A patient comes in with back pain. They receive treatment, it helps — and three months later, they are back in the waiting room. Every physiotherapist is familiar with this pattern. Yet it no longer has to be inevitable: functional training has become an established part of modern rehabilitation and is changing what a physiotherapy practice can achieve. Sales expert Daniel Fitschen explains what this looks like in practice, the role the right equipment plays, and how Perform Better supports therapists along the way.
Daniel, to many people, physiotherapy and training equipment may initially seem like two completely different worlds. How do they fit together — and why should they be considered as one?
Daniel Fitschen: For a long time, physiotherapy was synonymous with treatment tables, ultrasound, and manual therapy. These remain the foundation — that has not changed. However, both scientific evidence and practical experience show that treatment outcomes remain stable in the long term only when the body is strengthened through targeted training. Passive therapy alone is not enough. At the same time, more and more patients understand this and want to play an active role in their recovery.
So does a physiotherapy practice need training equipment because therapy alone is no longer enough?
Exactly. Take a patient with back pain: manual treatment relieves the pain. But if the patient does not then learn how to stabilize and move their body functionally, they will be back at the practice three months later. Functional training is not merely an addition to physiotherapy — it is its logical continuation. It does not just strengthen individual muscles; it trains the body in the multidimensional movement patterns required in everyday life, sport, and social reintegration.
That sounds like a clear therapeutic argument. Is there also a commercial one?
Absolutely. A practice that relies exclusively on statutory health insurance services and discharges patients after six sessions is leaving enormous potential untapped. By offering a structured range of self-pay services — such as functional training, preventive sessions, and regular check-ins — a statutory health insurance patient can become a long-term client. This is not in conflict with the therapeutic mission; it is its logical continuation. And it fundamentally transforms the entire business model of a physiotherapy practice.
What legal and conceptual considerations do physiotherapy practices need to keep in mind?
This is a crucial point. KGG services billed through statutory health insurance require approved medical equipment. For this reason, we work with specialized partners from the medical sector who meet these exact requirements. Our area at Perform Better is clearly separated from this: we equip the self-pay section — the functional training area, the recovery area, and the supplementary KGG area. These areas are separated from primary therapy both in terms of time and space. What connects them is the message to the patient: functional training can help you progress through therapy more quickly and maintain the results over the long term.
What makes Perform Better a strong partner in this area?
We come from the training and functional training world. We do not just know which pieces of equipment are available — we know how to design spaces so that therapy and training transition seamlessly into one another. Just as important is understanding how the right space planning can make the business concept work for physiotherapists. At the same time, we collaborate with partners from the medical sector so that we can plan physiotherapy practices holistically. We have now successfully completed numerous projects in this field and support our clients throughout the entire process.
What advice would you give physiotherapy practices that are ready to take the next step?
First of all: do not be afraid of change. Many people assume it requires a major renovation or a significant investment. But we develop concepts for practices of every size and budget. The first step is always a no-obligation consultation. We assess the available space, listen carefully to what the practice needs, and then develop a tailored solution. Sometimes, a well-positioned functional training area is all it takes to fundamentally transform a practice’s offering.