Have you got questions about Osteopathy?
Below you can find some of the most common and frequently asked questions we get. If you cannot find the answer you’re looking for, simply reach out to us via the form on this page, the contact page or call our friendly reception. We are more than happy to help.
Call our friendly reception team to make an appointment on (03) 9717 1200 or you can Book Online
We do understand sometimes things come up and we are more than happy to reschedule your appointment. We do require a minimum of 12 hours notice for rescheduling of an appointment. Due to the high demand for our service, this allows the clinic sufficient time to offer the appointment to another waiting patient. Therefore, please be aware that a late cancellation may incur a fee.
You will receive a confirmation email the day prior to your initial consultation, in this email there is a link that we ask you to please fill in prior to your appointment.
Allow up to 45 minutes for your first consultation and please bring any x-rays, scans or other relevant medical reports to the appointment. For new patient babies please bring along their Maternal and Child Health ‘green’ book to the appointment as well as a bottle if not breastfeeding.
Your practitioner will ask questions about your problem and symptoms and take a detailed medical history. Then they will conduct a thorough examination of the body which includes the area where you have pain/discomfort and related areas, to help determine how best to manage your condition. Once the osteopath has finished their examination they will formulate a diagnosis and discuss a treatment plan with you.
Your treatment will be tailored to your condition and may include soft tissue massage, manipulation, articulation, stretching, and gentle balancing techniques. Treatment may also include advice on stretching and strengthening exercises, posture, diet, ergonomics and stress management techniques.
As osteopathy is a ‘hands on’ manual therapy, often the practitioner will ask you to remove some clothing, e.g trousers or top, depending on the area of your body requiring treatment. It’s important that you feel comfortable, so you may want to wear loose pants or bring a pair of shorts to change into.
Your initial consultation will take up to 45 minutes. This will enable your osteopath to take a thorough history, examine and treat you. Follow-up treatments are shorter and take up to 30 minutes. If you are a current client of the clinic and feel like you would like an extended consultation we do offer long return consultations that are up to 45 minutes long.
As a private paying patient you don’t need a referral to see an osteopath. Osteopaths are registered with the Australian Health Regulatory Agency and are primary healthcare practitioners. The only times you will require a referral from your General Practitioner (GP) is if you want to claim through Medicare on a Chronic Disease management (CDM) Plan or if you are a Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) client.
Private health rebates are available for osteopathic services. If you have ‘extras’ on your insurance policy you are most likely able to claim a portion of your treatment costs, which you can claim ‘on the spot. at our clinic via HICAPS.
Medicare covers a portion of your consultation if you are referred under the Team Care Arrangement/ Chronic Disease Management Program, which is managed and provided by your GP
The Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Program is a Medicare Scheme designed for people with a chronic disease or condition. It allows for up to five Allied Health consultations per year where a portion is subsidised by Medicare. If you are experiencing musculoskeletal pain in conjunction with another medical condition please ask your GP if you are eligible for a referral under this program.
Please make sure you bring your referral with you to your appointment, if you are attending an appointment under the CDM program.
Please note the program is not a bulk billed service. Full payment is required and then a proportion of the fee can be claimed back using our HICAPS terminal on the day. Please contact our friendly reception team for further information about the fees and out of pocket expenses.
All our practitioners are registered with Workcover, TAC and Veteran’s Affairs. Please contact our friendly reception team for more information about our service under these schemes.
Osteopaths can see self managed patients under the NDIS scheme if treatment will help you with your function with activities of daily living. Please call our friendly reception team for more information.