Frequently Asked Questions
Osteopathy:
Your first appointment is $200 and will last for approximately 1 hour.
Your follow up appointments are $125 and will last for approximately 30 minutes.
Medicare Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program is accepted. Following treatment, you will make full payment and then claim on the spot with your Medicare card to receive a rebate of $56.
Myotherapy:
Your first appointment is $200 and will last for approximately 1 hour.
Your follow up appointments are $125 and will last for approximately 45 minutes.
Private Health Rebates are also applicable for both Initial and Follow-up Appointments.
Prior to the consultation, you will be asked to fill out some essential forms regarding personal details, informed consent, privacy, and past medical history. You will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns or ask questions.
The consultation commences with a brief introduction followed by a detailed case history which entails a series of questions about your presenting complaint and further clarification regarding details about your health status, overall wellbeing and past medical history. When your case history is completed, physical assessment and screening tests are carried out to create a working diagnosis and diagnose other factors that may be affecting you.
You will be requested to engage in this process, and by doing so this will clarify that you understand the proposed diagnosis and consent to the treatment and management plan ahead. We do our best to clearly explain the treatment and the treatment rationale as an ongoing process to measure and recored your response. This is vital for a productive and transparent treatment process and are is designed to give you the best chance of obtaining your treatment goals and aspirations..
In most cases, you can expect to receive treatment on your first consultation, though some circumstances may require a referral or further testing such as imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT scan ETC).
At the end of your first consultation, you should have a better idea of what your condition is, what has caused it and/or what maintains it, what you can do about, and how to prevent it in the future.
The second treatment is particularly important.
It sheds light on how you may have responded to treatment and helps set the course of your treatment plan.
More light will be shed on your condition and the shape of plan ahead during your second consultation, especially because your response to the first treatment will be measured and recorded indicating accuracy of the preliminary diagnosis and the effectiveness of the first treatment.
From here a more thorough treatment plan can be created and then implemented from the second treatment and then in subsequent treatments making up the core of your overall treatment plan.
Your second consultation is vital and helps set the course of thing move forward.
If you follow the treatment plan outlined by your practitioner you are more likely to get the most from treatment and achieve the best possible outcome. Deviation from the proposed plan often results in a limited response from treatment and improvement in symptoms. Additionally, if success from treatment is only gauged on the reduction of symptoms you may also be losing sight of the ideal treatment goal which is aimed at removing causative and precipitating factors often in the form of structural, postural, and habitual problems and giving you the tools and education to prevent re-occurrence.
Many people seek treatment from an osteopath when they are in pain, or if they are experiencing stiffness, discomfort, or a feeling of ‘misalignment’. We recommend you consult an osteopath as a first point of call when experiencing any form of musculoskeletal or joint pain/discomfort. However if you are in extreme pain please contact your GP or go to the Emergency Department (ED) of the nearest hospital.
When you first meet your osteopath expect a detailed interview where a complete case history and a physical assessment is taken to determine the nature and cause of your complaint(s). This means that treatment can be specific and targeted to resolve your symptoms and further advice and education can be given to make you stronger, more resilient and prevent a relapse.
Often people seek osteopathic treatment when they have not been successful with other forms of treatment. In the instance where a result can not be achieved in a timely manner your osteopath will refer you to the appropriate healthcare provider or specialist. This may take the form of a team care arrangement with your GP who may give recommendations and/or referrals to other healthcare providers.
If you have been seeing another type of practitioner to help you with your pain or discomfort and it keeps returning or hasn’t resolved, it might be time seek out Osteopathic care.
If you like.
First and foremost we recommend that your dress in a manner that suits you. Ideally these are comfortable and loose fitting clothes that allow ease of movement throughout the consultation process. You may be asked to remove some items of clothing for certain treatment procedures such as dry needling or cold laser. This may also be requested for certain examination procedures. In all instances we maintain the highest level of respect and modesty.
Towels are often draped over you to keep you comfortable, warm, and covered.
Please feel free to speak directly with your practitioner to communicate your needs.
You are welcome to have a friend and family member present in the consultation if you wish.
It depends on the Private Health Insurance policy you have.
There are many different types and levels of private health insurance. Prior to attending your visit make sure that the insurance you have covers either Osteopathy, Myotherapy, or Exercise Physiology treatment.
We have EFTPOS and HICAPS available so you can claim your health fund benefit immediately after the treatment when paying at the front desk.
We aim to provide appointments at your earliest convenience and respectfully require a minimum of 24 hours’ notice should you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. We maintain a wait-list for patients who require urgent attention and always prioritise your access the care we provide.
Please consider this when moving or canceling your session. If you fail to attend, forget your appointment, arrive more than 20 minutes late or cancel your appointment with less than 24 hours’ notice, you will be charged the full consultation fee.
We appreciate that sometimes things crop up, and we always take each case into consideration.
By booking online you are agreeing to provide us with enough notice to facilitate this or pay the appropriate fee.
