If you are one of the many Australians who suffer with pain, aching or stiffness in the neck, you’ll be pleased to know that our proven physiotherapy approach may offer the solution you’ve been searching for.
Neck pain is very common, with about one in 10 people experiencing a constant aching in their neck. This comes as no surprise when we consider the day-to-day activities of modern life – being hunched over a computer for hours at a time, watching TV for prolonged periods and an increasing incidence of poor posture (particularly forward head posture), especially when using our phones.
Problems within the neck can also cause headaches, shoulder pain, TMJ or jaw pain, pins and needles in the hands, carpal tunnel syndrome and upper back pain to name a few.
If you regularly experience any of the following symptoms, we encourage you to contact a2z Health Group to arrange a thorough assessment from one of our qualified and experienced physiotherapists:
By far the most common cause of neck pain relates to the effects of poor posture. In order to understand the impact of poor posture, we must first consider why spinal alignment within the neck is so important.
Your head weighs about 5kg, and in normal alignment it is very carefully balanced on top of your seven neck bones (vertebrae). Your muscles work very hard to maintain this position, and they can easily withstand short periods of variation. However, the problem arises when we assume awkward positions for prolonged periods. The fine balance is disturbed and the nerves, muscles, joints, ligaments and discs of your neck become strained and irritated.
In fact, the tension in your neck and shoulder muscles doubles for every 2-3cm’s that your head is forward! Over time, the neck strain and pressure accumulates to a point where it becomes chronic and even the smallest changes in posture have a significant effect. Coupled with the stresses and demands of modern life, it is no surprise why neck pain has become so common. Other common causes of neck pain include whiplash, arthritis and sporting injuries. Physiotherapy can be a very effective treatment for your neck pain.
After conducting a complete history, orthopaedic and neurological examination, your trained physiotherapist will recommend a tailored course of treatment that aims to reduce pressure, restore movement and prevent recurrence.
At a2z Health Group, our physiotherapists first assess patients with a meticulous examination of probable neck pain triggers. We also take a detailed orthopaedic and neurological history to better understand possible causes for your issues. If our physiotherapists believe it’s necessary, we might also request from your doctor to refer for further investigations, if necessary, such as an x-ray or MRI scan.
Physiotherapy can be a very effective treatment for your neck pain. After conducting a complete history, orthopaedic and neurological examination, your trained physiotherapist will recommend a tailored course of treatment that aims to reduce pressure, restore movement and prevent recurrence.
At a2z Health Group, our friendly team is extensively trained in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, clinical Pilates, massage, bracing and more. We will personalise your treatment to cater for your specific condition. To arrange an initial assessment and consultation, don’t hesitate to book online now.
A Physiotherapy session involves our Physiotherapist taking you through a thorough professional physical assessment followed by a diagnosis of your specific problem. Physiotherapists help you understand what causes the problems and related injuries as part of our educational approach to integrating the treatment with your lifestyle. This is then followed by a variety of treatment techniques and exercises to assist your return to mobility and full function.
The average physiotherapy session varies from 20 – 30 minutes, with most patients receiving a structured series of exercise and stretches to do at home to complement their treatment in our physiotherapy clinic. All our treatments are one-on-one in private treatment rooms – we never see more than one patient at a time. You do not need a Doctor’s referral to see our Physiotherapists and health funds will pay a rebate for part of the cost of your physio consultation.
Our Physiotherapists use the latest hands-on techniques such as joint mobilisation, manipulation, stretching, taping, soft tissue techniques and dry needling to assist in pain management and injury recovery. We also focus on personalised exercise programs involving biomechanical analysis, specific muscle activation, strengthening and conditioning exercises, balance and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, postural correction, and core stability training to assist in the restoration of the physical function, injury rehabilitation and performance of the body.
Physiotherapists are experts in the prevention of all kinds of injury, particularly sports injuries. We work with health club practitioners and provide advice or complement training techniques in preventing injury. Our physiotherapists will discuss any important lifestyle factors such as training programs, sporting goals, workstation setups and postural correction to help prevent problems from recurring or better still, from happening in the first place. In many cases there is more than one cause of your pain, especially if it is a chronic or recurring problem.
Whether you have injured yourself while working out in the health club, doing normal activities at home, at work or on the sporting field, our Physiotherapists will help you recover in a speedy, complicated-free treatment to get you back to your normal activities. Physiotherapists focus on the assessment, maintenance and restoration of the physical function and performance of the body and minimise your chance of re-injury. Getting you back to your fitness regime quickly is what Physiotherapists aim for.
At your initial visit your physiotherapist will perform a thorough physical assessment enabling them to diagnose your condition. Once your condition has been diagnosed your physiotherapist will then explain it to you and specific treatment will be recommended and commenced to help solve your problem. This process is likely to take around 40 minutes.
A Doctor’s referral is welcome but not necessary if you are attending one of our clinics as a private patient. You do however require a referral from your Doctor if your problem is related to a motor vehicle accident, or if you are a Veterans’ Affairs patient.
You do not need a Doctor’s referral if your problem is related to a workplace injury. However, your first medical certificate will need to come from your Doctor.
If you are in a Private health Insurance Fund and are covered for Ancillary Cover or “extras’’ then you will be eligible to receive a rebate. Currently there is only limited funding for treatment of chronic conditions via Medicare.
At our clinics we use an electronic payments and claiming system called HICAP’s. This system allows you to automatically claim your rebate from your Health Fund immediately following your treatment. All you need is to present your Health Fund Card to one of our receptionists who instantly process your claim. Once this is completed all you are required to do is pay the ‘gap amount’ (the difference between the treatment fee and the rebate you received from the Health Fund). This can be paid with cash, cheque, credit card or EFTPOS.
There are some provisions for limited physiotherapy costs to be covered under Medicare. To qualify for this you must be suffering from a condition that has been present, or is likely to be present for at least 6 months and your GP must be currently using a personally managed EPC (Enhanced Primary Care) multidisciplinary plan. If you meet these two criteria then this may enable you to receive up to 5 Medicare funded treatments per year. To find out all necessary details ask your GP or contact us for more information.
1/82 Stud Road
Dandenong VIC 3175
128 Chandler Rd, Noble Park VIC 3174, Australia
