Physiotherapy FAQs

A physiotherapist assesses, diagnoses and treats problems with movement, muscles, joints and the nervous system, then builds a structured plan to fix the actual cause, not just settle the symptom in front of them. At Well Motion, that covers sports injuries, post-surgical rehabilitation, chronic pain, NDIS support, and balance and falls prevention for older patients.

A physiotherapist can also advise on exercise, posture and movement patterns to stop an injury recurring once it's healed, refer you on to a GP or specialist when something falls outside physiotherapy's scope, and work directly with WorkCover, NDIS, DVA and private health insurers on your behalf.

That's different to a chiropractor, who is trained specifically in spinal manipulation. Physiotherapy covers a broader base of movement, muscle and joint conditions across the whole body.

If you're not sure whether physiotherapy is the right starting point for what you're dealing with, our Injury Finder is a faster way to check than searching symptom by symptom, or book an initial consultation and we'll tell you honestly if it's the right fit.

No, you can book with us directly. Physiotherapists are primary allied health professionals, so there's no GP paperwork needed to get started as a private patient. A referral only matters if you're claiming through workers compensation, CTP, DVA or Medicare. Each of those pathways needs one before we can treat you under it.

We'll email you a patient registration form ahead of time; completing it online saves you doing it in the waiting room. Bring your doctor's referral if you have one, any relevant scans (X-ray, CT, MRI or ultrasound), and, if you're claiming through workers compensation or CTP, your claim number and insurer details.

Something we can see the area move in. Shorts or similar for a knee, hip or ankle problem; a singlet or similar for a shoulder or neck problem. If your work boots or sports shoes might be part of the problem, bring them. Towels are provided for draping, so you'll be covered throughout.

Ten minutes early. That's enough to finish your forms and get your referral, scans and history entered, so your appointment goes on treatment rather than admin.

Patients under 18 need a parent or guardian with them. Informed consent has to come from both the young person and their parent or guardian. That's a medicolegal, privacy and confidentiality requirement, not a preference of ours.

An initial physiotherapy consultation runs 40 minutes at our Engadine clinic and 30 minutes at our Mount Annan, Narellan and Appin clinics. A standard follow-up runs 30 minutes at every clinic, though that varies with how complex your condition is. We've set out what happens in that time, step by step, on our About page.

Yes. Our mobile physiotherapy service brings the assessment and treatment to you, and a mobile visit runs 40 minutes. The fee depends on where you are and on whether the visit falls in business hours, on a weekend or on a public holiday, so we'll confirm it when you book. You can check whether we visit your suburb on our Service Areas page. If a visit in person isn't practical at all, telehealth physiotherapy is the other option.

It's the assessment and treatment of a new condition or complaint. Continuing treatment of the same condition is a standard consultation. If more than about three months have passed since we last saw you, we'll usually book a new initial consultation to reassess properly, unless you've agreed otherwise with your physiotherapist.

Initial and standard consultations are scoped to one complaint. If you're dealing with more than one, tell us when you book, call (02) 8111 5633, and we'll schedule an extended consultation so nothing gets rushed. Extended consultations attract an additional fee, which we'll tell you about upfront.

We hold Monday morning slots specifically for injuries picked up over the weekend, so there's somewhere to go on the Monday rather than waiting days. If the injury looks serious, call us: we assess it, check for signs of a fracture or dislocation, refer you for an X-ray, and apply a fibreglass cast if you need one. Go to an emergency department if the bone has broken the skin, the limb is out of shape, the hand or foot is cold or numb, or a joint is visibly out of place. After a serious accident, call 000.

It varies by clinic and by what your appointment involves: an initial consultation is usually priced differently to a follow-up session. The clearest way to know what your visit will cost is to check when you book, since we'd rather be upfront about it than have you guessing.

That depends on your policy and level of cover, and your insurer is the only one who can tell you the exact figure (worth a quick call before your appointment). What we can do is take the paperwork off you: we process the claim with on-the-spot HICAPS claiming, so you only pay the difference.

Only in specific circumstances. You'll need a referral and a GP chronic condition management plan (GPCCMP) from your GP or a prescribed medical practitioner ¹, and Medicare's rebate won't cover the full session cost even then. Private health insurance may cover physiotherapy separately, depending on your policy. There's a fuller breakdown on our Physiotherapy page.

"Free" isn't quite accurate. If your GP assesses you as eligible and puts a GP chronic condition management plan in place, that can give you up to 5 Medicare-subsidised allied health services per calendar year (10 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients), all of which can go towards physiotherapy ¹. There's still usually a gap fee, since the rebate doesn't cover the full session cost. An older GP Management Plan or Team Care Arrangement from before 1 July 2025 still works until 30 June 2027 ¹.

HICAPS for on-the-spot private health fund claiming, plus cash, EFTPOS, VISA and MasterCard.

Yes, a non-attendance fee applies to appointments missed, or cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled time. We'd much rather move your appointment than charge you for it, so if something comes up, let us know as early as you can.

Yes. Well Motion is a registered NDIS provider, and we work with plan-managed, self-managed and NDIA-managed participants. If you're not sure which applies to you, contact us and we'll work it out with you.

We do, and we manage the WorkCover and CTP claim paperwork directly. Both pathways need a referral before treatment starts, so bring that along with your claim number and insurer details to your first appointment.