start where it hurts.

No. You can book a private physiotherapy appointment directly, without seeing a GP first. A referral only matters if you want to claim through Medicare under a GP-managed care plan, which is a separate pathway with its own rules and a limited number of visits each calendar year.

Most private health funds with extras cover for physiotherapy can be claimed on the spot through HICAPS at the end of your appointment, so you pay the gap rather than the full fee upfront. Bring your health fund card, and it is worth checking your remaining extras limit with your fund beforehand.

Only in one circumstance. If your GP has assessed you as eligible for a Chronic Disease Management plan, Medicare pays a rebate for a limited number of allied health visits each calendar year, physiotherapy included. A standard private appointment booked directly with us is not claimable on Medicare, so ask your GP whether a plan applies to you.

Something loose, or activewear, that lets you move the area being assessed: shorts for a knee or hip, a singlet or sports top for a shoulder or back. You do not need to undress for an assessment, but flexible clothing means less of the appointment spent working around what you are wearing.

Some hands-on techniques, particularly around a tight or guarded muscle, feel firm or briefly uncomfortable. Treatment should not leave you in more pain afterwards than when you arrived. We check in with you during treatment and adjust pressure and technique based on how you are responding.

It depends on what is being treated, how long it has been going on, and how you respond to the first few sessions. Some things settle in two or three visits, others need a plan across several weeks. You get a realistic answer after the initial assessment rather than a fixed course of visits sold to you upfront.

Yes, where it suits the muscle or the area being treated. It is one technique among several rather than a default. What it involves and why it is being suggested are explained before it is used, and you can decline it at any point.

Yes. We see younger patients for sports injuries, growing pains and postural concerns, with the assessment and treatment adjusted for age. Tell us your child's age when you book so the appointment is the right length.

Low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, sports injuries, post-operative rehabilitation, headaches that come from the neck, and work-related strain such as repetitive strain from desk or manual work. If you are not sure whether your problem fits, call and describe it and we will tell you honestly whether physiotherapy is the right place to start.

Around 45 to 60 minutes, covering your history, a movement assessment, hands-on treatment where it is appropriate, and a home exercise plan to take away. Follow-up appointments are shorter, usually 30 to 45 minutes.

Any referral letter or imaging you already have, though neither is required to book, a list of current medications, and your health fund card if you are claiming at the clinic. If you are coming through a GP care plan, bring that referral too.

Because registered health practitioners are not permitted to advertise a regulated health service using patient testimonials, under section 133 of the National Law. Rather than work around that rule, we have written out exactly what an appointment involves so you can decide from the care itself.