FAQ

How do I get to Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy?
What conditions do Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy treat?
Do I need a doctor’s referral to make an appointment?
My doctor has given me a referral to see another physiotherapist / podiatrist but I want to come to your clinic?
What are your operating hours?
Can I choose my own therapist?
Do you have private enclosed treatment rooms?
I have a foot/ankle problem, do I need physio or podiatry?
Physio or massage?
Is it better to have orthotics made by your podiatrist or will over the counter arch supports suffice?
How long does a treatment session take?
How do I pay for my treatment?
How much rebate will I get back from my Private Health Fund?
What should I wear to my first visit? Will I have to undress?
What do I need to bring to my first session?
What if I am running late or cannot make my appointment?
How many sessions will I need to get better?
Can physios and podiatrists refer for x-rays and scans?
What is the difference between a physiotherapist and a chiropractor?*

How do I get to Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy?

We are located in Canberra City West and Gungahlin town centre. Our Contact Us page contains detailed maps, addresses and contact details.

What conditions do Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy treat?

We assess and treat movement-related disorders and pain associated many types of injuries including:

If you are not sure if we can help, contact us and we will get one of our therapists to talk to you about your problem.

Do I need a doctor’s referral to make an appointment?

No. Physios, podiatrists and massage therapists are primary healthcare practitioners so private clients do not need a referral to see us.

A referral is required for claims processing via Workers Compensation Insurance, Department of Veteran Affairs, Enhanced Primary Care Plans or Third Party Motor Accident Insurance. For further information, read our First Visit page.

My doctor has given me a referral to see another physiotherapist / podiatrist but I want to come to your clinic?

You are totally entitled to choose your own therapist – simply bring the referral in with you on your first visit and we will let the referring doctor know that you have commenced treatment with us.

What are your operating hours?

Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy is open Monday to Friday in Canberra City and Gungahlin. Our Gungahlin Clinic is also open on Saturdays. We are closed Public Holidays, long weekends and between Christmas and New Year.

Can I choose my own therapist?

Yes. Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy is a full health service facility with male and female therapists. Each therapist has a special interest in certain injuries. It is one advantage of a large clinic that all therapists are able to specialise in a limited number of areas. This ensures a high level of expertise. At the time of your booking, reception will match you up with the most appropriate therapist based on the information you provide, however if there is a physiotherapist you feel more comfortable with, we will endeavour to ensure that they are available to you for your treatment sessions.

Do you have private enclosed treatment rooms?

Yes. We also have curtained rooms and an open area in our gymnasium. If you have a preferred environment in which your consultation takes place, please indicate your preference to your therapist on your initial consultation.

I have a foot/ankle problem, do I need physio or podiatry?

For acute injuries of less than 6-8 weeks, it is probably best to start with physiotherapy to establish an accurate diagnosis and regain full function. Along the way, the physiotherapist may in fact refer you to see one of our podiatrists to improve any lower limb alignment issues that might help reduce your pain.

For chronic conditions, your first visit should probably be with one of our podiatrists. The podiatrist will suggest strategies to improve lower limb biomechanics, which might just make the difference. In any case, at some stage you will probably also require some advanced flexibility and strengthening exercises from our physios to assist in regaining full function.

For gait problems with young children, a physiotherapist is the most appropriate starting point as muscle dysfunction at the pelvis is the usual cause.

Physio or massage?

We highly recommend massage therapy for many muscle, circulation, flexibility, performance enhancement and stress relief problems. For these problems massage therapy alone is ideal and is an important part of a holistic injury prevention program.

Solving the underlying cause of any musculoskeletal problem is different and we recommend seeing one of our physios initially to establish a correct diagnosis and direct the most effective care. The physio may in fact suggest the best treatment approach is a combination of physiotherapy and massage therapy. Regular massages can also assist with ongoing prevention.

Is it better to have orthotics made by your podiatrist or will over the counter arch supports suffice?

Over the counter arch supports may help the occasional client with minor arch discomfort, but they frequently fail because they do not properly control foot function, do not fit the client’s feet and do not last long. On the other hand, orthotics that are prescribed by our podiatrists are custom made for your feet, meaning you get an exact fit that corrects any abnormality to the right degree resulting in less symptoms now and into the future.

How long does a treatment session take?

You will receive as much time as needed at each appointment for best results, but please allow at least the following amount of time for each consultation:

Physiotherapy

• Initial Consults – up to 60 -75 min
• Standard Consults – up to 30-40min
• Complex Consults – up to 40-60min

Massage

• We have 60min or 30min massage therapy consultations

Podiatry

• Initial Consult – up to 60 min
• Casting Consult – up to 30-40min
• Orthotic Fitting Consult: up to 30-40min for heat-moulded; up to 20-30min for custom-moulded
• Standard Consult – up to 30min

How do I pay for my treatment?

