This article explores the importance of narrative medicine in physiotherapy, using the story of Daniele and Marina to illustrate the complexity of the interaction between disease and illness. It highlights how Marina's clavicle fracture is not just a physical problem (disease) but an event that profoundly affects her personal and family life (illness). The article emphasizes the importance of an empathetic and narrative approach in clinical practice, capable of integrating the temporal dimensions of disease and illness and addressing related ethical dilemmas. Narrative medicine emerges as an essential tool to enhance the therapeutic relationship, supporting the patient not only physically but also emotionally, and helping them re-establish a new balance in their life.