Physical Therapy Marketing: What Works and What's Allowed

For a small clinic, physical therapy marketing is mostly routine work done week after week. Keep the website clear and the local search listing accurate. Look after the doctors who refer to you, collect genuine reviews, write things patients find useful and keep in touch with past patients. What you may say while doing it depends on where you practice. Australia bans testimonials about clinical care in health advertising, the UK advertising code requires evidence for objective health claims, and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) bans fake reviews and reviews bought on condition that they are positive.

This guide is for clinic owners and PTs in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The rules quoted below were checked against the regulators' own pages in September 2026. It is education, not legal advice. Rules change, so read your own regulator's current guidance before you publish an ad, a website page or a social media post.

Physical therapy marketing rules that apply almost everywhere

The country rules differ in detail, but they agree more than you might expect. Read the codes and standards below and the same expectations keep coming up:

Be accurate and able to prove what you say before you say it.
Do not promise or imply results you cannot guarantee.
Be honest about your qualifications, and do not call yourself a specialist unless your regulator allows it.
Do not push people toward care they do not need.
Keep patient information private, including in replies to reviews.

The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario puts the first point well: advertising must be "truthful, accurate, and verifiable". UK physiotherapists are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and its standard 9.3 says that you "must take reasonable steps to make sure that any promotional activities you are involved in are accurate and are not likely to mislead." If a sentence on your website would fail either test, rewrite it.

A clear website

A patient landing on your website wants to know what you treat, who they will see, where you are, when you are open, how payment works and how to book. Answer those before you add anything else.

What you treat, in the words patients use ("back pain", "knee pain after surgery"), as well as the clinical terms.
Who the clinicians are, with their real qualifications. HCPC standard 9.2 says you must be honest about your experience, qualifications and skills.
Address, hours, parking or public transport, and step-free access if you have it.
Fees, or how insurance and other funding work, and your cancellation policy.
How to book, with more than one route: phone, online booking, email.
In the USA, whether patients need a referral to see you.

On that last point, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) reports that all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands have either provisional or unrestricted direct access to physical therapist services. APTA also notes that some states still attach conditions to treatment without a referral. Check the rules of each insurer you accept as well, then say plainly what applies to your patients.

Be careful with outcome language. "Physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis: exercise and advice, plus a home program you can follow" describes a service. "Fix your knee pain for good" is a promise. The Ontario standard rules out advertising that makes unsubstantiated claims, sets up unrealistic expectations or guarantees successful outcomes, and Australia's National Law prohibits advertising that creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment.

If you use the word specialist, check first. The Ontario standard says a physiotherapist does not refer to themselves as a specialist, or use other language that implies specialization, unless authorized by the College to use the specialist title. In New Zealand, Physiotherapy Specialist is a protected title, and the Physiotherapy Board's titles standard says only registered specialists can use words that state or imply that status, including specialising or specialty. Other regulators have their own rules on titles.

Your local search listing

A patient searching for a clinic nearby may see your map listing before your website. Google's guidelines for Business Profiles say your name "should reflect your business's real-world name, as used consistently on your storefront, website, stationery, and as known to customers." Marketing taglines and service information are not allowed in the name, so "Riverside Physical Therapy" is fine and "Riverside Physical Therapy Best Back Pain Clinic" is not.

The same guidelines ask you to create the profile for your actual, real-world location. Individual practitioners can have their own profiles if they work in a public-facing role and can be contacted directly at that location during its stated hours. Use one name, one address and one phone number everywhere: on the listing, on your website, in letters to referrers.

Fill in opening hours and services, add a booking link, then keep them up to date. A listing that shows you open on a public holiday when you are closed sends a patient to a locked door, and that patient may not try again.

Referral relationships with doctors

A good referral relationship makes the doctor's job easier. Referring should take a minute, the patient should get an appointment soon, and your reports should be short enough to read between patients.

Practical steps that cost little:

Ask the practice how they prefer to refer and to receive letters, and use that route.
After the first visit, send a short letter with your findings and plan. Name the measure you will use to track change.
Send a discharge letter with the change in function, using a standard measure where you can. The outcome measures guide covers which ones to use.
Send patients back promptly when something needs medical review, and say why.
Keep your records clear enough that a letter takes minutes, not an hour. The SOAP notes guide shows how.

