Frequently asked questions

Who are the practitioners?

Dr Cameron Kealy and Dr Georgina Lewis are the osteopaths working at Recharge Osteopathic Clinic. They have 5-year, double university degrees in Osteopathy, are registered practitioners with the Victorian Osteopaths Registration board and are members of the Australian Osteopathic Association.

[To see their individual profiles click here]

How many treatments will I need?

The aim of your treatment is to get you feeling better as quickly as possible.

Because most problems in your body build up over a period of time, it usually takes a few treatments to ‘train’ the body to loosen up and be pain-free again.

Generally speaking, the longer you have had the injury or the more severe it is, the longer it will take to get better.

As a rough indication, if your problem is recent and not too severe often feel better within 1 to 4 treatments. For patients with problems that are more severe or long-term, the time for recovery can vary. In some cases you also can feel better in 1 or 2 treatments, but in other cases patients may require weekly or fortnightly treatment for a few months.

How effective is osteopathic treatment?

Osteopathic treatment is extremely effective, and it sometimes gets improvements where other therapies have not. We estimate that over 90% of our patients get some degree of improvement.

Do I need a referral from a GP?

No. Osteopaths are trained to be able to diagnose muscular and joint conditions, as well as serious conditions that may require referral to a GP or another practitioner. You do not need to see a GP first.

Is Osteopathic treatment covered by my Private Health insurance?

Yes. Most health fund “extras” or “ancillary” cover will cover Osteopathic treatment. If you are covered for dentistry, optometry, physio etc, you will most likely also be covered for osteopathy.

The rebate you get back varies extensively from provider to provider, and you should contact your health fund if you want to know how much you will get back.

Recharge also has the HICAPS system that allows you to claim your rebate on the spot so that you only have to pay the gap. This also means that you don’t have to worry about sending receipts to your health fund.

Is Osteopathic Treatment safe?

Osteopathic treatment is an extremely safe form of therapy. Our insurance premiums for example are under $1000 p.a., while specialist surgeons are over $100,000 p.a..

Like anything, there are some very slight risks with treatment (such as being sore afterwards), and your practitioner will explain these to you before treatment begins.

What about my current gym or exercise program?

Osteopathic treatment works extremely well in conjunction with exercise programs. If there is a problem with this, your practitioner will tell you, or you can ask them during your appointment.

Is Osteopathic Treatment covered by Medicare?

Generally speaking, no. However if you have a chronic condition, the Federal Government does have an Allied Healthcare scheme that allows people to claim 5 treatments per year. This needs to be organized through your GP.

Is Osteopathy safe for older patients?

Yes. Osteopathy is very safe and effective for treating older patients. This usually requires using more gentle techniques, and all treatment is modified to suit the individual.

Can children be treated by an osteopath?

Definitely. Children respond very well and often very quickly to osteopathic treatment. Conditions in children that osteopaths usually treat include:

• Sore backs and necks
• HeadachesSore knees
• Young babies who:
  • are irriatable,
  • won’t sleep,
  • are colicky,
  • are having trouble turning their head to one side
  • prefer to breast feed on one side or
  • have had traumatic births.

These babies often have untreated neck strains that are making them uncomfortable and irritating them. The bones that make up the skull are very soft in babies too and these can also get strained.