Hi. I have a friend who needs to install a grab bar in her bathtub, but has been told it won’t work because of porcelain tile. Is there any way to do this?

Her knees are bad and she likes to take baths. the bath, which is a shower bath combo, is on an exterior wall. The exterior is brick. the shower walls are tiled up to the ceiling, and the ceiling is also tiled.

the issue is mostly the inability to find studs, according to her handyman. Can you really not find studs through porcelain tile? Are there any alternatives, like standalone bars or tension mounts (not sure what that would be but trying to think outside the box)