Find Your Chiropractor at equilibrium

You do not need a referral from your GP before seeing us.

Chiropractors are educated as primary care health practitioners (like medical doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths and podiatrists etc.) allowing us to be your primary contact for health-related conditions.

Obviously, there are health related matters that are outside the scope of Chiropractic, which is why Chiropractors are trained to identify these conditions and refer out appropriately when required.

If you have active private health insurance policy that includes extras, then you will most likely have cover for Chiropractic.

Please check with your insurer first.

Remember, there will always be a gap as they generally don’t cover the full fee, and there will be a limit to how much they will pay on an annual basis.

You can claim up to five treatments per year on Medicare if you have an Allied Health Plan (AHP).

This must be organised with your GP and pre-approved by us before you can commence using it.

There are certain requirements (i.e. age and/or a diagnosed chronic health condition) that you need to pass before you can qualify for an AHP.

If you think you qualify, then investigate this option with your GP.

Chiropractic is a 5-year university degree, usually a double degree or post-graduate masters.

Universities that offer Chiropractic are RMIT in Victoria, Macquarie University in NSW, Murdoch University in Western Australia and the Australian Chiropractic College in South Australia.

Like most university courses, prospective students will need to have completed secondary education to a satisfactory level as indicated by the university’s entrance scores.

An interview is usually also part of the entry process.

With respect to your clinical presentation, at equilibrium your treatment plan will also be reflective of your goals and what you want to achieve.

The answer depends on your presenting condition and YOUR goal of care.
It is difficult to answer this question in just a few sentences, so bear with us! Below are two examples relating to low back pain.

Example 1. A person has acute low back pain after bending over and twisting. It is likely that the pain will resolve within 7 days, in an uncomplicated case. Studies demonstrate that approximately 70% of these cases often heal themselves, without treatment and with no further complications. However, the remaining 30% go on to develop chronic low back pain, and this is a concern. How do you know which group you’re in? There is no test to determine this, so often it’s established with time. Chiropractors work with both groups.

Studies show that regular chiropractic care for up to one year (this was the length of the study) significantly reduced the risk of developing chronic low back pain. Physiotherapy also scored well and to a lesser degree ‘general exercise’ was also shown to help.

Some people choose regular Chiropractic care pro-actively, and others stop care as soon as the pain has ceased. This choice will depend on your goal of care. At equilibrium we have always promoted a pro-active approach for long-term health but we also offer short-term pain relief.

Example 2. A person has low back pain emanating from a degenerative condition, otherwise known as ‘age-related wear and tear.’ The chronic condition is advanced and will not reverse. The person reports benefits from their Chiropractic care, but understands that it will not be lasting due to the condition being irreversible and re-aggravated by normal daily activity.

Returning to the question, how long do I need to keep coming? Our answer: for as long as you perceive the benefit is worth the time and finances you spend. Ultimately, that can only be answered by the person receiving the care.