1. Do I need a referral from a doctor to see a Physiotherapist, Dietitian, Podiatrist or Myotherapist?
A formal referral is not required for any of our OHL services. However, we do accept referrals from General Practitioners/ Specialists/ Surgeons for all our team, but they are not mandatory to gain access to our expert clinical team.
2. If I have a referral letter or medical imaging pictures and/or report, do I need to bring them to my appointment?
Yes, please bring along any information which is relevant to your presenting health issue. This can include your individual medical referral letter, current imaging reports, previous imaging reports, list of current medications and/or any other information you think our clinical team could benefit from seeing.
3. Do you have wheelchair or limited mobility access to the building?
Our building has a rear entry, off Dudley Way, which has a relatively flat mobility-impaired access, instead of the 8 stairs at the front of the building. This access way is 10m off a disability carpark and has a doorbell for you to sound and one of our team will come running to open the door for you. You are recommended to use this entry way if you are having issue walking, using crutches, wearing a moonboot/CAMwalker and/or use a wheelchair.
4. Can I use my private health insurance?
Yes we take all health insurance providers, however rebates depend upon your personal level of cover – for each individual service. Private health insurance is also available for group physiotherapy classes (nee Clinical pilates) after a 1:1 assessment has been done by one of our physiotherapists.
5. How can I join your Group Physiotherapy (nee Clinical pilates) classes? Do I need an assessment to join?
To join our Group Physiotherapy classes you must first book a 1:1 appointment/assessment with one of our physiotherapy team. They will go through your past medical history, any injuries you may have and perform a general strength and mobility assessment of your body to best create an individualised plan to reach your goals. Our Group Physiotherapy class timetable is available online for class times and further information.
6. What do I need to bring to Group Physiotherapy classes?
We ask that you please bring a towel, drink bottle and grip socks (pilates socks) to your group physiotherapy classes. If you require a pair of grip socks they are available for purchase at reception.
7. How long are your consultations?
8. Can I book online?
Yes you can! Online bookings are available for Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Myotherapy, Bowen Therapy, Dietetics and Group Physiotherapy classes. If you cannot find a time to suite your needs please contact our Admin team on 9431 5955 & they will do their best to find a solution for you. All online bookings online are available up to 1 hour prior to the appointment or class start time.
9. Do you take Workcover, TAC, DVA or NDIS patients?
Yes we welcome WorkCover, TAC, DVA and NDIS clients at the Optimal Health Lab for Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Dietetics and Myotherapy. Reach the specifics below about each of these third party situations.
- TAC claims: To get started you need a referral from your GP to the particular service, as well as your approved TAC claim number. If you do not have an approved claim number please be upfront with this information when booking in.
- WorkCover claims: Workplace injury claims also require a referral from your GP and a current certificate of capacity stating which service you require. Please bring all relevant documentation with you to your appointment.
- Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) referrals for allied health: All you need to do to commence with Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Dietetics and/or Myotherapy under DVA is get a referral from your GP.
- NDIS funding: The Optimal Health Lab team is not registered under NDIS, but we can accept self-managed cases and/or cases utilising a NDIS plan manager for Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Dietetics and Myotherapy. To formalise the process in ‘cases under a plan manager’ we ask for clients to sign a contract of care and we handle invoices to your funding manager. Self-managed cases are expected to pay at the conclusion of each visit.
10. Do you take Enhanced Primary Care (EPC), or Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan referrals?
Yes we welcome these plans at the Optimal Health Lab for physiotherapy, podiatry and dietetics. To process your EPC or CDM plan rebates we required the signed referral from the Doctor & your Medicare card details. Appointments under these plans are not bulked billed & do have an out of pocket expense. Please contact our helpful Admin team on 9431 5955 for any question specific to your scenario.
11. What do I wear to my appointments?
For physiotherapy, podiatry and myotherapy appointments we suggest you wear clothes that are loose-fitting/ easy to move in so the clinician to see the injured site or area to be treated. A singlet or shorts are best to ensure good visibility for clinicians.
