Our Services

A physiotherapist is a university qualified, AHPRA registered (government regulated) health professional. Their role is to help people recover from injury, reduce pain and stiffness, increase mobility and prevent further injury. A physiotherapist is trained to make accurate physical diagnoses based on listening to your description of symptoms and performing a series of physical tests. Based on this assessment, a physiotherapist uses evidence-based treatment techniques to reduce your symptoms. Techniques may include massage, joint manipulation/mobilisation, strapping with tape, education and exercises. Visit our About Us page to meet our physiotherapist, Rob. Please visit our services page to read about the treatments and services we provide.

No referral is necessary to see a physiotherapist if you are a private patient. If you have been injured at work and have a workcover claim or have a Third Party injury from a motor vehicle accident, you will need a GP referral to see a physiotherapist.

New patients will receive an intake form via email before their initial consultation. Please take some time to work through this document and submit it before you attend your first appointment. The form contains important information about our privacy policy (how we protect your information), informed consent and our cancellation policy. You can complete this form in the clinic, but doing so prior to your visit will save you time.

We are able to provide supports for all plan-managed and self-managed NDIS clients, but are unable to cater to agency-managed NDIS patients at this time. For NDIS support co-ordinators and plan managers, please complete a referral form online by following this link or email us at admin@centralphysio.com.au and we will send you a form

If you have any X-rays, MRIs, operation reports etc, this would be fantastic to bring along. The more information you can give to your physiotherapist, the more accurate and thorough they can be in providing you the best possible treatment for you on the day.

Our clinic is fully wheelchair accessible with adequate parking outside the door. Access to the clinic is via the car park at the rear of the Fitness Perfection gym. Please use the driveway at the side of the gym to access the car park and rear of the building.

Depending on the type of injury that you have, you will need to allow the physiotherapist to thoroughly assess that particular part of your body. For physiotherapy appointments, please wear comfortable clothing that is appropriate to the area being assessed, e.g.: Shoulder: For ladies, wear a singlet. For men, wear a shirt you can remove. Lower back: For ladies, wear a top that you can lift up to expose your back. For men, wear a shirt you can remove. Leg, including hip, knee and ankle: Wear shorts. Neck or upper spine: For ladies, we will provide you with a towel that covers all other areas. For men, wear a shirt you can remove. If you are attending hydrotherapy, please bring a change of clothes, towel and a bottle of water.

There is ample free off-street parking at the rear of Fitness Perfection Gym, accessed by the side driveway.

Yes. Physiotherapy is covered by private health funds as part of “extras” cover and we have HICAPS facilities to charge your health fund on the day of the appointment. The amount that your private health fund pays depends on your policy. If you have Private Health Insurance cover with extras, bring your card along on the day of treatment so we can process your rebate in-clinic.

Central Physio appreciates 24 hours notice for cancelled appointments, so that we may fill the empty appointment time from our waiting list. Three (3) or more missed appointments without adequate notice may result in a cancellation fee. Please read our full cancellation policy here.

Please use our online booking system to make an appointment through our website, call our clinic on 0459 956 380, or email us at admin@centralphysio.com.au.

Yes, our practice management system automatically sends out text messages the day before your appointment to remind you of your appointment. Please let us know if you do not wish to receive a message the day before your appointment.

This can be arranged by your physiotherapist on the day. We refer to PRP Diagnostic Imaging if an MRI, X-ray, CT, Ultrasound etc is needed. Some of these services do require a gap payment depending on the area that will be scanned.

For initial appointments, allow 45 minutes. The length of subsequent appointments will generally be 30 minutes but will vary depending on your individual circumstances and how many areas of concern you are seeking treatment for. If you need to leave and be out of the practice earlier, please let your physiotherapist know as soon as you arrive so they can make sure you are not late leaving.

At Central Physio, we try to accommodate all patients as soon as we can. In most cases we can offer you an appointment within 24 hours. You can see our available appointment slots in real-time on our bookings page. If you are struggling to find a time that suits you, just contact the clinic and we will try to accommodate you as best we can.