We accept the following:
- Private health funds (HICAPS)
- Medicare Enhanced Primary care plans (EPC)
- Cash
- Eftpos
- Credit Card
If you have any specific concerns about payment options, please contact us.
No. You can attend at will and book directly.
A doctor’s referral can be utilised if you receive an EPC/CDM Medicare plan or are covered by DVA or Work Cover. However you need to first qualify for these types of coverage.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about referrals.
Yes.
Osteopaths can refer for spinal imaging. X-rays are ‘bulk billed’ however MRI, CT and Ultrasounds will incur an additional cost to the patient.
Osteopaths are Allied Healthcare Practitioners regulated by the Osteopaths Board of Australia (OBA) with the support of AHPRA (the Australian Healthcare Practitioner Regulation Agency).
Osteopaths are primarily concerned with treating the musculoskeletal system and use hands-on manipulation to treat muscles, joints, connective tissue, and organs across the entirety of the body.
Osteopathy represents more than a set of techniques and combines a whole-body approach with a philosophy that recognises the connectivity within the body and the interaction with the outside environment.
Your osteopath will outline exercises and stretches to support the treatment you receive to help prevent relapse and to fortify you against reoccurring problems, this may also include lifestyle and ergonomic advice.
Myotherapy is a form of physical therapy which focuses on evidence-based assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal pain due to improper biomechanical functioning involving the nerves, muscles and joints of the body. Despite popular belief, Myotherapy is not actually a form of massage therapy, however, Myotherapists may use and incorporate such techniques during your consultation if it is necessary for the treatment of your presenting condition. Myotherapists take into account all aspects of health and wellness to treat patients – this includes not only physical, but psychological and occupational aspects of the individual.
No.
At Head Above we believe in working collaboratively with other professionals and practitioners. This often means communicating or referring to your General Practitioner as a means of necessity and to ensure you receive comprehensive care.
Osteopathy was recognized and registered as a healthcare profession in Australia during the 1970s. Osteopaths are regulated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). In 2004 osteopaths were recognized in the ‘mainstream’ when it was included in the Allied Health Framework of the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) or Chronic Disease Management (CDM) program.
This program allows your General Practitioner to refer patients who are suffering prolonged (chronic) and complex issues into a treatment plan with multiple professionals working toward a common goal. This program is administered by Medicare and you may be eligible at the discretion of your General Practitioner.
At Head Above all practitioners actively seek to collaborate with your healthcare team.
No.
Osteopaths may be regarded as ‘technicians’ that work on the framework of the human body. They practice osteopathy as a distinctive discipline and are not regarded as ‘medical’ specialists or ‘medical’ practitioners. They have attended university full time for 5 years and are registered after completing a Bachelor of Clinical Science and Master of Osteopathic Medicine. During the course of their study, osteopaths go into great depth in the study of clinical and medical science, anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, pathology, clinical diagnosis, Osteopathic Manual Therapy, and Management (OMT and OMM), pain management, nutrition, pharmacology, and exercise rehabilitation.
What makes Osteopaths different is the full body approach, by recognising the body a single unit of function, and recognising and removing barriers to the bodies self healing ability.
Specific movement and exercises will often be prescribed to help stretch, strengthen, and stabilise any areas of concern. You may also received ergonomic and lifestyle advice to prevent future problems and strengthen existing dynamics.
All forms of hands-on treatment carry a risk and this varies on the type of treatment applied and to whom, and when. Many forms of osteopathic treatment and techniques are regarded to be relatively non-invasive and low risk. An example of this is soft tissue treatment on a muscle where transient discomfort may be expected after a treatment that is likely to resolve. An example of a higher risk treatment approach is what is known as a high-velocity low amplitude (HVLA) adjustment also known as the ‘cracking’ technique which can cause severe pain and lasting damage if applied inappropriately or incorrectly.
Osteopaths work to minimise risk and to provide you with a treatment that balances this with a positive and realistic outcome. All treatments are conducted with informed consent which promotes careful explanation of the type of treatment being offering as well as alternative treatment approaches. Full informed consent invites the patient to participate in the treatment process.
Osteopaths at Head Above take the time to gather a detailed medical history to determine whether treatment should go ahead and whether an appropriate medical referral or scans are first required first. All patients will be screened with relevant orthopaedic and special screening tests prior to treatment to properly determine what type of treatment and which techniques will. This process can take up to an hour and allows a thorough work up prior to treatment, but allows to understand what motivates you and the goals you have in the short, intermediate, and long-term.
Safety can also come through better strength and movement, this is why you may also be recommended to receive a functional movement screen from a member of our Exercise Physiology team. We have determined over many years of practice that by placing emphasis on the subtleties of movement with a professional dedicated to this approach is of high value. As the movement of your joints and overall structural alignment is improved and liberated with hands on treatment a movement and exercise focused approach such as that offered by Exercise Physiology will take you to new heights and maintain a high standard to keep you performing at your best in all facets of your life.