ALTER PHYSIO & ACUPUNCTURE
Alter Physio & Acupuncture
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Second opinion

The pain stayed.
The question changes.

For people who have already had physiotherapy and still have the problem. A second-opinion assessment in Amsterdam Zuid, in English, looking past the area that hurts.

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No GP referral needed · English-speaking · Amsterdam Zuid

Who it is for

You have already been.
The problem is still here.

  • The painful area was treated, and the pain came back or never really left.
  • A course of physiotherapy finished, and you still do not have a clear picture of why.
  • Scans or tests were reassuring, but the problem is still there when you sit, walk, or train.
  • You want the next plan to be able to include physiotherapy and Japanese acupuncture, not only another local course.
  • You would rather do the whole conversation in English.
Why it can still be there

A finished plan is not the same as a settled problem.

The first question was local

A first course of physiotherapy is often asked to settle one area. That can be the right place to start. Pain is not always produced only where it is felt. Load, breath, an older injury, or the shape of the day can keep asking the same place to do more than it can.

The plan can end while the pattern stays

When the local symptom eases, a short plan often stops. The wider pattern can still be there, so the same pain returns. That is not a verdict on the previous clinic. It is a reason to ask a different question: not only what hurts, but what keeps feeding it.

Another assessment is not a correction

We read what was already tried. We do not assume it was wrong, and we do not continue it by default. The visit is a fresh look at the same problem, with the history you already have.

How this assessment differs

Physiotherapy, and acupuncture when it belongs.

The physiotherapy assessment is with Hide Kuwabara, who trained in both. Japanese acupuncture can sit inside the same plan when it helps, and only with your agreement. The other practitioners are acupuncturists. You choose who you see when you book.

Hide Kuwabara, physiotherapist at Alter Physio in Amsterdam Zuid
  1. 01

    What has already been tried

    Your history, what changed, and what came back. Reports and exercise sheets help when you have them. They are not required to book.

  2. 02

    The wider pattern

    The painful area, and how the rest of the body is sharing the load: movement, breath, and the way you meet the ground. The aim is a clear picture, not a longer list of exercises.

  3. 03

    Whether acupuncture belongs

    Physiotherapy and Japanese acupuncture are both in the practice. Acupuncture is one option inside the plan when it fits. It is discussed with you first. It is not a replacement for physiotherapy, and it is not added automatically.

  4. 04

    What you leave with

    What we found, what we did, and what comes next. When it is appropriate, treatment can begin in the same visit. Nothing is promised about how quickly a symptom will change.

What to bring

Useful if you have it. Not required to book.

Come as you are if you have none of this. The first visit can still start from what you tell us and from how you move.

Previous notes
Letters, imaging reports, or exercise sheets, if you have them.
A short history
What was tried, what changed, and what is still in the way.
Clothes you can move in
The assessment looks at how you move, not only where it hurts.
Training shoes
Bring them if the problem shows up when you run, lift, or play.
Your questions
What you want this visit to explain. Write them down if that helps.
Second opinion

Questions before you book.

Is this a formal second opinion through my insurer?+
No. This is another clinical assessment you can book directly. In the Netherlands you do not need a GP referral for physiotherapy (Directe Toegang Fysiotherapie). It is not an insurance-arranged second-opinion procedure. If your insurer has its own process for that, check it with them before you rely on a reimbursement.
Will you repeat the treatment I already had?+
Not by default. We start by hearing what was already tried and what changed, then assess again. A previous plan can have been reasonable and still leave the problem in place. What happens next is discussed with you after the assessment.
How is this assessment different?+
It looks at the painful area and at how the rest of the body is sharing the load. Physiotherapy and Japanese acupuncture are both available here. Acupuncture is used only when it fits, and only after it is discussed with you. Read more on physiotherapy and Japanese acupuncture.
Who do I book?+
For a physiotherapy second opinion, book with Hide Kuwabara. He is the clinic's physiotherapist and can use Japanese acupuncture alongside physiotherapy when you both agree it fits. The booking window lists each practitioner, so you choose who you see.
What should I bring?+
Anything you already have: letters, imaging, or the exercises you were given. A short note of what was tried. Clothes you can move in, and training shoes if the problem shows up in sport. None of this is required before you book.
Are sessions in English, and where are you?+
Yes. Sessions are in English. The clinic is in Amsterdam Zuid, at Arent Janszoon Ernststraat 665A, 1082 LG Amsterdam. We also see patients in Amstelveen on set days — see physiotherapy in Amstelveen. Book in the window on this page, or send a message.

Payment & insurance

Physiotherapy

Alter Physio is a non-contracted physiotherapy practice (an ongecontracteerde praktijk): we do not bill Dutch health insurers. You pay for your treatment directly and receive an invoice you can submit to your own insurer. Whether you are reimbursed, and how much, depends on your policy — please check the conditions with your insurer before starting treatment if that matters to you.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture at Alter Physio is a private-pay treatment: you pay directly, and it is not reimbursed through Dutch health insurance under our current model. Some international or private policies may reimburse acupuncture — coverage varies by insurer and policy, so please check directly with your insurer.

WHEN YOU'RE READY

One session.
A different understanding.

The first session is for listening — your history, your pattern, your goal. Treatment begins the same day.

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