Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question? We are here for you.

About the clinic

  • Most physio clinics treat the presenting complaint and discharge the patient when the pain settles. Above Physio and Acupuncture is built on a different model. We follow a three-phase approach: get you out of pain, keep you out of pain, and reverse the movement patterns and system imbalances that caused it in the first place. Most clinics only do phase one.

    We are also the only clinic on the south side of Brisbane that integrates full-spectrum Chinese Medicine acupuncture, practised by a qualified Doctor of Chinese Medicine with and physiotherapy. These are not services sitting side by side. They are practitioners actively working together on the same patient toward the same outcome.

  • We accept private health insurance, onsite hicaps claiming, WorkCover Queensland, NDIS, GP chronic condition management plan, Injurynet, DVA (Department of Veterans Affairs), CTP (Compulsory Third Party post car accident), and private payments. If you are unsure whether your situation is covered, call us and we will help you work it out.

  • This is one of the questions we love getting, because the answer tells you something about how we work. The no-shoes policy is clinical, not cultural. Before you have even reached the treatment room, your practitioner has already observed how you walked from the car, whether you limped, how you bent down to remove your shoes, whether you could balance on one leg to do so. The assessment begins at the door. We are already looking after you.


About Physiotherapy

  • Your initial appointment is a thorough assessment of your condition, your movement patterns, and the history that produced both. Your physiotherapist will not just name what is on your scan. They will explain what your body has been doing for years that led to that scan, and give you an honest picture of what it will take to change it. You will leave with a treatment plan, not just a booking for next week.

    Allow 30 minutes for your initial physiotherapy appointment.

  • No. You can book directly. If you have a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (EPC), WorkCover claim, Car accident claim number with your doctor's medical certificate or other funding, bring that documentation to your first appointment.

  • Yes. We treat whiplash and other car accident injuries under CTP, and work injuries under WorkCover Queensland. Bring your claim number and your doctor's medical certificate to your first appointment. Not sure what's covered? Call us on 0479 168 936 and we'll help you work it out.

  • Yes. Tanya and Lisa run post-surgical rehab, and we can start before your surgery to build strength for recovery. If you'd like acupuncture as well, Lily uses the Balance Method, so no needles go near the surgical site. Tell us your surgery date and your surgeon's instructions when you book.

About Chinese Medicine acupuncture

  • No. Dry needling is a technique that uses needles to target trigger points in muscles. Chinese Medicine acupuncture is a complete clinical system based on thousands of years of practice. Lily is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, not a physio who completed a dry needling course. The distinction matters clinically and in terms of what is possible for your health.

    We are also the only clinic on the south side of Brisbane that integrates full-spectrum Chinese Medicine acupuncture, practised by a qualified Doctor of Chinese Medicine, with physiotherapy and exercise physiology. These are not services sitting side by side. They are practitioners actively working together on the same patient toward the same outcome.

  • The Balance Method is a style of acupuncture developed by Dr Richard Tan that treats pain by needling points away from the site of pain. This means needles never go anywhere near the injured or surgical area. Lily often uses it for acute pain, chronic pain, and pre and post surgical patients who have been advised to avoid needles near the site of surgery.

  • Yes. With the Balance Method, needles never go near the surgical site. This is one of the reasons Lily's approach is particularly well-suited to post-surgical patients. Please let us know about your surgery when you book and we will make sure your treatment is planned appropriately.


  • Acupuncture needles are much finer than any injection needle. Most patients feel a mild sensation, sometimes described as a dull ache or warmth, at the point of insertion. Many patients find the experience deeply relaxing. The extended acupuncture sessions at Above Physio and Acupuncture give you time to rest with the needles in place, and many patients find this to be one of the few opportunities in their week to genuinely switch off.

  • Zhu scalp acupuncture works directly on brain activity via points on the scalp, and Lily uses it for stress, nervous system dysregulation, emotional overwhelm, and chronic pain with a neurological component.

  • Yes. Chinese Medicine acupuncture is claimable on most private health insurance policies. The level of cover depends on your individual policy. You can claim on the spot at your appointment.

  • We treat them as part of your pain. Many patients come in for a sore neck or back and mention they're stressed and sleeping badly. Lily looks at stress, sleep and digestion alongside the sore muscle or joint, and acupuncture, including scalp acupuncture, can be part of the plan.

General

  • This depends on your condition, how long it has been present, and your commitment to the process between sessions. Your practitioner will give you an honest treatment timeline at your first appointment. We do not keep patients coming indefinitely. We do give you an honest picture of what it will take to get the result you are looking for.

  • Yes. We see patients from their early twenties through to their nineties. Our oldest current patient is in their nineties and still working on their strength and mobility. Our youngest patients are adults in their thirties who have decided not to wait until something goes wrong. Both are exactly who we are here for.

  • Call us. Our team will ask you a few questions and point you in the right direction. Often the best starting point is a conversation, not a booking.


  • Yes. Tanya Cheng is a senior physiotherapist who speaks Mandarin. She treats post-operative rehab, whiplash and car accident injuries, and long-term conditions. Mention Mandarin when you book and we'll book you in with Tanya.

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