A great physiotherapy outcome usually isn’t about the cleverest treatment — it’s about a clear plan, a confident first session, and a few habits between visits that keep the momentum going. This page walks you through exactly what to expect when you book with Daisy Hill Physio, and a few practical tips that consistently help our patients recover faster.

Watch: a quick visual tour of the patient journey

Before your first visit

Booking is the easy bit. Call (07) 3209 2000, email info@daisyhillphysio.com.au, or use the Book Online button. We’ll ask you a few short questions to match you with the right physiotherapist for what you’re presenting with — the team has different sub-specialties (vestibular, pelvic health, sports, paediatric, occupational, hydrotherapy) and getting paired correctly the first time saves you sessions later.

A few things to bring or have ready:

• Any imaging reports (X-ray, MRI, ultrasound) — you don’t need the scan itself, just the radiologist’s report
• A GP referral if you’re attending under DVA, Medicare CDM (Chronic Disease Management) plan, or a specific NDIS funding stream
• Your private health insurance card if you’d like to use HICAPS on-the-spot claiming
• Comfortable clothing you can move in — for lower-limb assessments, shorts; for upper-back or shoulder, a singlet or t-shirt is helpful
• A list of current medications, especially if you’re managing chronic pain or have had recent surgery

If anything is missing on the day, don’t stress — we can usually still complete a thorough assessment.

What happens at your first appointment

Your first session typically runs 30–40 minutes and follows a predictable structure:

1. History. We’ll ask about your symptoms, when they started, what makes them better or worse, your work and activity demands, and what you want to be able to do that you currently can’t. The history alone usually gets us 70% of the way to a diagnosis.
2. Physical assessment. Movement testing, strength testing, neurological screening if relevant, and any specific orthopaedic or vestibular tests that the history pointed to.
3. Explanation. Before we treat you, we’ll tell you what we think is going on, in plain English, including anything that isn’t the problem (often as reassuring as knowing what is). If we think a referral elsewhere is appropriate — for imaging, GP, or specialist — we’ll say so.
4. Treatment. This might be hands-on (manual therapy, dry needling, manipulation), exercise prescription, or a combination. For acute presentations we usually aim to reduce pain and restore some movement in the first session.
5. Plan. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how many sessions we expect, what you can do at home between visits, and what milestones to look for.

Funding options we accept

• Private — pay on the day, claim your private health rebate via on-the-spot HICAPS for instant gap-only payment
• DVA — Gold and eligible White Card holders, no out-of-pocket
• NDIS — plan-managed and self-managed participants, Capacity Building / Improved Daily Living
• Medicare CDM — bulk-billed at the CDM rate when your GP issues a referral
• WorkCover Queensland — we’ll liaise with your case manager and rehab provider directly

Standard private fees are A$105–125 per consultation depending on the practitioner and session length. We’re transparent — if a longer session is needed, we’ll tell you before booking it.

Six tips that consistently get our patients better outcomes

1. Do the home exercises. This is the single biggest predictor of a good outcome. Three short sessions per day usually beats one long session. Set a phone reminder for the first two weeks; after that they become a habit.
2. Move within comfort, not within pain. Pain is a signal, not always a stop sign. We’ll teach you the difference between productive discomfort (working a stiff joint, fatigue from a strengthening exercise) and unproductive pain (sharp, lingering, getting worse) — and what to do when each shows up.
3. Sleep matters more than people think. Tissue healing, pain modulation, and motor learning all happen during deep sleep. Aim for 7–9 hours and a consistent bedtime — particularly in the first 4 weeks of any rehab program.
4. Don’t stop just because it feels better. The first 30% of pain relief usually comes in the first 1–2 sessions. The remaining 70% — and the strength changes that prevent recurrence — take 6–12 weeks of consistent work. Stop early and the problem usually returns.
5. Tell us if something isn’t working. If the home exercises aren’t fitting your routine, the equipment is wrong, or the pain is flaring after sessions — say so. There’s almost always an alternative we can prescribe. The plan should bend to your life, not the other way around.
6. Move every day. Movement is medication. A 20-minute walk most days does more for chronic pain, vestibular recovery, and general musculoskeletal health than any treatment we can deliver in the clinic. Build it in early.

After your first session

Some soreness in the 24–48 hours after manual therapy or new exercises is normal — particularly if you’ve been guarding the area for a while. Light movement, a warm shower, and the home program usually settle it. If you’re concerned, call us — we’d rather hear from you mid-week than have you arrive at the next appointment having stopped doing the program.

Most patients see meaningful improvement within 2–4 sessions for acute musculoskeletal presentations. Vestibular conditions like BPPV often resolve in 1–2 sessions. Pelvic health and post-surgical rehab usually run 6–12 weeks with a graded return-to-activity plan.

Ready to book?

Call (07) 3209 2000, email info@daisyhillphysio.com.au, or book online any time. We’re open Monday to Thursday 7:30 am – 6:00 pm and Friday 7:30 am – 4:30 pm.

If you’re not sure whether physiotherapy is the right fit for what you’re dealing with, call us anyway — we’d rather have a 5-minute conversation up front than book you for an appointment that wasn’t going to help.