School of Chiropractic and Sports Science

Telephone: 08 9360 1202
Facsimile: 08 9360 1203

MURDOCH UNIVERSITY CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC
Murdoch University Chiropractic Clinic is a state-of-the-art patient centred teaching clinic open to members of the public. Our friendly, helpful and highly skilled team offer high quality chiropractic care, with inter-professional referral or management as needed.

Murdoch University Chiropractic Clinic is a teaching clinic, where your case will be managed by a final (5th) year chiropractic student clinician under the direct careful supervision by registered chiropractors.

We are open to all members of the public. HBF subscribers with the appropriate coverage can even obtain a rebate for care received at MUCC.

If you are unsure about whether chiropractic care may be able to help you, please take advantage of our free-of-charge 15 minute consultation, which may be a telephone conversation or a visit at the clinic.

Our custom designed, computerised clinic was established in 2005 and is located on the south side of the campus in the Amenities Building. We offer our spacious and comfortable reception, waiting room, play area for children and 13 large and modern chiropractic treatment rooms for your comfort. Other facilities include a Rehabilitation Centre, Physiological Therapeutics Facility and Digital Radiographic Suite.

Rehabilitation Centre
Our generous (141sq.m) well-equipped rehabilitation centre houses a diverse selection of physical rehabilitation equipment that allows our patients to progress into the Active Care component of their management plans as soon as they are able. Equipment includes: Treadmills, Stationary Ergometers (upper and lower limbs), Strength Multisystem (squat and pull downs), Rowers, Dumb-bells/Bar-bells, Medicine Balls, Disco-sits, Wobble boards, Foam rolls, Gymnastic Balls, Hip Machine, Roman Chairs, Agility Ladders, Olympic Lifting Platform. We also offer computerised foot assessments using the Gaitscan and Footlevellers systems.

Physiological Therapeutics Facility
This comfortable (26 sq.m) recently update room is located within the clinic, containing 3 treatment tables separated by privacy curtains. Therapies available include: Traction, Ultrasound, Electrotherapy (EMS, TENS, IFC), Thermotherapy (Ice, Heat, Paraffin Baths, Bio Cryo Compression System), Graston™ and Laser.

Digital Radiographic Suite
If radiographs are required to establish a diagnosis they may be taken in our modern digital X-Ray facility. For those who qualify for the Medicare rebate there is no cost to our patients for X-ray.

APPOINTMENTS
Please phone us on 08 9360 1202 to make an appointment or ask for further information.

It is advisable to present to the clinic 10-15 minutes prior to your appointment time to complete any necessary paperwork.

In consideration of others please notify us in advance if you are unable to keep an appointment. This enables us to re-schedule the appointment to another patient. Failing to cancel an appointment may lead to a cancellation charge.

You may be issued with a reminder to make an appointment from time to time. Please advise the reception staff if you do not wish to be included in this system.

Under the careful supervision of government registered chiropractors your experience at Murdoch University Chiropractic Clinic should be as follows:

• First Visit (Initial Consultation - 90 minutes):
  • Thorough case history and appropriate physical examination;
  • If further investigation or opinion is necessary to establish a diagnosis, referral to the appropriate health professional, as deemed appropriate, will be made;
  • Once sufficient information has been gained, your next appointment, at no charge, will be made for your report of findings and first treatment visit.

  In this period of time (between your first and second visits) your case will be carefully considered and written up by your final (5th) year students chiropractic clinician and approved by a registered chiropractor.

• Second Visit (Report of Findings and First Treatment - 60 minutes):
  • When you return for your Report of Findings, your case and proposed management plan will be explained to you;
  • With your consent your treatment plan will begin.
    
• Subsequent Regular Treatment Visits (30 minutes):
• Regular treatment visits scheduled according to your management plan.
  
• New Complaints (60 minutes):
• Should you develop a new complaint, a longer appointment is required to appropriately investigate and develop a management plan for it.
  
• Case Reviews (60 minutes):
  • There are many reasons to review your case and current management plan. In these circumstances a longer appointment is required to obtain the required information and modify your management plan appropriately.

     

DIRECTIONS
The Clinic is situated in the grounds of Murdoch University. Enter along Murdoch Drive (turn right if coming from South Street direction, turn left if coming from Farrington Road direction). Turn left at the first small roundabout and follow the orange signs to the Clinic, heading towards Car Park 7. Once in Car Park 7 you will see the Chiropractic Clinic sign at the front of the building. Yellow marked parking bays are provided for patient parking. Parking permits will be provided by the clinic. In the event that all dedicated spaces are taken patients should use Visitors Ticket Parking in Car Park 7. For ACROD permit holders there are accessible parking bays close to the building. A map with easy to follow directions is available at the front desk or it can be downloaded as a PDF file, or posted out to you.

