The clinic is affiliated with Nillumbik Osteopathic Health Centre in Eltham, offering an alternative location and opening hours for your convenience.
The costs are the same for adults and children, as the time to complete a thorough and comprehensive history, examination and treatment is the same for all patients, irrespective of their age.
Payment is required at the time of appointment.
Payment can be made by cash, cheque, EFTPOS, Visa or MasterCard.
Only if they are a Health Care Card holder.
All private health funds recognise osteopathy and will reimburse all or part of the cost involved if it is part of your specific cover. Check with your fund to confirm your level of cover before you start your treatment.
Osteopathic treatment is not covered by Medicare unless you are eligible for the Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDMP) as determined by your GP.
Our clinic has HICAPS facilities, enabling you to claim directly at the time of your appointment – paying only the gap fee.
The gap payment will differ depending on your particular health fund and the type and level of cover you hold.
You are required to bring your referral and relevant care plan completed by your GP to your initial appointment. You will be required to pay the consultation fee in full at the time of the appointment, however we can process your rebate using your Medicare card so that the rebate can be paid directly into your account. There will be an out-of-pocket expense.
We do treat patients who have had a transport accident. You will need to provide us with your TAC number and the accident date. The osteopathic consultation must be paid in full at the time of the appointment. The Clinic will then provide you with a receipt with relevant item codes enabling you to claim directly with TAC. There will be out-of-pocket expenses.
We do treat patients who suffer from work-related injuries. The patient needs to pay the account in full at the time of consultation then claim directly from either their employer or insurer. There will be out of pocket expenses incurred.
Yes, the patient needs to bring in a referral from their GP. Payment is not required at the time of consultation, as we send accounts directly to Veteran Affairs for processing.
No referral is necessary for private patients or those who’ve suffered work or transport-related injuries. If you’re covered by Veteran Affairs or are eligible for the Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDMP) under Medicare then you’re required to supply an appropriate referral from your GP.
The initial consultation will take approximately an hour in order to complete a thorough history, examination and treatment. It is important that our osteopaths gain a good understanding of the patient’s current complaint and any relevant history in order to provide an appropriate treatment. Any subsequent treatment needed will require a 30minute appointment.
You will need to complete a short form on arrival at the Clinic – providing basic patient details. Your osteopath will then complete a thorough case history on both your presenting complaint and any previous medical history. A specific osteopathic examination is then performed including any diagnostic procedures that may be required to form a diagnosis. Your osteopath will explain their diagnosis, discuss the proposed treatment and gain informed consent to continue. A specific osteopathic treatment to address your concern will be provided, as well as advice on home management, including specific exercises and any work or sport restrictions if necessary.
It’s best to wear loose, comfortable clothing to your appointment, as you’ll be required to perform various movements as part of the examination and subsequent treatment. In order to perform an appropriate examination and treatment your osteopath needs to observe the area of concern, so you may need to remove some clothing to make the specific area accessible. Gowns are available if preferred.
Parents are welcome to bring their children with them to the appointment. The clinic has books and a variety of toys in both the reception area and treatment rooms. However child minding or babysitting is not available and children will need to be with you in the consult room.
It is important that an appropriate history and thorough examination is performed before every treatment, so each patient does require their own appointment.
Osteopathic treatment is a type of manual therapy suitable for children of all ages. A thorough history and appropriate examination is completed in order to provide a specific treatment for the younger patient.
Osteopathy is suitable for children of all ages, but like all forms of healthcare, some patients may experience adverse reactions or outcomes.
This is a subtle type of osteopathic treatment approach that encourages the release of stresses and tensions throughout the whole body, including the head. Tensions that remain in the body may restrict its free movement. Over time the body may find it more and more difficult to cope with accumulated stresses.
The hands-on treatment approach encourages changes to the involved tissues and may enable an increase in drainage and blood flow to the involved areas. It may assist the body’s self-healing homeostatic mechanisms, which may guide the body towards a healthy state. Cranial treatments may be used in a wide range of conditions for people of all ages, from birth to old age.
These techniques are used by osteopaths either exclusively or in conjunction with other techniques such as stretching and articulation, as well as general health advice and management.
Yes, we have experienced osteopaths in the clinic who have a clinical focus on and post-graduate training in Osteopathy in the Cranial Field. This type of treatment is suitable for newborn babies through to the elderly. If you specifically require or would like cranial treatment, please inform the receptionist at the time of booking to ensure you are placed with the correct osteopath.
With all treatments, there is an extensive case history taken, thorough examination and any medical and diagnostic tests performed, however structural and cranial treatment approaches will be different.
A structural treatment has techniques that are more direct such as articulation, manipulation and soft tissue massage.
A cranial treatment uses subtle movements to encourage an alteration in the tissue tensions either at the head or throughout the body. These techniques are commonly referred to as indirect techniques.
A treatment may involve either structural or cranial techniques or a combination of both depending on the patient’s presenting condition, previous responses to treatment and preference.
The osteopathic treatment itself is not painful. People often find it relaxing, however sometimes we may be working in areas that are already painful due to the presenting injury or condition. After a treatment, you may experience some discomfort for a day or two – similar to what you would experience with unaccustomed exercise.
Whilst we make every effort for treatment to be gentle, like with all forms of healthcare, some patients may experience adverse reactions or outcomes.