What a physio actually measures, and why it matters

“I think it’s a bit better” is the least useful sentence in rehab. Not because it is untrue, but because nobody can act on it. Every plan I write tracks a handful of numbers, re-tested every four visits, so both of us can see what is changing.

Degrees

Joint range, measured with a goniometer, the transparent protractor you will see in my bag. After a knee replacement I am watching the bend climb from about 70 degrees towards 120. Stairs, cars and squatting to a low chair each need a particular number.

Seconds

The Timed Up and Go: stand from a chair, walk three metres, turn, walk back, sit. Under ten seconds is normal. Over fourteen and I start paying close attention to falls risk. For new mothers the seconds are a pelvic floor hold, which should reach ten.

Finger widths

The gap between the two halves of the abdominal wall after pregnancy. Measured lying down, with a small head lift. The number matters less than how the tissue between feels under load, but it gives us a starting point.

Metres

How far you can walk before you need to stop, and with what: a walker, a stick, a hand on the wall, or nothing. This is the number families notice, because it is the one that gets someone to the temple or the market.

Progress you can see is progress you keep working for.

None of this replaces how you feel. But when the numbers move and the feeling hasn’t caught up yet, which is common in week three, it is the numbers that keep people going.