By business · Health

Instagram auto-replies for physiotherapists

A physiotherapist is mid-session when the messages arrive: do I need a referral, can you see a runner's knee, how long is a course. Comment-to-DM answers the practice questions at once. It sends information about the clinic, never clinical advice, and the page spells out where that line sits.

Updated 6 October 2026

Start free See the set-ups

Comment words for physiotherapists

Ask people to comment one word in your caption or video. Each word sends something different.

ASSESS: How a first assessment works: what you ask, the physical tests, how long it takes, what to wear and what to bring, such as scan reports.
REFERRAL: Whether a doctor's referral is needed in your country, how self-referral and insurance claims work and what paperwork to keep.
RUNNERS: Your running assessment: video analysis if you offer it, how it fits around a race plan and how far ahead to book.
EXERCISES: A general exercise sheet from your Reel, marked as general information and not a programme, with when to book an assessment instead.
PELVIC: How a pelvic health appointment works: who they will see, how long it takes, how private it is and whether a chaperone is available.
CLASSES: Your rehab or clinical Pilates classes: the term dates, group size, the assessment needed first and the price.
HOME: Whether you see patients at home, the area you cover, the extra fee and who it suits, such as people recovering after surgery.

4 set-ups to try

Each one shows the conversation it creates. After a comment, the first DM is plain text, as Meta requires, and the link follows once they answer.

Runner screenings from a race-training Reel
Someone comments on your post
RUNNERS
Public reply under their comment
The running assessment details are in your DMs 🏃
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for the comment. Are you training for a race at the moment, and roughly how many weeks away is it? Reply and I'll send how our running assessment works and how far ahead to book.Yes pleaseRunning assessment: what we look atSee the assessment
Runners book around a race date, so the weeks-to-go answer tells you how urgently to offer a slot. The question is about the calendar, not the knee, which keeps medical judgement for the assessment.
General sheet from an exercise demo Reel
Someone comments on your post
EXERCISES
Public reply under their comment
Sheet sent, check your DMs
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for watching. Quick check: has a physio or doctor already told you to do exercises like these, or are you just looking in general? Reply and I'll send the sheet and a note on when an assessment is better.Yes pleaseGeneral exercise sheetGet the sheet
A demo Reel reaches people with every kind of problem. The sheet is labelled general information, and the question sets up a polite push towards an assessment for anyone who is already in pain.
Referral and cover questions in DMs
REFERRALThanks for asking. Are you paying yourself, or claiming through insurance or another scheme? Reply and I'll send how referrals work here and what to ask before you book.Referrals, insurance and bookingRead how it works
The answer depends on the person's cover as much as on your clinic. Asking how they pay sends self-payers to the booking page and gives insured patients the checklist for their insurer, saving the receptionist several long messages.
Pelvic health enquiries from a Q&A Story
Replied to your story
PELVICThanks for getting in touch. Is this about pregnancy, or after having a baby, or something else? Reply and I'll send how a pelvic health appointment works, who you will see and how private it is.Pelvic health appointmentsRead how it works
People ask about this quietly, and a Story question box lets them do it without a public comment. The reply says what happens before they decide, and the practitioner sees only the topic, not their body or history.

Freebies worth commenting for

A first-assessment guide: the questions, the physical tests and what to bring, such as scan reports and a list of medicines
A guide to choosing a physio: questions about registration, experience and how many sessions to expect
A five-minute desk-break routine reviewed by your clinicians, with a note to stop if anything hurts
A pain and activity diary page to bring to an appointment
A checklist for the week before surgery: questions to ask the surgeon's team, with what rehab usually involves in general terms
A guide to using private insurance for physio: what to ask, what to keep and how long claims can take
A how-a-pelvic-health-appointment-works guide: who, what, privacy and the option of a chaperone
A pre-race week planner for runners that covers sleep, kit and when to ask a physio instead of pushing on

What patients ask a physiotherapy clinic

Most messages are about getting in the door: cost, cover and wait time. The rest are about symptoms, and those need a clinician. A good first reply separates the two.