12. What is your cancellation policy and is there a fee for cancellation?
Patients are asked to give at least 24 hours’ notice if cancelling an appointment. If a cancellation is same day or within the 24 hour period a cancellation fee of 50% of the consultation price will be charged at the time of cancellation. A full version of our cancellation policy is available on our Terms and Conditions.
13. Where do I park when I come to OHL?
There is ample parking available along Arthur Street, or in the car park on top of the Eltham mall (where the Eltham farmers market happens). Our front entrance is located off Arthur Street, where you walk up 8 stairs and follow signs around to a breezeway which leads to our OHL front doors. Alternative parking is available at the rear of the building. This parking is off 17 Dudley Street (and off Dudley Way) for people who require wheelchair/ flat access to our back door.
14. Do you offer pre and postnatal group physiotherapy and are children allowed in classes?
From day one the Optimal Health Lab team wanted to make sure our expert team is accessible to mums and care-givers of little ones, so yes we offer pre-natal and post-natal care at OHL in our Group Physiotherapy classes. However, we do not have designated pre/postnatal Group Physiotherapy classes. Rather our physiotherapy team are all able to tailor a session specific to your needs and leave you flexibility to pick from our entire timetable. We welcome your little ones to come along with you to your group class, we have found it best to bring an activity that can keep them busy allowing you to get the most out of your class time.
15. Do you treat children? From what age?
The simple answer is yes, our team happily treats children, but from what age is a trickier answer. Our physiotherapy team are confident in treating children from 5 years old for conditions and injuries such as Sever’s disease, Osgoods-Slatters disease, ankle sprains, neck pain, post-fracture management, back pain, pain science education and/or exercise education. Our Dietitian also treats children in areas of fussy eating, eating disorders, malnutrition, chronic constipation, and all sorts of educative means to help children find a positive relationship with food. Paediatric care is an area Podiatrist is passionate about. She can provide assessment, treatment and management (and education) regarding nail and skin care (including minor and major nail surgery), sporting injuries, provide orthotic options for children/ adolescents, perform a gait analysis and/or monitor foot health in diabetics.
16. Are you able to refer for imaging?
Our Physiotherapy and Podiatry team can refer for X-Ray, Ultrasound and MRI. The cost of imaging referred by allied health can be different depending on the imaging facility. Our team can help you understand all your options for imaging referral (allied health verse GP verse surgeon/specialist) specific to your individual situation within your consultations.
17. Are Physiotherapists or Podiatrists able to refer for surgeon/specialist appointments?
Our team works closely with many surgeons across many specialities, but we are unable to formally refer you to our surgeon/ specialist contacts without a GP referral. We are happy to communicate with your GP via a letter/ phone call to help facilitate these referrals.
20. What is dry needling?
Dry needling a treatment technique utilising fine needles to help reduce pain, stiffness, and tightness in the soft tissue of your body. Dry needling can be utilised in both acute and chronic injury cases and is an effective way of reducing pain and improving function in many people. It is different from acupuncture in terms of philosophy, as dry needling is built from western medicine beliefs and acupuncture is born from eastern medicine understanding. Our Physiotherapy team and Myotherapist are trained dry needling, but it is not used for treating every condition. We will educate you about the benefits (and low-level risks) of dry needling if we deem it is best care for you, but no dry needling is performed without your informed consent. If you want to specifically book in for dry needling please let our reception team know when booking your consultation.
21. What is Bowen therapy?
Bowen therapy is a relaxing treatment technique facilitated by our Myotherapist. Bowen Therapy aims to calm our central nervous system when we have an overactive sympathetic nervous system (otherwise known as our ‘fight or flight’ state of being). This treatment takes 1 hour and aims to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (our ‘rest and digest’ state). Ultimately it helps to reset, relax, and recover the soft tissue muscles and provides pain relief for many chronic and acute conditions. To book an assessment or 1hour Bowen Therapy consultation with our Myotherapist Mike please call 9431 5955 and our lovely reception staff would love to help.