Physiotherapy and exercise physiology are generally not covered by Medicare but you can get part funding from Medicare through a Chronic Disease Management Plan if your GP refers you with one of these.

Yes. Just bring your claim number with you and we will invoice the insurance company directly.

Dry needling involves multiple advances of an acupuncture-type needle into the ‘trigger point’ of the muscle. The aim is to achieve a local twitch response to release muscle tension and pain.

Dry Needling helps to reduce pressure on the nerve by releasing muscle shortening. It is now well researched that the ‘twitch’ response in the muscle during dry needling is associated with the muscle relaxing and stopping the pull on adjacent areas.

The needles used are very thin, and you may or may not feel the needle enter your skin. If the target muscle is shortened and supersensitive you will feel a cramping or twitch sensation. This is very short-lived, and patients soon learn to recognise this sensation as therapeutic as it is followed by a feeling of pain relief and muscle relaxation.

The most common side effect is temporary muscle soreness after the treatment. This typically lasts for a day or two, and your clinician will instruct you on how to minimise this. There are other less common side effects such as bruising. If you have any questions about side effects, please discuss this with your clinician.

Treatments are typically once a week, to allow enough recovery time between treatment sessions. However, this can vary. The number of treatments you will require will depend on many things, such as: How long you have had your problem The extent of your problem How long it takes to address the contributing factors How quickly your body can heal

Neuropathic pain is pain that occurs when nerves malfunction following minor irritation. The nerves become supersensitive and normal signals become exaggerated and misperceived as painful ones. The result is pain, even when medical tests show there is ‘nothing wrong’.

An important contributing factor in neuropathic pain is muscle shortening or spasm. This produces pain by pulling on tendons, creating tension on the joints they attach into, and thus contributing to degenerative changes such as tendonitis and osteoarthritis.

Prior to treatment please inform your clinician if you are pregnant, or have any of the following​: - Metal allergies - Implants - Axillary or inguinal node dissection - Joint replacements - Needle phobia

We will never dry needle someone during their first trimester of pregnancy. There are some situations in which we will consider dry needling someone after this time, however there are certain points we will avoid as an extra safety measure. If you are unsure or have any questions feel free to discuss this with your physiotherapist.

Hydrotherapy, or Aquatic Physiotherapy, involves exercise and hands-on treatment in water heated to 34ºC. With session durations of up to one hour (depending on what you can cope with), there is plenty of time to treat the whole person and not just focus on one problem area. Hydrotherapy is an extremely versatile form of treatment for all ages - it is possible to carry out very gentle or quite strenuous exercise, and it can begin early in your recovery or well down the track. While most people can safely exercise in warm water, certain medical conditions require special care to be taken, so the physiotherapists at Hydrotherapy Solutions take detailed medical histories and liaise with your doctor when appropriate. You do not need to be able to swim to participate, and even people who think they don’t like being in the water quickly change their minds as they reap the benefits of warm water hydrotherapy.

All treatment is prescribed and guided by an experienced physiotherapist, who is in the water with you. Much of the treatment is exercise based, but we also perform some hands-on techniques as appropriate. An example would be to assist with mobilising a stiff joint while it is warmed up and feeling less painful than it might at home.

Hydrotherapy can be very beneficial to help achieve the following goals: • Relieve pain and muscle spasms • Relaxation and improved mental well-being • To maintain or increase the range of joint movement • To re-educate paralyzed muscles • To strengthen weak muscles and to develop their power and endurance • To encourage walking, retrain gait patterns with reduced load/weightlessness • To improve circulation (trophic condition of the skin) • Encourages movement and carrying out exercise with less pain and subsequently improving morale and confidence • The warmth of water blocks nociception (the feeling of pain) by acting on thermal receptors and mechanoreceptors, thus influencing spinal segmental mechanisms • Warm water stimulates blood flow positively, which leads to muscle relaxation • The hydrostatic effect may relieve pain by reducing peripheral oedema and by dampening the sympathetic nervous system activity