Private clients are required to pay at the time of treatment and we accept cash, MasterCard, Visa and EFTPOS. For your convenience, we provide the HICAPS system for on-the-spot processing of private health fund rebates, saving you a trip to the health fund.

Enhanced Primary Care (Medicare) clients are required to pay the service fee upfront at private rates and seek a rebate from Medicare later. EPC clients cannot claim through their private health insurance.

We can invoice directly the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and any insurance claims provided all necessary claim numbers and information is provided to us. For further details see Billing Policy

How much rebate will I get back from my Private Health Fund?

Most private health funds provide a significant rebate for physiotherapy, podiatry, massage, pilates and hydrotherapy treatment costs. In most cases a rebate is also given for podiatry support products (including orthotics), but generally not so for physio support products.

The rebate amount varies between health funds and the type of cover. If you like, we can access a quote for a service from our HICAPS terminal.

What should I wear to my first visit? Will I have to undress?

Physiotherapy and Massage: You should dress appropriately for your consultation. If you have a lower limb or low back injury you should wear some loose fitting shorts or tracksuit pants. If you have a shoulder or neck injury, we recommend you wear a loose fitting singlet. If you participate in recreational activities and have a lower limb or low back issue you should bring your sport shoes as well as your dress/casual wear shoes. We provide shorts, singlet tops and gowns whenever needed. Your modesty and privacy are extremely important to us and protected at all times.
Podiatry: You should bring your current and past sport shoes and any dress shoes. You will need to wear some loose fitting shorts.

What do I need to bring to my first session?

On your first visit it is advisable to bring along all images and reports from any medical investigations such as x-rays and scans of the injured area; appropriate clothing and footwear; any doctor’s referral; means of payment including your private health fund card; any operation reports on the injured area and a list of any current medications/supplements. Please read First Visit.

What if I am running late or cannot make my appointment?

If you are running late then please call our clinic to let us know so your physio can try to plan their diary to accommodate you, or we may be able to reschedule your appointment to later that day. If you are unable to attend your appointment then we require at least 8 hours notice otherwise a cancellation fee will be charged. Cancellation fees are not kept by Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy, they are donated directly to the children we sponsor through World Vision Charity. We ask clients to make every effort to keep their scheduled appointments to avoid us having to turn other clients away when we are fully booked. For further details see our Cancellation Policy.

How many sessions will I need to get better?

The majority of conditions will be pain free with full function in 6-8 sessions. More complex conditions can take longer. We always aim to fully resolve your injury in the fastest time possible. In your initial assessment your therapist will give you a ‘Recommended Action Plan’ which will outline your treatment program and how many sessions we estimate to get you back to full health. At each follow-up consultation, we reassess your injury to ensure improvement gains are within this timeframe. In the unlikely event that the timeframe is not met, we will refer you to other health professionals not limiting further investigations, medications or modalities. We will not continue to treat without results.

Can physios and podiatrists refer for x-rays and scans?

Yes. Physiotherapists and podiatrists can refer you for many types of medical investigations including x-rays, CT scans, bone scans and MRI scans. At any time we may refer you for further investigations to help establish a diagnosis and direct the most effective care.

The full Medicare rebate applies to some types of spinal x-rays ordered by physios and the foot/ankle region ordered by podiatrists. For all other x-rays and diagnostic ultrasound imaging, clients only collect part of the rebate if the imaging was otherwise ordered by a doctor.

What is the difference between a physiotherapist and a chiropractor?*

Generally speaking, the physiotherapy philosophy is about achieving and teaching self-maintenance and independence, and the chiropractic philosophy is about long-term treatment.

Physiotherapy is a holistic approach in diagnosing, treating and preventing disorders of human movement to enhance the health and welfare of the community. Physiotherapist’s aim to facilitate optimal joint, muscle and nerve function for rapid healing and increased independence with long term results. At Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy, we follow this principle. Our ultimate goal is to give you the tools to look after your health long after you leave our care. We will not continue to treat without results.

Chiropractic care primarily focus treatment on spinal joints and nerves with the reasoning that this will facilitate an automatic optimal function of all aspects of the body. Chiropractors have a broad focus on being alternative care providers to medical practitioners (doctors) with the aim of preventing and fixing all kinds of ailments such as asthma, organ problems, diseases and illnesses.

*NOTE: This information has been collected over many years with contribution by multiple chiropractors and physiotherapists.