APPOINTMENT TIME ALLOCATIONS

FEEDBACK AND COMPLAINTS
We value your opinion and would encourage your feedback. Patient feedback forms are available at Clinic Reception. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact:

EMERGENCIES
In the event of a medical emergency:

Please contact your nearest Hospital or Health Care Centre
Dial 000

 

MURDOCH UNIVERSITY CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC STAFF:

WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?
The word chiropractic, from the Greek words "praxis" and "cheir" means practice or treatment by hand.

Chiropractic is a primary contact health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on the nervous system and general health.

Chiropractors also need to take into consideration the patient's home and work environments, sporting activities, hobbies and anything else that could have an effect on an individual's physical and mental health.

WHAT DO WE TREAT?
Although most people associate chiropractic care with just the treatment of back pain, neck pain and headaches, our final (5th) year students, under the careful supervision of government registered chiropractors, offer treatment for the following:

• Headache
• Neck Pain and Whiplash Related Disorders
• Back Pain
• Sciatica
• Limb Pain, Numbness or Tingling
• Arthritic and other Joint Problems
• Sporting, Workplace and Accidental Injuries

WHAT TREATMENT OPTIONS ARE AVAVILABLE?
The range of treatment options available at Murdoch University Chiropractic Clinic that are used in the development of a management plan for your condition includes:

• Spinal and/or Extremity Joint Manipulation (Adjustments)
• Spinal and/or Extremity Joint Mobilisation
• Soft Tissue Therapy (e.g. Massage, Cross Friction, Graston™ Technique, Stretching and Kinesiotaping)
• Electrical Stimulation, Ultrasound, Heat and Cold Therapy
• Traction and Flexion Distraction
• Active Care (Supervised Rehabilitation Exercise Programs, Home Exercises)
• Advice
• Referral to appropriate healthcare professionals for further investigations or co-management as deemed appropriate

WHAT IS JOINT MANIPULATION (CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT)?
Joint manipulation (adjustment) is usually the predominant component of your management plan, if appropriate. A chiropractic adjustment is the application of a specific high velocity, low amplitude force in a precise direction, to a discrete joint, usually by hand, in order to restore its normal motion, reduce muscle spasm and alleviate associated pain.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
Murdoch University Chiropractic Clinic is the only health teaching clinic in Australia where private health fund rebates are available. HBF is currently the only health fund provider offering this service for the benefit of their subscribers; however, negotiations are underway with other insurers.

Our fee structure is very competitive. In addition, we offer a wide range of concessions to accommodate special circumstances. Please telephone the Clinic Reception at 9360 1205 for further information.

CLINIC SERVICES

ENHANCED DIAGNOSTIC & CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICE (ED&CMS)
The ED&CMS provides chiropractic field practitioners with a wide variety of referral options, including:

Diagnosis/Second Opinion
It is not uncommon for a practitioner to be uncertain of their diagnosis. The ED&CMS allows both the referring practitioner and patient to benefit from our view as a teaching clinic with access to the latest research and a large staff resource. Patients referred to MUCC under this option are processed as new patients and a comprehensive report outlining diagnosis and recommendations for care is provided to the referring practitioner.

Full Case Management
There may be circumstances when the patient requires management that is impractical for the chiropractor in private practice to provide, for example, patients requiring extended treatment times, or where a patient is faced with financial constraints that prevent continued private care. MUCC's appointment schedule and flexible fee structure is likely to accommodate such instances.

Patient Care in the Practitioner's Absence
If a chiropractor is required to be absent from their clinic and is not able to obtain the services of a locum, this service allows the practitioner to depart, comfortable in the knowledge that their patients are able to continue their care and will be returned to them with a report. Patients referred to MUCC under this option are processed as new patients and will carefully consider your diagnosis, your management plan and the time you will be away when developing the management plan for your patients while you are away.

Case Co-Management (eg Rehabilitation or Physiological Therapeutics, excluding Spinal Adjustment/Mobilisation)
This option allows the chiropractor to co-manage their patients with the MUCC. For example, we may provide the active care (rehabilitation: post injury, core stability, cardiovascular fitness, Kinesiotape) or physiological therapeutics (traction, ultrasound, electrotherapy, thermotherapy) components of your patient's management plan while you provide the remaining components of the patient's management plan (eg spinal adjustments or mobilisations). Patients referred to MUCC under this option are processed as new patients and will carefully consider your diagnosis and management plan when developing our component of the patient's management plan.