No referral needed. Safety screened.

See a physiotherapist first for muscle and joint pain

Most back, neck, shoulder and knee problems are treated with movement and exercise in the end. Starting with a physiotherapist gets you there sooner. Every first session begins with a safety screen, and if your physiotherapist finds signs that need a doctor, we refer you and you pay for that one session only.

Book a First Session

Applies to online sessions, home visits and clinic visits.

Go to emergency care, not a physiotherapist, if you have

  • •Chest pain, or pain in the arm or jaw with breathlessness or sweating
  • •Signs of stroke: face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech
  • •A sudden, severe headache unlike any before
  • •An injury with deformity, or you cannot put any weight on the leg
  • •New numbness around the groin or buttocks, or new problems controlling bladder or bowel
  • •A hot, swollen joint with fever

How it works

Step 1

Book directly

Message us on WhatsApp. No doctor's letter needed. Share any reports or scans you already have.

Step 2

Safety screen first

Your physiotherapist goes through a structured set of warning-sign questions and movement tests before any treatment.

Step 3

Treat, or refer

If physiotherapy is right, treatment starts. If you need a doctor, you get a written summary and pay for one session only.

Problems where starting with a physiotherapist makes sense

These are non-emergency muscle, joint and movement problems. Clinical guidelines recommend exercise-based treatment as a first step for most of them, before scans, injections or surgery.

Back pain, sciatica and slip disc symptoms
Neck pain and stiffness
Shoulder pain and frozen shoulder
Knee pain and arthritis
Sprains, strains and sports injuries
Tendon pain such as tennis elbow or heel pain
Posture and desk-work aches
Stiffness and weakness with age

Not sure which to see first? Read our guide to choosing between an orthopaedic doctor and a physiotherapist.

Our one-session promise

Packages are paid upfront. If your physiotherapist refers you to a doctor after the first session, we charge you for that one session only, worked out from the package you chose, and refund the rest. The same rule applies at any point in treatment: if you are referred to a doctor later, you pay only for the sessions you have used and unused sessions are refunded. We would rather send you to the right person than sell you treatment you do not need.

PackageOnlineHome visit
Spine & Joint (14 sessions)₹486₹607
Ortho post-op (21 sessions)₹476₹595
Neuro, Geriatric, Cancer, Cardiac, Pediatric (30 sessions)₹480₹600

Approximate cost of one session, rounded to the nearest rupee. Clinic packages follow the same rule. See full pricing

Our first-session screening protocol

Version 1, October 2026. Written by Dr. V. B. Rajendra Prasad, MPT, and used by every Nuprana physiotherapist.

1. Before booking

When you first message us on WhatsApp, we ask about emergency signs. If any are present, we direct you to emergency care straight away and do not book a session.

2. Warning-sign history

Before any treatment, your physiotherapist asks a structured set of questions covering six groups of warning signs. Any positive answer is explored further.

Possible fracture

  • •A fall or accident before the pain started
  • •Minor injury with osteoporosis or long-term steroid use
  • •Unable to bear weight or use the limb

Spinal cord or nerve compression

  • •Numbness in the groin or buttocks (saddle area)
  • •New bladder, bowel or sexual problems
  • •Weakness that is getting worse, or symptoms in both legs
  • •Clumsy hands or changes in walking

Possible infection

  • •Fever, chills or feeling unwell with the pain
  • •Recent surgery, injection or infection
  • •Diabetes or a weakened immune system with a new hot, swollen area

Possible cancer

  • •A past history of cancer
  • •Unexplained weight loss
  • •Constant pain at night that no position eases
  • •New back pain after age 50 with other warning signs

Blood vessels and circulation

  • •Calf pain with swelling, warmth or redness
  • •Neck pain with dizziness, double vision or trouble speaking
  • •A throbbing pain in the abdomen

Inflammatory or other medical causes

  • •Morning stiffness lasting longer than an hour
  • •Several swollen joints, or a skin rash with joint pain
  • •Pain that does not change at all with movement or position
  • •Shoulder or upper back pain with breathlessness

For children, we also check for a limp with fever, sudden refusal to walk, and loss of skills they already had.

