Back pain is usually caused by a serious medical condition.

As mentioned above, back pain is rarely caused by a serious condition that will require medical intervention.

Scans are always needed to detect the cause of LBP.

Scans are only necessary in a small number of cases. In fact, scans will often pick-up things that are part of normal, age-related changes in the back that aren’t necessarily the cause of the pain.

Pain during exercise means that exercise is bad and causes more damage.

When back pain persists, that area of the spine can become more sensitive, but this does not indicate tissue damage/further injury. Regular exercise can settle this pain over time and is known to be one of the best ways to treat LBP.

Repetitive lifting and bending causes wear and tear of the structures in my back.

The back is a strong structure that is made to move and bend. Regular movement is good for the spine, as it is with other body parts. Pain related to lifting and bending are safe if they’re done gradually and regularly. Pain related to lifting is often more the result of a sudden increase in load that the body is not used to - e.g. moving house.

LBP is caused by poor posture when sitting, standing and/or lifting.

Research shows that LBP is not caused by poor posture or by a specific way we lift. When we are in pain, there may be certain postures that can exacerbate the sensitive areas but this is not a direct cause of the pain.

Referrals, Private Health Insurance and Discounts

Referrals:

A referral is not required to book an appointment with us.

However, if you do have a referral from another of your healthcare practitioners (for example: your GP, neurologist, or orthopaedic surgeon), this can be helpful to bring along.

Referrals can help to give our practitioners an idea of your history, injury or current presentation, allowing them to quickly decide on and plan appropriate treatment strategies for you.

If you have an EPC or ‘Care Plan’ referral from your GP, you will be eligible for a Medicare Rebate of $58.00 after each appointment on your referral.

If you are a full-time university student, a Concession, Pension or Health Care Card holder, you are eligible to be bulk-billed (no out of pocket cost) for the number of EPC appointments your Doctor has referred you for.

For full-time students with Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and EPC, we require that you pay $58.00 upfront for each of the appointments you’ve been referred. You will then be supplied with an invoice that you can use to claim this full amount ($58.00) back from your OSHC.

Private Health Insurance:

If you have Private Health Insurance (PHI) with Extras included on your policy, you may be able to claim a rebate from your insurer for appointments with us.

Please note that we supply HICAPS services at our clinic to allow our patients to use their PHI easily. We cannot guarantee that you will always be able to make a claim via HICAPS.

It is the responsibility of our patients to determine which services or disciplines they are covered for under their PHI policy.

Discounts:

Our clinic offers discounts from our consultation/service fees for patients who present with the following:

Valid student ID (Full time university student) – 15% off
Health Care Card – $10 off
Pension or Concession card (including disability concession card) – $10 off
Melbourne City Baths Gym/Active Melbourne Members – $10 off
RMIT, Melbourne University and City of Melbourne Staff – $10 off

If redeeming one of the above discounts, you must bring the relevant card to your appointment with you.

If your card is no longer valid (has passed expiry or been revoked), discount will not be applied.