Patients with the following conditions and injuries will find hydrotherapy particularly helpful:- • Joint replacements and reconstructions • Stroke & neurological disorders • Multitrauma & brain injuries • Back & neck pain • Fractures & sprains • Balance & mobility problems • Obesity & diabetes • Osteo & Rheumatoid Arthritis

Physiotherapists are primary contact practitioners, so anyone can see us without a referral. Exceptions are those with complex or unstable medical conditions, or post-operatively, where we may request clearance from your doctor before undertaking hydrotherapy. If a third party is paying for your sessions (eg WorkCare, DVA) we will usually need a referral letter from your GP or specialist.

The first time you attend you will be assessed by one of our physios in a room adjacent to the pool. This will take 15-30 minutes, directly followed by a short session in the water (30-40 minutes). Our experienced physiotherapist will be in the water with you the whole time in a one-on-one session, guiding you through an individualised treatment plan tailored specifically to your area of concern. At this point in time, we as a clinic do not offer group hydrotherapy sessions.

Each hydrotherapy session between 30 minutes and up to 1 hour long, depending on how many areas of concern you would like to treat, and what you can cope with. You might need to start with a shorter duration and build up as your condition improves. Your physiotherapist will discuss this with you at your initial assessment appointment.

The pools we use are heated to a comfortable 34°C year round. Warm water makes your body and muscles relax, which in turn helps to heal injuries and promote bodily functions like circulation, respiration, and even pain relief. There is a growing evidence base which suggests that heat stimulatory receptors are in the same place as nociceptive impulses (these are nerve cells that cause pain when stimulated). By introducing heat, it will essentially numb or override the sensation of pain, making it easier for the person to move and exercise uninhibited.

At your first assessment session your physio will guide you as to how often you should attend to gain optimal results. This will depend on such things as your condition, what else you are doing in the way of exercise, and what your availability is. Most people attend once or twice per week. As the treatment is largely exercise based, you can compare it in some ways to attending the gym - attending more often will allow you to see results more quickly.

No. Your physiotherapist will come up with an individual treatment plan for you, and will continually reassess and guide you to determine whether hydrotherapy treatment is right for you and is continuing to gain the desired benefits. You may want to attend for a period of time to get over an injury or operation, more longer term to maintain a chronic condition, or just attend a couple of times to have a program prescribed for you to complete at a local pool.

Yes! Our hydrotherapy pools are shallow enough to stand. There are floatation aides and the therapist will be right with you to assist. Many of the exercises are performed in a standing position, and we are particularly attentive to our patients who are nervous in water. Swimming is rarely part of the program. We have had many non-swimmers who end up loving hydrotherapy and gaining confidence.

We can’t say for sure, but there is a good chance that you will fare better than in a public pool. If your skin is sensitive, it is a good idea to rinse off straight after being in the pool, and only use a soap-free wash.

No. If you have an active claim covering medical expenses, we charge no out-of-pocket fees and accounts are sent directly to your insurer.

If you have a chronic complaint, you can discuss with your GP about being managed on a Chronic Disease Management Plan. At least three health professionals need to be involved in your care (eg GP, Specialist and Physiotherapist), and you can then be referred for a maximum of 5 allied health treatments every calendar year. If you ask your doctor to add us to your plan and refer you to us, we can bulk-bill up to 5 hydrotherapy sessions, with no gap payment to you.

Invoices are paid in-clinic at the completion of your appointment via card or cash. If you have Private Health Insurance with extras cover, you will get a rebate for hydrotherapy as it is a form of physiotherapy. Rebates vary between health funds and depending on your level of cover. Your rebate will be processed at the time of payment, so you will only pay any gap remaining.

If you have ancillaries (extras) cover, you will get a rebate for hydrotherapy as it is a form of physiotherapy. Rebates vary between health funds and depending on your level of cover. Your rebate will be processed at the time of payment via our HICAPS terminal, so you will only pay any remaining gap.