Frequently Asked Questions
Most frequent questions and answers...
Is my shoulder problem suitable for online Shoulder Physio?
Yes, most musculoskeletal shoulder pain is non-traumatic and suitable for online Shoulder Physiotherapy consultations.
If however, we determine your shoulder pain, injury or situation is not suitable for online Shoulder Physio or you require referral to a specialist, we will let you know immediately, and refund the cost of the consultation.
Okay, I get it, but I'm still not sure?
No problem, we are here to help. If you are still not sure whether your shoulder problem is suitable then just send us an email, text or voice message letting us know about your biggest concern regarding your shoulder pain problem.
We’ll be back in touch within 24 hours to let you know.
Do I need a Referral to use your service?
No, you do not need a referral from your General Practitioner to have an online Shoulder Physio consult with us.
Except, if you’re a DVA White card recipient or wish to bulk bill part of your consultation cost under an Allied Health Medicare ‘Telehealth’ Chronic Disease Management plan, then Yes you will need a GP referral to use our service.
I'm an injured Worker can I use your service?
Absolutely! Telehealth Shoulder Physio video consultations services are covered under Workcover Qld table of costs.
All telehealth services require prior approval from Workcover Qld. So, please ask your claims manager to approve a telehealth video consultation for you. Once approved, just follow the Start Your Consultation link to begin.
Do Health Funds provide rebates for online Shoulder Physio?
Health funds will provide coverage for one-on-one telehealth consultations provided by APA physiotherapists from Tuesday 14 April 2020 subject to the conditions listed below:
- The patient is undergoing an existing course of treatment and the patient has seen the physiotherapist over the past six months, or
- For new patients, the telehealth online physiotherapy service is recommended by their general practitioner or relevant medical specialist, and
- The primary condition being treated is one of:
- Post orthopaedic surgery rehabilitation (e.g. rotator cuff repair, total shoulder replacement)
- Chronic musculoskeletal condition (e.g. rotator cuff related shoulder pain)
Does Medicare provide a bulk billed option?
COVID-19 bulk-billed telehealth services for allied health chronic disease management online consultations started 13th of March 2020 to help reduce the risk of community transmission of COVID-19 and protect patients and health care providers.
The new temporary MBS telehealth items are available to providers of bulk-billed telehealth services for a wide range of consultations.
All Medicare-eligible Australians can now receive these services through a GP referral.
The new temporary MBS telehealth items will require providers to bulk-bill, so there will be no additional charge to patients. Patients are required to consent to their service being bulk-billed.
Eligible patients should ask their service providers about their telehealth options, where clinically appropriate.
How is possible to diagnose my shoulder problem when you haven't even touched me?
Great question! All online Shoulder Physiotherapy appointments start with a ‘subjective assessment’, during which your physiotherapist will ask you a well-structured series of questions designed to discover what they need to know about your shoulder pain problem or injury (without touching you).
By the end of this subjective assessment, your Physio should now have a very clear understanding of your most likely diagnosis.
However, it is usual practice to then ask you more in-depth questions and to perform some specific shoulder movements and tests to confirm your most likely diagnosis.
This is the time for you to clarify your understanding and give your feedback about what is happening when you move and load your shoulder in specific ways. This helps clarify your most likely diagnosis.
How can you treat my shoulder pain problem without physically touching me?
Contrary to popular belief, most everyday shoulder pain problems do not have a specific structural cause or diagnosis.
Likewise, most people’s traditional view of Physiotherapy is that it involves purely “hands-on” treatment.
In reality, in my practice, the best patient outcomes result from No B.S. advice, relevant education about your condition, identifying contributing factors from your lifestyle and integrating an effective, tailored exercise/activity program to build your confidence and your shoulder strong.
Over the last decade, my shoulder physio practice has moved away from a reliance on complex machines and manual therapy techniques because of very little evidence for their effectiveness. My approach has moved towards empowering shoulder pain patients to self manage their condition using evidence-based, No B.S. pragmatic advice, education, and movement strategies.
Most physiotherapists give out exercises or activities to complete at home. How will I know if I am doing them right?
The wonders of modern technology open up an entire world of possibility. With your consultation, you receive unlimited follow-up consultations for 30 days*. Longer if you stick around and enjoy the benefits of my Shoulder Rehab Secrets online community.
Inside your online patient portal, you will have access to an online exercise library and have the ability to upload or attach a photo or video of yourself doing the exercises.
You could even organise for us to check them via your webcam in real-time!
What if I need 'hands-on' physio or my injury requires a specialist opinion... Will you be able to tell me this?
Absolutely. While there are many shoulder conditions and post-op shoulder rehabilitation programs that can be managed online.
Some conditions require ‘hands-on’ specific shoulder physio assessment and treatment.
Our physiotherapists have worked in both public and private practice for many years… (Luke is coming up to his 16th year as The Shoulder Guy), so they are skilled at getting to the root cause of your shoulder pain problem and identify when a shoulder condition requires face to face specialist opinion and investigation.
What technology do I need for my online video consultation?
We tailor your consultation to the equipment and bandwidth that you have available.
Ideally, a desktop computer, mobile telephone or tablet which has an inbuilt microphone and the forward-facing camera is the best setup.
If there are any difficulties with technology or internet access, we will work with you to resolve them.
Maybe your shoulder physiotherapy consultation happens over the good old telephone…
We are here to help and solution-focused.
If you can view this page, you can successfully carry out an online shoulder physio consultation. If you have any questions at all regarding this, contact us.
How will you safeguard my privacy?
We take your privacy seriously.
We conduct all online shoulder physio consultations via a secured telehealth cloud-based server e.g. Coviu and Cliniko and a secured internet connection.
Our Privacy Policy describes what we do, and what we don’t do, with the personal information that we collect using this service.
We may update our privacy policy from time to time by posting a new version on this website. So please check this web page periodically to ensure you are familiar with any changes.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us by filling out the Contact us form on our website.