Frequently Asked Questions

Please arrive 10 mins early to your first appointment to fill in a small amount of paperwork. Bring in any current or relevant scans (X-ray, MRI, ultrasound, CT, etc) or medical reports with you.

You can download a pdf of the new patient form here to print and fill in.

New Patient Form

We are located at 178-180 Sydney Road, Brunswick - on the corner of Edward Street and Sydney Road. Please note we are in Brunswick, there is another 180 Sydney Road but it is in Coburg.

Parking: There is plenty of on-street parking nearby on Edward Street or Sydney Road (please note there are "no standing" times on Sydney Road if you visit during after-hours). Paid parking is also available in the Council parking site (please avoid parking in the red business zones all day Monday to Friday).

Public Transport: The nearest train station is Jewell (Upfield line), and tram 19 from Flinders St Station (Elizabeth St) to North Coburg passes right outside our front door.

Click the link below to open it in Google or Apple maps:

Google maps or Apple maps

Chiropractic: study for 5 years at university and treat biomechanical disorders and dysfunctions of the neuro-musculoskeletal system, with a particular focus on the spine and pelvis, in order to promote optimal movement, posture and health.

Osteopathy: study for 5 years at university and treat any musculoskeletal structures that aren’t aligned properly, as misalignment or dysfunction may inhibit circulatory, lymphatic or nervous system function and therefore reduces the body’s ability to heal itself.

Remedial massage: study for 18-24 months and treat muscular and connective tissues in order to restore normal function of muscles and joints.

Myotherapy: also qualified remedial massage therapists but undergo a further 1-year diploma in Myotherapy and treat similar to remedial massage however they have extra training in postural analysis, biomechanics and injury rehabilitation.

Medical History: An important part of your first consultation is to take a detailed case history, including any relevant medical and family history. Our chiropractors, osteopaths, myotherapists / remedial massage therapists will find out as much information as we can to help us get to the bottom of your current problem.

Examination: Your examination may consist of various chiropractic, osteopathic, physical, orthopaedic, neurological or other special tests. This is important in determining what may be causing your problem and along with a thorough history allow us to formulate a treatment plan to suit your current condition.

Treatment: After your examination, a treatment plan will be discussed and in most cases, you will receive your first treatment. In rare circumstances we may not treat in the first session - either we need further investigations, deem the treatment potentially unsafe at that time, or if your examination is complex, we may have exceeded your allocated time.

We have no specific clothing requirements however to make your time more comfortable or to allow your therapist to access the areas they need it's best you wear comfortable clothing. At times we may ask you to undress to your underwear - we can provide you with gowns and all therapists will use a towel to drape you in order to protect your privacy.

Approximate consultations times for each therapy are listed below, however sometimes more or less time is required depending on what the therapists has deemed is necessary. Please note, that all therapies include history taking and assessment as part of the consultation time (including massage and myotherapy) as it is the best for your health and wellbeing to ensure you are getting the right treatment.

Chiropractic: Your initial consultation is approximately 45 minutes, with most follow up visits being 15 minutes.
 
Osteopathy: Your initial consultation is approximately 60 minutes, with most follow up visits being 30 minutes.
 
Myotherapy / Remedial Massage: There are three categories, please note the sessions include history, assessment and time allowed for dressing / undressing (if required):
 - Short session: approximately 30 mins
 - Standard session: approximately 45 mins
 - Long session: approximately 60 mins
Follow up visits can vary between 30-60 mins. You can discuss with your therapist what type of appointment you require for follow up.

All Payments need to be made at the time of your visit and can be made via our HICAPS terminal.
Payment can be made by credit, Eftpos/savings, or cash payments. Unfortunately, AMEX and crypto-currencies are not accepted at this stage.

Click here to see cost of treatment.

All of our therapists have provider numbers to allow you to claim through your private health insurance if you have Extras cover. We are unable to provide you with what rebate you might receive as each cover is individual. It is best to contact your insurance provider for details if you wish to know more.

Our HICAPS facility allows you to claim on the spot and you are only required to pay the gap for your treatment, however you must present your card to us on the day. We cannot process your health insurance on another day. If you don't have your card, a receipt will be provided to you (printed or emailed, whichever you prefer) and you can claim directly with your insurance provider.

All our allied health services are privately funded and Medicare does not pay for any of the sessions.

The only exception is for Chiropractic and Osteopathy ONLY where you may qualify for up to five Medicare rebated sessions per calendar year if you get a special referral from your GP. Please note that you are required to pay the full amount for your session and the Medicare rebate will be sent back to your savings account within two days directly from Medicare. You need to have a savings account, money cannot be paid into any other account or card.

We are only able to bulk bill for return Chiropractic sessions because all other sessions are much longer and the therapist needs to be paid for the extra time that they provide.

If you have a referral from your GP and intend to use it for your appointment, please notify us (through either email or call us) as we need to ensure you have the correct paperwork. 
Common errors with medicare referrals include the following and can make it invalid to use:
 - Wrong clinic details
 - Incorrect therapy referred
 - Not signed by the GP
 - GP has assigned more than then 5 sessions - please let us know if you have used some sessions elsewhere - it can be at other clinics or modalities. We will contact Medicare prior to all your appointments to make sure none have been allocated elsewhere.

If you have a gift voucher and wish to use it to pay for your session, please call or email us with a photo of your voucher prior to your session. We need to ensure the voucher is still valid and is for the right location. Whilst we are the one and only Brunswick Chiropractic clinic, there are some other businesses that are using our name on their vouchers and patients haven't been aware prior to coming in that the voucher is for the wrong location.

We do send reminder/confirmation texts the day before your appointment, but these are a courtesy and are NOT to be relied upon. It is your responsibility to remember your appointments, so please use your diary / phone to note the date and time or take one of our appointment cards.

Missing an appointment may incur a $30 fee, so please take note of when you are due to come in so we can avoid any fees.

We require you to provide us with 24 hours' notice if you cannot make your appointment. Give the clinic a call to cancel or reschedule your appointment - this is the best and most efficient way for us. Please DO NOT reply to your SMS reminder, as our reminder messages are automated and we aren't monitoring for replies.

We understand that sometimes life throws a curve ball and unexpected things come up – car troubles, gastro, a sick child, etc – and you may need to cancel an appointment at the last minute. Where possible, we ask that you call and let us know ASAP, even if you leave us a message out of business hours. Notification of a cancellation within 24 hours may incur a $30 fee.

This cancellation (or no-show) fee helps compensate our therapists for their time. Your time is valuable, please respect your practitioners’ time too.

Providing us with 24 hours’ notice if you can’t make it also allows us to potentially fill your time-slot with another patient who might be in need of treatment.

If you have any questions about this cancellation (or failure to attend) policy, please speak with our reception staff.