The rules on paying for referrals are strict, especially in the USA. The HHS Office of Inspector General describes the Anti-Kickback Statute as prohibiting "the knowing and willful payment of 'remuneration' to induce or reward patient referrals or the generation of business involving any item or service payable by the Federal health care programs." The physician self-referral law (the Stark Law) lists physical therapy among the designated health services, so a physician cannot refer Medicare or Medicaid patients for physical therapy to an entity they or an immediate family member have a financial relationship with, unless an exception applies. If you are in the USA, talk to a healthcare lawyer before you give referrers gifts, meals or free services, or set up any financial arrangement with a physician.

Outside the USA the laws differ, but professional codes point the same way. The Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand's code, for example, says physiotherapists must only accept gifts, koha or incentives that do not influence, or appear to influence, their professional judgment. Win referrals with good care and good letters. Anything that could look like payment is a risk.

Patient reviews and testimonials: the rules by country

Two different things get mixed up here. A review is what a patient posts on a platform such as a map listing. A testimonial is when you use a patient's words or story in your own advertising, on your website, social media or leaflets. The rules for the two are different, and in Australia the difference decides whether something is allowed at all.

Asking for reviews, wherever you are

Google's policy for Maps reviews says businesses must not "discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." It also rules out offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free services in exchange for a review, reviews from people with a conflict of interest such as current or former staff, pressuring patients to review while they are on the premises, asking for specific content such as a staff member's name, and giving staff a target number of reviews to collect.

A fair process is simple. Ask every patient at discharge, or every patient in a consistent group, in the same neutral words. Something like "If you have a minute, we'd welcome a review of your experience. Good or bad, it helps us improve" meets that bar. Never ask only the patients who are pleased.

Replying to reviews

Do not confirm that the reviewer is your patient, and do not discuss their care in public, even if they already have. Thank them, and invite them to contact the clinic directly. In the USA, if your practice is a HIPAA covered entity, 45 CFR 164.508 says you may not use or disclose protected health information without a valid authorization unless another part of the rule permits it. The HHS Office for Civil Rights has settled a case with a dental practice that disclosed patients' health information, without authorization, in its replies to their online reviews. Your duty of confidentiality applies in every other country too.

USA

The FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) took effect on October 21, 2024. The rule covers:

fake reviews
incentives conditioned on the review expressing a particular sentiment
reviews by company insiders without a clear and conspicuous disclosure
suppressing reviews through false accusations, intimidation or groundless legal threats
implying that the reviews shown on your own site are all or most of those submitted while negative ones are held back
presenting a website you control as an independent review site.

The FTC says the rule "does not prohibit giving incentives for reviews, as long as there isn't an express or implied requirement that the reviews have to express a particular sentiment." Google's policy is stricter and bans incentives for reviews on its platform, so the practical answer is not to offer them. In its guidance on the Endorsement Guides, the FTC also warns that asking only the customers you think will be happy "would be misleading if it substantially skews the favorability of the reviews."

For testimonials on your own site, get the patient's written permission. If you are a HIPAA covered entity, publishing a patient's name, photo or story as your patient discloses their health information, so it needs a valid authorization, and 45 CFR 164.508 lists what that authorization must contain. State laws and your state board may add their own requirements.

UK

The CAP Code, which the Advertising Standards Authority enforces, has specific rules for reviews and testimonials:

3.44: "Marketing communications must not contain fake consumer reviews."
3.45: "Marketing communications must make clear where consumer reviews have been incentivised."
3.46: reviews must not be published in a misleading way, for example by removing negative reviews while publishing positive ones, or by giving positive reviews more prominence.
3.47: marketers must hold documentary evidence that a testimonial is genuine, and contact details for the person who gave it.
3.49: "Claims that are likely to be interpreted as factual and appear in a testimonial must not mislead or be likely to mislead the consumer."
3.50: a testimonial must not be used without permission, with exceptions for accurate statements from a published source.

Health claims carry an extra rule. CAP Code 12.1 says "Objective claims must be backed by evidence, if relevant consisting of trials conducted on people." A patient's quote saying "two sessions cured my sciatica" is still a claim in your ad, and it has to meet these rules. Rule 12.2 adds that marketers must not discourage essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought. HCPC standard 9.3 applies on top of the code.

Australia

Section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law prohibits advertising a regulated health service in a way that "uses testimonials or purported testimonials about the service or business." Ahpra's guidance defines testimonials as "recommendations or positive statements about the clinical aspects of a regulated health service used in advertising." A statement is clinical if it mentions the symptom or reason for seeking treatment, the diagnosis or treatment, or the outcome or the practitioner's skills or experience.

