Frequently Asked Questions

No. You can book directly with us. Physiotherapy is a primary care profession in Ireland, which means you are entitled to see a chartered physiotherapist without a referral from your GP or consultant.

If you are claiming through health insurance, your insurer may ask for a referral to process the claim, so it is worth checking your policy. We are also happy to liaise with your GP or consultant if you would like us to.

You can book online here through our website, or call the clinic on 086 358 2911.

If you are booking for women's health, please request Roisin or Caoimhe, as this is a specialist service.

Yes. We open at 7:00am Monday to Thursday and run through to 9:15pm, so you can be seen before or after work.

Early morning, evening and Saturday slots are our most popular and tend to book out first, so it is worth booking ahead if you need one.

We are located at Suite 6, Manor House, 3 Church Road, in Malahide village. Paid on-street parking (Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm) is available throughout the village, and Bridgefield Car Park offers 2 hours free — just print a ticket at the machine.

The clinic is also a short walk from Malahide train station and on several local bus routes.

We ask for notice so we can offer your slot to someone else, often someone waiting to be seen sooner.

• Physiotherapy and 1:1 Pilates: 24 hours' notice
• 3:1 Pilates and S&C classes: 6 hours' notice

To cancel or move an appointment, call the clinic on 086 358 2911 or email info@reformphysiotherapy.ie.

Cancellations without sufficient notice, and missed appointments, are charged at 50% of the session fee. We understand things come up, so please let us know as early as you can.

Your space in a 3:1 class is held for you each week, which means it is not available to anyone else.

If you miss more than four consecutive weeks, there is a charge to keep your space reserved. If you would rather not hold it, let us know and we will offer it to you again when you are ready to return.

An initial physiotherapy assessment is 45 minutes and includes a full history, assessment, treatment and a plan for what happens next. Follow-up appointments are shorter.

Our full price list, covering physiotherapy, reformer Pilates, strength and conditioning, massage and women's health, is on our fees page.

Appointments are covered by VHI, Laya, Irish Life Health, Aviva and Level Health, and physiotherapy also qualifies for tax relief through Revenue's Med 1 process.

Yes, in two ways, and you can use both.

Most Irish health insurers cover a portion of physiotherapy, typically between €20 and €35 per session up to an annual limit. We are covered by VHI, Laya, Irish Life Health, Aviva and Level Health. You will receive a receipt after each appointment to submit to your insurer.

Separately, physiotherapy qualifies for tax relief at the standard rate through Revenue's Med 1 process, on any amount you have not already claimed back from insurance. Keep your receipts for the tax year.

Clinical Pilates delivered by a chartered physiotherapist is often claimable as a physiotherapy session, because it is an individual treatment session with a chartered practitioner. Please check with your own health insurer to confirm your level of cover

Your first appointment is 45 minutes, which gives us time to do it properly.

We start by talking through your history: what is happening, when it started, what makes it better or worse, and what you are trying to get back to. Then we assess movement, strength and any specific tests relevant to your presentation.

You will get an explanation of what we have found in plain language, hands-on treatment where it is appropriate, and a plan for what happens next. Most people leave the first session with something to start on.

Wear something comfortable you can move in, and that gives us access to the area we are assessing.

As a guide: shorts for a knee, hip or ankle problem, and a vest top or t-shirt for a shoulder, neck or back problem. Bring your runners if your issue relates to running or sport.

It depends on what is going on, but most people attend somewhere between three and six sessions.

Straightforward acute injuries often settle in two or three. Longer-standing problems, post-surgical rehabilitation and pelvic health concerns usually take longer, because the goal is building capacity rather than just settling symptoms.

We will give you an honest estimate at the end of your first appointment, and we will tell you when we think you no longer need us.

Yes. Almost everyone leaves with something to do between sessions, because what you do in the other six days matters more than the 45 minutes with us.

Your programme is sent to you digitally via our Physitrack app with video demonstrations for each exercise, so you are not working from a photocopied sheet. It is built around your specific presentation, your equipment and how much time you realistically have. We adjust it as you progress.

A maximum of three. Most reformer studios run classes of eight to twelve, so ours are considerably smaller by design.

Three people means your instructor can watch how you move, correct your technique individually and adapt exercises to you. That is the difference between a Pilates class and a general fitness class, and it is why we cap it where we do.

We also offer one to one sessions if you would prefer full individual attention.

Comfortable, close-fitting activewear works best. Leggings or fitted shorts, and a top that will not ride up when you are lying down.

Avoid anything very loose. The instructor needs to see how you are moving, and loose clothing can catch in the reformer springs and straps.

Grip socks are not required, though most people find them more comfortable and secure than bare feet. We sell them at reception for €10 if you would like a pair.

Yes, we do a 45 min initial session with all new Pilates and Strength and conditioning clients. This session will assess your goals, fitness level, previous injuries & concerns,strength and help us to tailor make your programme for the class

Mat Pilates uses your own body weight on the floor. Reformer Pilates uses a spring-loaded machine with a sliding carriage.

The reformer changes what is possible in two directions. The springs can assist you, making exercises achievable if you are deconditioned, recovering from injury or new to exercise. They can also resist you, loading movements far more heavily than bodyweight alone.

That range is why reformer work suits both rehabilitation and strength training, and why it is the format we use clinically.

Yes, with the right guidance at each stage. We have womens health physiotherapy specialists who teach pilates to pre and post natal Moms.

During pregnancy, Pilates is one of the better ways to maintain strength and manage the pelvic girdle and lower back pain that commonly develop. Exercises are adapted as pregnancy progresses.

After birth, we would recommend a postpartum assessment first. It checks your pelvic floor and abdominal wall and tells us what your body is ready for, so your return to exercise is progressive rather than guesswork. From there we build you back up.

Yes, and this is one of the more common reasons people come to us in the first place.

Both are scaled to the individual. On the reformer, the springs can be set to assist your movement rather than resist it, so exercises work whatever your starting point. In strength and conditioning, we start with load you can manage well and build from there.

You do not need to get fit before you start. Starting is how you get fit.

Usually yes, and often it helps.

This is where a physio-led studio genuinely differs from a standalone gym or studio. The same chartered physiotherapists who assess and treat you also design and deliver our classes and programmes, so we can work around an injury rather than around you.

In practice that means training continues while a specific area recovers, and rehabilitation progresses into real strength work rather than stopping at the point where symptoms settle. You do not get handed between two people who never speak to each other.