No, you can visit our clinic without any referral from your GP, however if your condition has been going on for more than 6 months, you may be eligible for a Chronic Disease Management Plan from your doctor. If you’re unsure, get in touch and we can help figure out if you may be eligible.
Bring along any relevant scans or medical information, along with any medicare cards, private health cards, GP care plans or other pieces that may be relevant to your treatment. If you’re not sure, bring it in and Michael can let you know if it is useful.
Most private health funds with “extras” cover will be eligible for Osteopathy or Remedial Massage rebates. If you’re unsure if your fund covers this, you may need to contact them before your appointment.
Medicare claims through the Chronic Disease Management Plan are able to be claimed for Osteopathy, provided your GP has organised this before your appointment for you. All medicare and health fund claims can be made on the spot with HICAPS.
It is important to feel comfortable during your appointment, so please wear comfortable loose clothing or bring a change of clothing along with you.
Depending on what is being treated, you may be asked to undress to your underwear during the appointment, so we recommend comfortable, modest underwear. In cases where clothing is asked to be removed, we will provide you with a gown for modesty.
If for any reason you are not comfortable with disrobing, please let the practitioner know, and we will endeavour to help you as best as possible without the need to remove clothing.
Yes, Michael is registered to provide treatment under all these schemes, provided you have a valid referral and approval for treatment. If you are coming in under Workcover, CTP or DVA, please let us know when you are making your appointment.
Generally your first appointment will begin with a thorough history about your pain or problem, followed by assessment of your movement, posture, range of motion as well as some orthopaedic tests. We may look at both the area that is uncomfortable, as well as any areas that may be interrelated or may be impacting your presenting complaint.
After a diagnosis is made, treatment may include techniques such as massage, joint mobilisation, stretching, exercise rehab, dry needling as well as some education. We may also look at referral to additional health professions if required, as well as ways in which you may be able to manage your pain away from the clinic.
Treatment is an individual outcome, with some simple problems needing only 2 or 3 treatments, and more complex problems possibly requiring ongoing management. Our aim will always be to keep the amount of appointments at an absolute minimum, and to maximise your recovery as quickly as possible.
We also try to make sure that in cases that we may not be the correct place to help, we will refer you to someone who may be better suited to getting the outcomes you need.
We will tailor your treatment plan to you specifically. We do not use standardised techniques or forms, as we know that people are individuals and have different needs and backgrounds. We will ask you about your pain, and we hope you provide us with as much feedback as possible, so we can make a plan that will work best for you.
We will endeavour to make your plan as conservative as possible, but you may also receive advice or additional referral for injections, medications or procedures, or for other interventions such as orthotics.
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Pain is not an accurate indicator of damage, and may exist even after tissue has healed. In many cases, the longer that pain is experienced, the worse the response can be to the threat of additional damage, and the pain experienced in cases of minor damage can be larger. Read more at https://coastpain.com.au/whatispain/
