Back pain, a sore shoulder, a sprained ankle at football: physio, osteopath or chiropractor, and who pays? This guide compares the three professions (training, prescription, insurance cover, price) and tells you who to see for your situation, in Gland, Nyon, Rolle, Morges or anywhere else on La Côte.
In short
- Physio: assessment, hands-on treatment and exercise; covered by basic health insurance (LAMal) with a prescription, up to 9 sessions per prescription.
- Chiropractor: a university-level medical profession; covered by basic insurance even without a prescription (check your insurance model).
- Osteopath: a regulated health profession (Master's degree from HES-SO), hands-on treatment; not covered by basic insurance, partly covered by some supplementary insurances.
- Accident: if you work at least 8 hours a week for the same employer, accident insurance (LAA) pays for prescribed physio, with no deductible and no co-payment.
- Off-Field in Gland: sports physio and coaches under one roof, rated 5.0 on Google, 130+ reviews; without a prescription, 75 CHF (standard session) or 150 CHF (extended session).
- Violent impact, fever, pain at night that does not ease, loss of strength or feeling: see a doctor first.
Need a physiotherapist near Gland?
Book online| Criterion | Physio | Chiropractor | Osteopath | At Off-Field |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training | Qualified physiotherapist, sometimes specialised in sport | University-level medical profession (Medical Professions Act, since 2007) | Regulated health profession (Master's from HES-SO, cantonal licence) | Qualified physios recognised by Swiss health insurers, including a sports physiotherapist |
| Prescription needed? | Not to book, yes to be reimbursed | No (check your insurance model) | Not to book; your supplementary insurance sets its own conditions | With or without a prescription |
| Basic insurance (LAMal)? | Yes, with a prescription (doctor, chiropractor or dentist), up to 9 sessions per prescription | Yes, even without a prescription | No | Yes with a prescription (recognised by health insurers), or LAA after an accident |
| Supplementary insurance? | Without a prescription, some cover all or part | Not needed | Some cover part (recognised therapist, sometimes a waiting period) | Without a prescription: 75 or 150 CHF |
| Ideal for | Sports injury, pain that lasts or keeps coming back, rehab after surgery | A diagnosis without seeing your doctor first | Hands-on treatment (manual therapy) | Getting back to sport, with strength testing and coaches on site |
What is the difference between a physio, an osteopath and a chiropractor?
All three deal with the back, muscles and joints, but their training and insurance cover differ: chiropractors belong to a medical profession, physios and osteopaths to health professions.
- A physio (physiotherapist) assesses you, then combines hands-on treatment and exercise until you are back to your activities. In France, the same job is called “kiné” (kinésithérapeute).
- A chiropractor diagnoses and treats the musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, muscles), and can prescribe physio.
- An osteopath treats with their hands (manual therapy), after a Master's degree from HES-SO and with a cantonal licence to practise.
Who pays: basic insurance, accident insurance or supplementary insurance?
Basic insurance covers a chiropractor without a prescription and a physio with one, but not an osteopath. With a family doctor, HMO or telemedicine model, you may have to go through the designated doctor or centre first.
After an accident, even outside work: if you work at least 8 hours a week for the same employer, their accident insurance (LAA) pays for prescribed physio, with no deductible and no co-payment. Either way, your insurer decides: check your policy (details in our guide to LAMal cover for physio).
Who should you see for your situation?
For rehab, see a physio; for a first opinion covered without a prescription, a chiropractor; for one-off care, a chiropractor or an osteopath.
- Acute back pain, with no warning sign: a physio (covered with a prescription) or a chiropractor (covered without one), directly (see how we treat back pain).
- Sports injury or sprain: a physio, ideally a sports physio, who progresses you step by step until you are back on the pitch (see how to get back to sport after physio).
- Pain that keeps coming back (your back every time you restart, your shoulder after swimming): a physio who gets you strengthening (see our shoulder care).
- After surgery: a physio, prescribed by your surgeon or doctor, who follows their instructions (see rehab after surgery).