In practice, Ahpra's guidance means:

Patients can still post reviews on independent review platforms. Ahpra says advertisers are not responsible for removing testimonials published on platforms they do not control.
Ahpra says an advertiser controls content it publishes or authorizes. So if you repost a review that mentions a patient's treatment or outcome on your own website or social media, you are using it in your advertising, where the ban applies. Ahpra's examples make the clinic responsible for reviews that appear on its own website or business social media pages too, and it advises care when replying to reviews on third-party sites, because that may be treated as using a testimonial.
Comments about customer service or communication style that do not refer to clinical aspects are not testimonials. "Easy parking and friendly reception" is fine to use.

Section 133 also prohibits advertising that is false, misleading or deceptive, or that offers a gift, discount or other inducement without stating its terms and conditions. It also prohibits advertising that encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services. Ahpra's testimonial tool walks through the questions step by step and takes a few minutes to go through before you publish.

New Zealand

The Advertising Standards Authority's Therapeutic and Health Advertising Code covers health services, and it names physiotherapy among them. Rule 2(f) says: "Patient or consumer testimonials in advertisements, where not prohibited by law, must comply with the Code, be authenticated, genuine, current and typical. Any payment received (money or another exchange of value, products or services) must also be acknowledged."

The guidance under that rule adds that testimonials in ads for health services must not suggest, directly or by implication, that the service has beneficially affected the health of an individual. Feedback about customer service, with no mention of a health condition, is allowed. The guidance also names patient comments on pages you control, such as comments under your own social media posts, as testimonials that can cause problems.

The guidance under rule 2(a) says substantiation must exist before a claim is made. The Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand's code of ethics says physiotherapists must provide truthful, accurate and relevant information and must not knowingly make misleading representations.

Canada

Advertising is regulated by the college in each province, so start there. As one example, the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario's Advertising and Marketing Standard, effective May 1, 2025, says advertising must not make unsubstantiated claims, claims of superiority about any aspect of care, or comparative statements about care providers. It also asks physiotherapists to review all advertising placed by themselves or others on their behalf, and to take reasonable steps to correct anything that is not truthful, accurate and verifiable. The standard does not mention testimonials by name. It covers all advertising you place, so a patient quote that promises a result or calls you the best would likely breach it.

Patient education content

Writing for patients is marketing that still does some good when the reader never books. Answer the questions patients actually ask you in the clinic, such as how long a problem takes to settle, whether to rest it, or whether it is safe to keep running. One short article or video per question is easier to write, and easier for a patient to find, than one long page about everything you do.

Hold it to the same standard as what you say in the treatment room. State what the evidence supports and admit where it is uncertain. Say when the reader should see a doctor rather than wait, since the CAP Code rules out discouraging treatment that needs medical supervision. Do not promise outcomes. Link to trusted sources, and date every piece so you know when to review it.

You do not need to write an exercise guide from scratch for every condition. The free exercise library and condition programs on this site, such as knee osteoarthritis and low back pain, can be linked from your own articles, and each lists its sources.

Retention and reactivation of past patients

Before you spend on finding new patients, check how many of your current ones finish the plan you agreed. The patient retention guide covers why patients drop out and what clinics can do about it, and a good home program helps too: see how to write a home exercise program.

Reactivation means getting back in touch with patients you discharged or lost. Do it for a clinical reason, not to fill empty slots. Good reasons include a check-in you agreed at discharge, a reminder to come back if a problem they know well returns, or a patient who stopped part way through a plan. Ahpra rules out advertising that encourages unnecessary use of care, and so does the Ontario college.

Messages to past patients are also covered by privacy and marketing laws, and these differ by country:

USA: HIPAA's definition of marketing excludes a communication describing a health-related product or service provided by the covered entity making it, unless the entity is paid by a third party to make it. Other marketing uses of patient information need the patient's authorization. Commercial emails must also follow CAN-SPAM, which the FTC summarizes as accurate header details, an honest subject line, a clear statement that the message is an ad, your postal address, and an opt-out honored within 10 business days. Marketing text messages fall under separate federal telephone rules (47 CFR 64.1200), which can require the patient's prior express written consent and let patients withdraw it by replying words such as "stop", so check them before you text past patients about booking.
UK: the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says you must not send marketing emails or texts to individuals unless they have specifically consented, or unless the "soft opt-in" applies. That covers existing customers who bought, or negotiated to buy, a similar service from you, and only if you gave them a clear chance to opt out when you collected their details and in every message.
Canada: section 6 of Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation prohibits sending a commercial electronic message unless the person has consented, expressly or impliedly, and the message identifies the sender, gives contact information and includes an unsubscribe mechanism.
Australia: sections 16 to 18 of the Spam Act 2003 say a commercial electronic message must not be sent without the recipient's consent, must clearly identify who authorized it and how to contact them, and must include a functional unsubscribe facility.
New Zealand: the Department of Internal Affairs guidance on the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 says commercial messages need express, inferred or deemed consent, must identify your business and how to contact it, and must include a working unsubscribe facility. Unsubscribe requests must be honored within five working days.

