupot Cholim or private health insurance?
Can I bring a family member or friend to my visit?
What happens if I arrive late?
Do you treat children or teenagers?
Is the clinic accessible — wheelchair, parking, stairs?
What languages do you speak?
Do you do home visits or remote consultations?
What if I want to switch to a different physiotherapist after the first visit?
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Book the most important hour of your recovery
★ 5.0 · 187 Google reviews · Israel MoH license 10-120163 · 21+ years of clinical experience. One 60-minute 1:1 visit: clinical exam, written diagnosis, individualised exercise plan with demo videos, an honest answer about whether we are the right fit. ₪400, paid at the end, no referral, no commitment to continue.