How We Measure Your Progress — the validated tools that prove you are actually improving
Most clinics judge progress by asking "how do you feel?" — a vague answer that drifts with mood, weather, and sleep. At Recovery TLV we judge it with validated outcome measures and objective physical tests, recorded at your baseline and re-tested on a fixed schedule so the change is a number you can see, not a feeling you have to trust.
At Recovery TLV every treatment plan is tracked with validated outcome measures, not just "how do you feel today?". We score your pain (NRS 0–10), your own functional goal (PSFS), and a condition-specific tool, plus objective strength and range tests — then re-test every 3–5 sessions. If the numbers do not move, we change the plan or refer you on.
What we record at your baseline
At your first visit we do more than ask where it hurts. We capture a documented starting point across symptoms, your own goals, and objective physical performance — so that every later session has something concrete to compare against. The full baseline includes:
- Pain (NRS 0–10). A numeric score for symptom intensity now, so we can track whether pain genuinely drops over time rather than relying on memory.
- Your personal goal (PSFS). The exact activities you want back — running 5 km, sitting through a workday, lifting your child, sleeping on that shoulder — each rated so we measure progress on what matters to you.
- A condition-specific questionnaire. A validated tool matched to your region (for example LEFS or KOOS for the knee, DASH or SPADI for the shoulder, VISA-A or VISA-P for tendons, ODI for the low back).
- Strength vs the healthy side (%). An objective side-to-side comparison that exposes a deficit you cannot feel and quantifies symmetry.
- Range of motion (degrees / functional). Measured mobility of the affected joint and the joints above and below, in degrees or against a functional benchmark.
- Return-to-sport tests. Where relevant: hop tests, single-leg squat quality, and run / jump / cut load tolerance to judge readiness to load safely.
Which tool we use, and what it tells us
Each measure is chosen because it is validated for the region and answers a specific question. Here is the mapping we use most often — your exact set is confirmed at the first visit.
| What we measure | Tool we use | What it tells us |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | NRS 0–10 (Numeric Rating Scale) | Symptom intensity now vs baseline |
| Your personal goal | PSFS (Patient-Specific Functional Scale) | Progress on the exact activities you want back |
| Knee / lower limb | LEFS · KOOS | Function & sport readiness (ACL, OA, meniscus, PFPS) |
| Shoulder | DASH · SPADI + ER/IR strength | Upper-limb function & rotator-cuff capacity |
| Tendon (Achilles / patellar) | VISA-A · VISA-P + load tolerance | Tendon function and tolerated load |
| Low back | ODI (Oswestry Disability Index) | Disability level for lumbar pain |
| Strength | Side-to-side comparison (% of healthy side) | Objective strength deficit & symmetry |
| Range of motion | Goniometry / functional ROM | Mobility change in degrees |
| Return to sport | Hop tests, single-leg squat, load tolerance | Readiness to load & return safely |
How often do we re-assess?
We re-test the same baseline measures every 3–5 sessions and only count change as real progress when it crosses each tool's minimal clinically important difference (MCID) — the threshold research has established for that questionnaire — rather than a number that simply feels better that day.
The logic is simple: baseline → intervention → re-test. We record where you start, we treat for a defined block, and then we repeat the identical measures. Because the same questionnaire and the same physical tasks are repeated under the same conditions across sessions, the comparison is like-for-like and exposes quantitative change — a 14-point jump on the LEFS, 20° more shoulder rotation, strength moving from 68% to 88% of the healthy side. That is far more reliable than a general impression, and it tells us early whether the current plan is working or needs to change.
What happens if I'm not improving?
If the objective measures have not moved after 3–5 sessions, we do not just book more of the same. We revise the working hypothesis, change the plan — different loading, different technique, a different driver of the problem — or, when the pattern points elsewhere, we refer you to the right doctor or specialist. Our published criteria for when physiotherapy is not the first step set out exactly when we will refer you on instead of continuing.
And one honesty point: we do not publish aggregate success rates or outcome percentages. Those numbers are easy to cherry-pick and hard for anyone to verify. What we commit to is measuring your baseline with validated tools and documenting your change over time — the only number that actually applies to your case.
The tools we use are validated in peer-reviewed research.
These instruments are standardised, validated questionnaires used internationally — not in-house scores we made up.
Stratford et al., Physiother Can 1995 (PSFS) · Binkley et al., Phys Ther 1999 (LEFS) · Fairbank & Pynsent, Spine 2000 (ODI).
Want your progress measured, not guessed?
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 documented baseline plus a written plan in your hand before you leave.
FAQ — how we measure progress
How do you measure whether I'm actually getting better?
Which outcome measures will you use for my condition?
How often do you re-assess my progress?
What happens if my numbers don't improve?
Do you publish average success rates or outcome data?
Browse common conditions we treat
Book an assessment and get a measured baseline
★ 5.0 · 187 Google reviews · Israel MoH license 10-120163 · 21+ years of clinical experience. A 60-minute 1:1 assessment that ends with your documented baseline scores — pain (NRS), your own goal (PSFS), a condition-specific tool, plus objective strength and range — and a written plan in your hand. ₪400, paid at the end, no referral, no commitment to continue.