3. Movement examination

Your physiotherapist then checks how your symptoms behave with movement, position and load, along with strength, sensation and reflexes where relevant. Muscle and joint problems usually change with movement and position. Pain that stays the same whatever you do is a reason to look for another cause.

4. Decision

Every first session ends with one of four outcomes, explained to you and recorded in your notes.

A. Start physiotherapy

No warning signs and a clear muscle or joint cause. Your physiotherapist explains what is going on and starts your treatment plan.

B. Physiotherapy, with a doctor in parallel

Safe to treat, but you would also benefit from a medical opinion, for example about medicines or tests. Treatment continues while you see your doctor.

C. See your doctor first

Something needs medical assessment before physiotherapy. We stop, give you a written summary for your doctor, charge for this one session only and refund the rest of your package.

D. Emergency care now

Signs of something urgent. We tell you to go to an emergency department immediately.

5. Extra caution online

On video, a physiotherapist cannot touch you or perform every physical test. Online, we therefore refer whenever a warning sign cannot be confidently ruled out, rather than waiting to see how things go.

6. Throughout treatment

Screening does not stop after the first session. Any new symptom is checked against the same warning signs. If you are not improving as expected, your physiotherapist reviews the plan with you and, where appropriate, recommends seeing a doctor. If treatment stops because of a referral, unused sessions are refunded.

7. Records and oversight

Every screen and referral is documented. Patients who are referred receive a written summary of findings for their doctor. Referral decisions are reviewed regularly under Dr. Rajendra's clinical direction, and this protocol is updated as guidance evolves.

What we do not do. Nuprana physiotherapists do not prescribe medicines or give injections. If you need medicines, injections or further tests, your own doctor will arrange them, and we are happy to work alongside them.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see a physiotherapist in India without a doctor's referral?
Yes. You can book a Nuprana physiotherapist directly, online, at home or at a clinic, without a referral. Your first session always includes a safety screen to check whether you need to see a doctor first.
Should I see an orthopaedic doctor or a physiotherapist first?
For most back, neck, joint and muscle pain without warning signs, starting with a physiotherapist is safe and often quicker, because most of these problems are treated with exercise and movement in the end. If there are signs of a fracture, infection, nerve compression or another medical cause, see a doctor first. Our physiotherapists check for these signs at the start.
What happens if the physiotherapist thinks I need a doctor?
They explain why, give you a written summary of their findings to show your own doctor, and stop there. Packages are paid upfront, so we charge you for that one session, worked out from the package you chose, and refund the rest.
How much is the one session if I am referred to a doctor?
It is your package price divided by the number of sessions. For example, about ₹486 for an online Spine & Joint package or about ₹607 for the same package at home. The same rule applies to clinic packages.
What if I am referred to a doctor partway through my package?
The same rule applies. If a new warning sign appears or your physiotherapist decides you need a doctor during treatment, you pay only for the sessions you have used, and unused sessions are refunded.
Can I come back for physiotherapy after seeing my doctor?
Yes. Many patients are referred out, see their doctor, and come back once the doctor confirms physiotherapy is appropriate. Bring any reports or advice from your doctor so your physiotherapist can plan around them.
Can a physiotherapist diagnose my problem?
Physiotherapists are trained to work out the likely cause of muscle, joint and movement problems and to recognise signs that point to something else. They do not diagnose medical diseases, prescribe medicines or give injections. If you need any of those, your doctor will arrange them.
Is screening by video as reliable as in person?
A careful history finds most warning signs, and that works just as well on video. Because a physiotherapist cannot touch you or do every physical test on video, our online screening is stricter: if something is unclear, we refer you to a doctor rather than guess.
Does this apply to online, home visit and clinic patients?
Yes. The same screening and the same one-session promise apply to every Nuprana patient, however they are treated.
Dr. Rajendra

Written by Dr. V. B. Rajendra Prasad, MPT. Licensed to practice in the US (NY state) and UK (HCPC).
20 years of clinical experience. About Dr. Rajendra

Start with the right person

Tell us about your pain on WhatsApp. If physiotherapy is right for you, we start. If it is not, we tell you, and you pay for one session only.

Book a First Session