- A locked back or stiff neck now and then: a chiropractor or an osteopath can see you; if it keeps happening, a check-up (doctor, chiropractor or physio) helps find the cause.
See a doctor first if…
… the pain started after a violent impact (a fall, an accident), or if you have a fever, pain at night that does not ease, loss of strength or feeling, or numbness.
What you'll find at Off-Field
Sports physio, testing and coaches, in the same centre in Gland:
- Sports physio: co-founder Morgan Willinger is a sports physiotherapist; our physios are qualified and recognised by Swiss health insurers.
- Active rehab: after the assessment, exercise, step by step, until you are back to your activities.
- Testing to decide on your return to sport: VALD force plates and a dynamometer compare both sides (1-hour test: 150 CHF).
- Physio and coaches under one roof: your physio briefs the coach, and the Post-Physio class welcomes you in the month after your physio ends.
- Hours and languages: Monday to Friday 7:30am – 7:30pm, Saturday 8am – 9am and 11am – 12:30pm, in French or English.
- Reviews: rated 5.0 on Google, 130+ reviews (read our patient and client reviews).
How much does a physio session cost at Off-Field (November 2026 prices)?
With a prescription, the session is billed at the official tariff: 48 points for a general session, 77 for a complex session, plus 24 for the first session, at 1 franc per point in the canton of Vaud in 2026 (about 48 CHF for a general session). Without a prescription, you pay 75 CHF for a standard session or 150 CHF for an extended session; some supplementary insurances cover all or part of it.
With LAMal, you first pay your deductible (franchise, 300 to 2'500 CHF a year, as you chose), then a 10% co-payment (quote-part, at most 700 CHF a year for an adult, 350 CHF for a child); with LAA, neither.
A session not cancelled 24 hours in advance is charged. Book online 24/7 from our physiotherapy page, and to compare physios with each other, read our guide to choosing a physio on La Côte.
Who Off-Field is for
- It is for you if an injury is keeping you from your sport and you want to come back with measured benchmarks.
- It is for you if you want rehab and what comes next in one place, with a physio and coaches who talk to each other.
- It is not our model if you only want one-off care without an exercise programme: a chiropractor or an osteopath can also see you.
Need a physiotherapist near Gland?
Off-Field Center — Route des Avouillons 17c (Box 26-27), Gland · Mon–Fri 7:30am – 7:30pm · Sat 8am – 9am and 11am – 12:30pm
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a prescription to see a physio?
Not to book, but without a prescription basic insurance does not pay: at Off-Field in Gland, a session then costs 75 CHF (standard) or 150 CHF (extended). With a prescription from a doctor, a chiropractor or a dentist, it covers up to 9 sessions per prescription.
Is an osteopath covered by basic insurance?
No, osteopathy is not covered by Swiss basic health insurance (LAMal). Some supplementary insurances pay part of it, each with its own conditions (a recognised therapist, sometimes a waiting period): check your policy.
Can I see a chiropractor without a prescription?
Yes. Chiropractic is a university-level medical profession: you can book directly, and both basic insurance and accident insurance cover the care. With a family doctor, HMO or telemedicine model, check your policy first.
Physio or osteopath for back pain?
For an assessment and exercise until you are back to your activities, choose a physio (covered with a prescription); for one-off hands-on care, an osteopath, which only some supplementary insurances cover. After a violent impact, or with fever or loss of strength, see a doctor first.
Physio or “kiné”: what is the difference?
None, it is the same job: people say “physiothérapeute” or “physio” in Switzerland, “kinésithérapeute” or “kiné” in France.
How much is a physio session without a prescription in Gland?
At Off-Field in Gland, 75 CHF for a standard session and 150 CHF for an extended session, at your own cost (November 2026 prices). Some supplementary insurances cover all or part of it: check with your insurer.
What does accident insurance (LAA) pay?
If you work at least 8 hours a week for the same employer, their accident insurance covers you, even outside work: prescribed physio is then covered with no deductible and no co-payment, and so is chiropractic care.
