A lot of people put off seeing a physio because they don’t know what’s going to happen. The uncertainty is the barrier — not the pain, not the cost, not the time. They just don’t want to show up and be caught off guard.
So here’s exactly what happens. No surprises.
Before you arrive
You don’t need a GP referral to see a physio in Australia. You can book directly. Private health insurance with extras cover will usually give you a rebate on the spot via HICAPS — you just pay the gap. More on how private health rebates work →
Wear or bring clothing you can move in. For a back or hip issue, shorts or loose pants. For a shoulder, a singlet or loose shirt you can lift your arm in. Nothing special — just something that lets me actually see and access the area.
If you’ve had imaging done (X-ray, MRI, ultrasound), bring the report or have it on your phone. If not, don’t worry — a good assessment doesn’t depend on a scan.
The assessment — first 15 to 20 minutes
The appointment starts with a conversation. I’ll ask you to describe what’s happening in your own words:
- Where is the pain, and does it move anywhere?
- When did it start, and what were you doing?
- What makes it worse? What eases it?
- What does your day look like — job, training, how much you’re on your feet?
- Have you had this before, or anything similar?
- What have you already tried?
That last question matters. If you’ve already done six weeks of core exercises and they haven’t helped, I’m not going to give you more core exercises and call it done.
After the conversation comes the physical assessment. This involves movement testing — I’ll ask you to bend, rotate, or load the area while I watch how it moves and where it catches. Then hands-on testing: I’ll feel through the tissue, test joint mobility, and find what’s actually restricted or irritated versus what’s just sore because it’s working too hard.
By the end of the assessment, I should be able to tell you clearly:
- What structure is the likely source of the pain
- What’s driving it (not just where it is)
- What treatment looks like
- A realistic timeline
If I can’t tell you those things after a first session, something is off.
The treatment — remaining 30 to 35 minutes
This is where the session earns its keep. A first appointment isn’t just a talk-and-plan session — it’s a treatment session. You should leave feeling like something actually happened.
Depending on what the assessment finds, treatment might include:
- Joint mobilisation — sustained pressure or oscillation through a stiff joint to restore how it moves. Common for spinal segments, shoulders, hips, ankles.
- Soft tissue release — hands-on work through tight muscle and fascia. Not a relaxation massage — targeted pressure on specific structures that are restricting movement or generating pain.
- Dry needling— fine filament needles into trigger points. Effective for releasing deep tension that’s hard to reach with hands alone. I’ll always explain this before using it and get your go-ahead. More on dry needling →
- Taping or strapping — for certain acute injuries or joint support post-treatment.
At the end, I’ll give you a small number of specific things to do between sessions. Not a five-exercise program. One or two targeted movements that directly address what we found. The appointment does the work; the homework maintains it between visits.
What you’ll be told at the end
Before you leave, you should know:
- What I found and what I treated
- What to expect in the next 24 to 48 hours (some soreness after treatment is normal)
- How many sessions are likely needed
- What to do and what to avoid until next time
If a physio can’t give you a rough session count or an honest timeline after a first assessment, ask them directly. “I don’t know yet” is sometimes a legitimate answer for complex presentations — but “come back and we’ll see” for every session isn’t acceptable.
What a mediocre first appointment looks like — so you can tell the difference
Not all first appointments are the same. A mediocre one looks like this:
- Five minutes of questions, then straight to a printed exercise sheet
- No hands on the area at all, or only briefly
- Vague explanation: “You’ve got some tightness in there”
- No clear timeline or plan
- Booked back weekly with no stated goal
If that’s been your experience with physio before, it’s worth knowing that it doesn’t have to be. The exercises-only model is common because it scales — it’s efficient for the clinic. It’s not always what’s best for the patient. More on what hands-on treatment actually involves →
A note on weekend appointments
I work Saturdays 9am–6pm and Sundays 9am–12pm specifically because most people can’t take time off mid-week. You don’t need a medical certificate, a day of leave, or a sympathetic employer. You come in on a weekend, get treated, and go back to work Monday.
No GP referral needed. Book directly online.