What kind of problems do you see?

Two main areas. General medical problems that arise while travelling — fever, throat and ear infections, urinary infections, stomach upsets, sunburn, jellyfish stings, insect bites, minor wounds, blood pressure concerns, running out of regular medication. And musculoskeletal pain — back, neck, knee, shoulder, tendon and nerve problems, assessed with bedside ultrasound and treated with targeted injections where appropriate.

Can you prescribe medication?

Yes, on a private prescription that any Italian pharmacy will accept. Bring the packaging or a photograph of what you normally take, since brand names differ between countries. I do not prescribe medicines requiring specialist supervision, and I will say so directly rather than leave you uncertain.

Is this an emergency service?

No. For chest pain, breathing difficulty, major trauma or loss of consciousness call 112, the European emergency number, which operates in English throughout Italy. This is a private outpatient clinic by appointment, appropriate for problems that are distressing but not life-threatening.

Will I receive documentation for my travel insurance?

Yes. You receive an itemised invoice and a written clinical report in English, which is what most travel insurance policies require for reimbursement. Payment is made directly at the clinic; I do not bill insurers.

I am only here for a few days. Is treatment worth it?

For acute illness and acute injury, yes: these can usually be resolved or substantially improved in a single visit. Chronic pain conditions generally require a course of six to ten sessions over several weeks and cannot be compressed into a short stay. In that case I will say so plainly, treat what can usefully be treated, and provide a report to continue at home.

English-Speaking Physician

An English-speaking
doctor in Rapallo

Q: My child is unwell. Can you see them?

I see children for common acute illness such as fever, throat and ear infections, stomach upsets, skin reactions and minor injuries. If a child needs paediatric specialist assessment or hospital care I will say so immediately and direct you there. With children the threshold for referral is deliberately lower.

General practice & pain care · Rapallo · Portofino · Santa Margherita · Camogli · Chiavari

Falling ill away from home is harder than falling ill at home. You do not know who to call, whether you will be understood, or whether what you have is serious. I am a physician based in Rapallo, on the Italian Riviera, and I see private patients in English — both for everyday medical problems that happen while travelling, and for back, joint and muscle pain. Most consultations can be arranged within the same or the following day.

This is not an emergency service. For chest pain, breathing difficulty, major trauma or loss of consciousness, call 112 — the European emergency number, answered in English throughout Italy. This clinic is by appointment, for problems that are painful but not life-threatening.

General practice

When you simply need to see a doctor

I am a registered General Practitioner as well as an emergency physician. Most visitors who contact me do not have anything exotic — they have something ordinary that has become a problem because they are a thousand miles from their own doctor. A consultation includes a full history and examination, a clear explanation of what is going on, a private prescription where one is needed, and a written report in English.

Common reasons to call

Fever and flu-like illness · sore throat, ear and sinus infections · chest infections and persistent cough · urinary infections and cystitis · stomach upsets and travellers' diarrhoea · blood pressure concerns · worsening of a known condition while abroad.

Riviera-specific problems

Severe sunburn and heat exhaustion · jellyfish stings · sea urchin spines · insect bites and allergic skin reactions · minor wounds and dressings · marine and coastal injuries · advice before flying home.

Medication you have run out of or lost. It happens constantly: a suitcase goes missing, a blister pack is left on a nightstand, a course of treatment runs out two days before the flight home. Bring the packaging or a photograph of it and I will assess whether an equivalent can be prescribed in Italy. Some medicines available in your country have a different name here, and a few are not available at all — I will tell you which situation you are in rather than leave you to find out at the pharmacy counter.

Pain and injury

Back, joints and muscles

The second half of my practice is musculoskeletal pain. Where it helps, I use bedside ultrasound during the consultation to look directly at the tendon, joint or nerve in question — an extension of the physical examination that gives an answer immediately, rather than a referral and a three-day wait.

If a targeted injection is appropriate, it can usually be performed at the same appointment, guided by ultrasound where the target is deep or close to nerves and vessels.

Commonly seen

Acute low back pain and sciatica · neck pain radiating to the arm · knee pain and osteoarthritis · shoulder and rotator cuff problems · tennis and golfer's elbow · Achilles and plantar fascia pain · carpal tunnel symptoms · sprains and strains from hiking or watersports.

Treatments available

Ultrasound-guided injections · oxygen-ozone therapy for disc and joint pain · antalgic mesotherapy · peritendinous and periarticular infiltration. Every treatment is explained, including what it cannot achieve.

Who this is for

Visitors, crew and residents

Holiday visitors who fall ill or are injured and need to see a doctor without navigating a hospital system in a language they do not speak
Families travelling with children facing a fever, an ear infection or a stomach upset far from their own paediatrician
Yacht crew and charter guests berthed at Rapallo, Santa Margherita or Portofino, who need to be seen at short notice and cannot wait for a hospital outpatient slot
Second-home owners and long-stay visitors on the Riviera, who can complete a full course of treatment across several weeks
English-speaking residents in Liguria who would rather discuss a clinical problem in their own language than translate it

If your problem needs a hospital, an MRI or a surgeon, I will tell you at the first visit and help you get there. That is part of the job, not a failure of it.