Keep care messages and marketing messages apart. Appointment reminders and the home program you prescribed are part of treatment. A message inviting a past patient to book is likely to count as a commercial message under the email and text laws above, even where HIPAA would treat it as a message about your own services, so it needs the right consent and an easy way to opt out.

Offers, free assessments and packages

Be careful with offers. Some regulators have rules written just for them.

In Australia, section 133 of the National Law requires any gift, discount or other inducement in an ad to state its terms and conditions. The Ontario standard says a physiotherapist does not offer incentives or other inducements that promote unnecessary services. Free services, such as free consultations or assessments, may only be advertised in a manner the standard describes: promoting general education or health awareness, informing the public about any conditions or limitations of the service, and pointing out pro bono services offered to patients experiencing financial hardship. Read the full wording before you run a free offer in Ontario.

Packages have their own rule in Ontario. An ad for bundled services must disclose what is included, the option to buy services individually, and the availability of refunds for unused services. If you sell packages anywhere, those are fair questions for any patient to ask, so answer them in the ad.

Measuring what works

To know which efforts bring in patients, you need one question at booking and a simple monthly record. What follows is practical bookkeeping from clinic practice, not a research-tested method.

Ask every new patient at booking how they heard about you, and record one main source: a doctor (and which one), a friend or family member, your map listing, your website, a returning patient, or somewhere else.
Each month, count new patients by source.
For each source, note what you spent in money and staff time.
Track whether those patients completed their plan, not just whether they booked. A source that brings patients who drop out after one visit is not working.
Count reviews received and letters sent to referrers, since both are within your control.

Try one change, say a new referrer letter or a rewritten services page, and give it a few months before you compare. In a small clinic one busy month proves very little. Likes and follower counts are easy to track. The number that tells you whether marketing works is new patients who finish their plan.

Where PocketPhysio fits

PocketPhysio won't market your clinic for you. What it handles is the home program, the part of your care the patient takes home between visits.

You pick exercises from the library, set the dose and send the program to the patient's phone. It can go as a link, a text or an email, or into Pocket Physio Care, our patient app. WhatsApp is also an option. Every exercise has a demonstration video, plus a spoken voice guide for the patient to play at home.

In a clinic, everyone prescribes from the same library, so a patient gets the same quality of program whoever they see.

The short version

Physical therapy marketing that lasts is mostly accuracy and follow-through. Keep your website and local listing correct and look after the doctors who refer to you. Ask every patient for a review in the same neutral words. Write for patients about the questions they actually ask. Contact past patients only when there is a clinical reason and you have the right consent.

Know the country rules: no clinical testimonials in Australian advertising, evidence for objective health claims under the UK CAP Code, no fake or sentiment-conditioned reviews under the FTC rule in the USA, testimonials in New Zealand that are genuine and typical and do not suggest a health benefit, and your provincial college's standard in Canada. Then measure where your patients come from and put your time where it works.

References

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and National Boards. Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service. Took effect December 14, 2020. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Advertising-hub/Advertising-guidelines-and-other-guidance/Advertising-guidelines.aspx
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Queensland), Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009, section 133 Advertising. Current as at April 10, 2026. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2009-045
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Testimonials: understand the requirements (testimonial tool). Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Advertising-hub/Resources-for-advertisers/Testimonial-tool.aspx
Committee of Advertising Practice. UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing (CAP Code), Section 03: Misleading advertising, rules 3.44 to 3.50. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/03.html
Committee of Advertising Practice. CAP Code, Section 12: Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products, rules 12.1 and 12.2. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/12.html
Health and Care Professions Council. Standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Effective September 1, 2024. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/standards/standards-of-conduct-performance-and-ethics/
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College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. Advertising and Marketing Standard. Effective May 1, 2025. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://collegept.org/standard/advertising-standard/
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Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand. Use of physiotherapy titles standard. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://physioboard.org.nz/standards/physiotherapy-standards/use-of-physiotherapy-titles-standard
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Federal Trade Commission. The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers (Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, 16 CFR Part 465, effective October 21, 2024). Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers
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47 CFR 64.1200, Delivery restrictions, paragraphs (a)(2) and (a)(10). Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/64.1200
45 CFR 164.508, Uses and disclosures for which an authorization is required, paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(3). Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/164.508
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Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

Marketing a physical therapy clinic: what works and what the rules allow