They ask	Send automatically	Answer yourself when
Do I need a referral?	The REFERRAL page	They are claiming through a scheme with its own rules
How long is a course of treatment?	A note that it depends on the assessment	They want a number: only after an assessment
Can you see a runner's knee?	The RUNNERS page	They describe a sudden injury or swelling
Do you do pelvic health?	The PELVIC page	They ask something personal: reply privately and kindly
Is this exercise safe for me?	Nothing: offer an assessment	Always
I've lost feeling in my leg and have chest pain.	Nothing automatic	Always: tell them to contact a doctor or emergency services now

Where the automation stops

The automation sends information about your clinic: hours, fees, how an assessment works and how to book. It does not assess anyone, and a reply that sounds like a diagnosis is a risk to the patient and to your registration. Anything that mentions sudden weakness, numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, chest pain or a serious injury should lead to a doctor or emergency number, not a booking card.

Tip: If you use AI replies on the Growth or Business plan, write that rule into the information you give it and test it with a dozen worrying messages before going live. It answers only from what you provide, and it can say that someone from the clinic will reply.

Posts that earn comments for a clinic

An exercise demo with a clear label that it is general, with EXERCISES for the sheet. Use a colleague as the model, not a patient.
Running-gait footage from a colleague in the clinic, with RUNNERS.
A Q&A box Story about pelvic health, with PELVIC as the reply word for anyone who would prefer not to ask in public.
A tour of the gym area for classes, with CLASSES.
A note on how referrals work, with REFERRAL, posted when an insurer changes its rules.
A short video on what happens in a first appointment, with ASSESS.

Clinics tend to get more runners before spring races and more office workers after summer holidays. Many also see post-surgery and school-sport injuries on a predictable timetable. Check your own diary, then switch the matching words on a few weeks early.

From a message to a course of treatment

The first DM asks about timing or cover, not symptoms, so the card shows the right booking route.
The card opens your own booking page or phone number. DMFast does not keep patient records or hold appointments, so the clinic confirms.
Collect emails for guides such as the diary page, and export the list as a CSV for newsletters, with an opt-out.
Switch on the one reminder for people who asked about an assessment and then stopped replying.
Send exercises to patients through your own clinic system, not through DMs, so records and consent stay in one place.

A clinic in India could use the DMFast store to give a guide away for an email, or to take free or paid 1-on-1 calls, such as an introductory call before booking in person. Payments go through Razorpay. Treatment and its fees stay in your own system.

Rules and privacy to check

Title and registration. In many countries “physiotherapist” is a protected title. Use it only in line with your registration and show the details people need to verify you.
Advertising. Rules on testimonials, outcome claims and before-and-after content differ by country and professional body. Check yours.
Patient privacy. Health information belongs in your clinical system. Do not ask for it in DMs, and do not name patients in captions or replies.
Consent. Written consent for any patient photo or video, with a way to withdraw it.
Insurers. Some insurers have their own rules on referrals and treatment limits. Link to the insurer's information rather than promising what they will pay.
Meta's rules. One private reply per comment within 7 days, and messages only within 24 hours of someone's last message, so appointment reminders go through your clinic system.

Messages to copy

Questions people ask

Can the reply tell someone which exercise to do for their injury?

It should not. Keyword replies send the text you wrote, so keep any sheet general and labelled as such. For an injury, the right message is an invitation to book an assessment, and anything urgent goes to a doctor.

Does it connect to our booking or practice software?

No. It sends a message and a card with your booking link or phone number, and your own system confirms the time. It does not see diaries or patient records.

Can we message everyone who is mid-way through a course?

Not through Instagram. Automated messages reach only people who wrote to you in the last 24 hours, and no official tool sends a DM to everyone. Use your clinic's own reminders, or the email list from a lead magnet.

Can the first DM include our booking link?

Not after a comment. Instagram allows only plain text in the first message to a commenter, so it asks a question and the card with the link follows when they reply. After a Story reply or a DM the person wrote first, so the card can come straight after.

Is it any use for a clinic Facebook Page?

Yes. Comments on Page posts and Messenger messages get the same keyword replies. Story replies do not exist on Facebook, so the PELVIC Story set-up stays on Instagram, which needs a Creator or Business account.

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Answer every RUNNERS comment in seconds

Pick a post and the word. DMFast replies under each comment, sends the DM and follows with your link once they answer, day and night. It can collect emails on the way. Free plan, no card.

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