— Dr. Luca Schiasselloni

Honest limits

What a short stay allows — and what it does not

Some treatments are worth doing in a single visit. Others are not, and you should know which is which before booking.

Acute problems — an inflamed tendon, a locked back, an irritated joint — often respond to one or two targeted treatments. These are worth doing while you are here
Chronic conditions generally require a course of six to ten sessions over several weeks. This cannot be compressed into a week's holiday, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling rather than treating
If your stay is too short for a proper course, I will say so, treat what can usefully be treated, and give you a written report so your own doctor can continue at home

About the doctor

Who you will be seeing

Dr. Luca Schiasselloni preparing equipment in his clinic in Rapallo, Italian Riviera — Dr. Luca Schiasselloni at the clinic in Rapallo, Via Aurelia Ponente 4/N.

I am a physician registered with the Medical Association of Genoa (OMCeO Genova, reg. no. 17175), with a University Master's degree in oxygen-ozone therapy. Alongside private practice I work as an emergency physician with the Italian 118 pre-hospital emergency service, and I teach accredited courses in clinical ultrasound and first aid.

That background matters for two reasons. Emergency work makes you quick at recognising what is not a simple musculoskeletal problem — and quicker still at managing an adverse reaction in a consulting room, should one ever occur. It also makes you comfortable saying that a problem is outside your scope, which is the most useful sentence a doctor can say to a patient far from home.

Practical details

Location, booking and payment

Clinic. Via Aurelia Ponente 4/N, 16035 Rapallo (GE), inside the Centro Medicina dello Sport. On the coastal road towards Santa Margherita, a few minutes from Rapallo motorway exit and railway station, with parking nearby.

Distances. Santa Margherita Ligure 10 minutes · Portofino 20 minutes · Camogli 15 minutes · Chiavari 15 minutes · Genoa 40 minutes.

Booking. By phone or WhatsApp on +39 345 111 3895. WhatsApp is usually fastest from abroad. I answer personally; if I am on an emergency shift, I call back.

Payment and insurance. Private practice, paid directly at the clinic. You receive an itemised invoice and a clinical report in English — the documentation most travel insurance policies require for reimbursement. I do not bill insurers directly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Yes. The consultation, the explanation of what I find and the written report are all in English. You will not need an interpreter or a hotel intermediary.

Two main areas. General medical problems that arise while travelling — fever, throat and ear infections, urinary infections, stomach upsets, sunburn, jellyfish stings, insect bites, minor wounds, blood pressure concerns, or running out of your regular medication. And musculoskeletal pain — back, neck, knee, shoulder, tendon and nerve problems, assessed with bedside ultrasound and treated with targeted injections where appropriate.

It depends on the problem. Acute conditions can often be assessed and treated within a single visit. Chronic conditions need a course of six to ten sessions and cannot be completed in a week — in that case I will tell you plainly, treat what can be treated, and give you a report to continue at home. I would rather turn down an appointment than take payment for something that cannot work in the time available.

Yes, on a private prescription that any Italian pharmacy will accept. Bring the packaging or a photograph of what you normally take: brand names differ between countries and I will find the Italian equivalent where one exists. I do not prescribe medicines that require specialist supervision, and I will say so directly rather than send you away uncertain.

I see children for common acute illness — fever, throat and ear infections, stomach upsets, skin reactions, minor injuries. If a child needs paediatric specialist assessment or hospital care, I will say so immediately and direct you to the right place. With children the threshold for referral is deliberately lower.

Assessment and treatment are carried out at the clinic, because ultrasound and sterile procedure require proper facilities. For someone genuinely unable to travel, contact me and I will tell you honestly whether I can help or whether another service is more appropriate.

A medical gas mixture injected close to the affected structure — a disc, joint or tendon — where it reduces inflammatory mediators and pain. It is widely used in Italy for musculoskeletal pain and is supported by randomised trials for disc-related pain in particular. It is not a cure-all, and I will tell you when it is not the right choice for you.

Any imaging you already have — MRI, CT or X-ray, even on your phone — a list of the medicines you take, and your travel insurance details if you intend to claim. If you have had previous treatment for the same problem, it helps to know what and with what result.

Need a doctor today?

Message me on WhatsApp describing the problem and how long you are in the area. I will reply with whether I can help, when I can see you, and what it will cost — before you commit to anything.

Message on WhatsApp

or call +39 345 111 3895 · Via Aurelia Ponente 4/N, Rapallo (GE), Italy

An English-speakingdoctor in Rapallo