Your First Physio Appointment

• your doctor’s referral (if applicable*)
• recent and relevant investigations and reports (e.g. scans such as MRI, X-ray, ultrasounds, CT scans or urodynamic tests)
• a list of current medications
• your running shoes if you have a running injury.

* A note about referrals:

General clients do not require a doctor’s referral to make an appointment see a physiotherapist. However, if your fees are being paid by Work Cover or Department of Veterans’ Affairs, or you have a compulsory third-party claim, you will need a referral from a doctor.

• Personal details: name, address, date of birth, occupation, phone numbers of home, mobile and work
• Private health fund details if you have cover
• Source of referral (doctor, word-of-mouth, Google, etc.)
• For WorkCover appointments, your employer’s name, your date of injury, and your claim number (if you have it).

WorkCover clients must be referred by a medical practitioner and bring their medical certificate to the first appointment. We will scan your referral and attach it to your eFile. If your claim has not yet been approved, we ask you to pay for each session until your claim is approved. Once the claim is approved, you only have to pay the gap. WorkCover do not pay our full fee. You may ask your employer to pay the gap if appropriate.

In your first appointment, your physiotherapist will discuss your history in detail so that they can understand your pain to provide appropriate treatment.

Please consider the following before you book your appointment so that you can give us as much information as possible:

• area(s) of symptoms (where do you feel the pain?)
• type of symptoms (sharp pain, ache, tenderness, pins and needles, numbness, dizziness, headaches, heaviness, tightness, weakness, swelling)
• behaviour of pain (what makes it worse or better, does it affect your sleep, is it different in the morning?)
• your history including the dates of injuries or surgeries.

Please make sure you let us know if you have had physiotherapy in the past and whether it helped, or if it stirred up your pain. This knowledge gives us a head start on your treatment.

We will seek your consent before any treatment and you can withdraw your consent at any time. Please feel free to discuss any concerns with your physiotherapist.

• Most first physio appointments are 30–45 minutes long. Allow an hour so that you don’t have to rush.
• For initial pelvic floor consultations, allow 45–60 minutes.
• For follow-up appointments, allow 30–45 minutes.

Please note, we can usually only assess and treat one area during your initial consultation. We prefer to start with the worst area. If the areas of pain are directly related – e.g. back pain with referred buttock and leg pain, or neck and shoulder blade with arm pain – they can usually be treated in the one regular session.

You can book for an extended treatment for more than one condition if you prefer; however this requires extra time and does cost more. Please discuss your requirements with our receptionist when making the appointment so the correct time can be allotted.

We understand that some people have other financial priorities. Let your physiotherapist know if you can come only once or twice, so we can give you a comprehensive home program of exercises and self-help skills.

After discussing your history, your physiotherapist will perform a physical assessment, usually involving active movements, to look at how the affected and surrounding muscles are working, e.g. we may need to see your thigh for a knee problem and your shoulder blades for a shoulder problem.

Your physiotherapist will use your history and the physical assessment to diagnose your problem and formulate a treatment plan. This often involves mobilisation or moving the affected area; prescribing appropriate exercises; giving advice on home management, posture and ergonomics; and sometimes some heat/ice or electrotherapy if appropriate. Some injuries can be strapped or massaged or dry needled to assist in pain relief and healing.

Please wear clothing that you feel comfortable in and can remove easily if required, along with modest, comfortable underwear. To enable accurate diagnosis, you may need to remove your shirt, blouse, and singlet for a neck problem, and your trousers or skirt for a lower back problem. Wear shorts if you have a knee problem. Ladies can wear togs if they prefer, but please ensure it doesn’t restrict access to the area of and around your pain.

If you are uncomfortable with any of this, please speak to your physiotherapist before your first appointment, and we will try to assist you.

Please take note of how your body responds to the first appointment as this will guide your physiotherapist in your next treatment. You may feel sore after treatment or you may feel better. Your physiotherapist will guide you on what response they expect to happen.

Veterans must have a general practitioner’s referral and bring their DVA card. We accept the DVA’s fee as the full fee.