Making the most of your physiotherapy cover

Many Australians only book a physiotherapy appointment when something hurts. It could be a back that suddenly seized up, a frozen shoulder, a stiff neck, or a knee injury.

But according to Australian Physiotherapy Association National President Dr Rik Dawson, that kind of reactive care is only one part of what a physiotherapist can do.

Where a lot of people miss out, he explains, is by not using physio earlier—or in between injuries — to manage how their body moves over time.

Let’s take a look at how a preventative approach to physiotherapy can be a game changer in helping you stay fit, active and relatively pain-free as you age.

Reactive versus preventative physio: what you need to know

Acute injuries, sudden pain, accidents, or a clear loss of movement all need professional assessment. And in these situations, a physio clinic is a great place to turn. After all, physiotherapists are trained to diagnose what’s going on, reduce pain and inflammation, and help people return to activity safely. 

But the issue with only visiting a physio reactively is that pain is often a late-stage symptom of a problem—not the first sign that something is wrong.

In contrast, people who see a physiotherapist preventatively tend to check in earlier to review alignment, exercise technique and movement quality.

“The people who use a physio preventatively are really committed to a pain-free future,” Rik says. “So someone might come in and say, ‘I want you to go through my alignment and my exercise. Am I moving well? Am I balanced around this joint?’ That’s a great way to prevent flare-ups instead of reacting to them.”

Lenette Gear, GM Customer at Australian Unity, sees the same pattern play out from a health insurance perspective.

“If you only head to a physio when you’re in pain, you often need more sessions and it takes longer to recover,” she says. “Whereas using physio preventatively helps people build strength, improve posture and manage risk over the long term—and this is important for our Real Wellbeing.”

Rather than leaving unused benefits on the table, she adds that “it also means you get better value from your physio extras by planning how you use them across the year.”

Why old injuries often come back

One common scenario Rik sees often involves injuries that were never fully rehabilitated in the first place.

“A really bad ankle sprain, a knee injury, a back issue—people get through the acute phase and think they’re ‘good enough’,” he says.

But pain changes the way someone moves, Rik explains, and after an injury, the body quickly learns to compensate. Those patterns can become ingrained without you realising it, leading to biomechanical misalignment, muscle imbalance and joint instability. Over time, this can contribute to chronic pain, reduced mobility and conditions like arthritis.

“You might recover to a degree, but you also might have developed movement habits that are bad for your body and that can show up years later as pain, stiffness or reduced function,” says Rik. “That’s when targeted work is needed to restore balance and stability.”

He adds that this is “exactly why physios are so involved in professional sport—not just to treat injuries, but to prevent normal biomechanics [movement] from being lost afterwards.”

Don’t ignore those little “niggles”

Some problems are so common they barely register as injuries. Think a stiff lower back, early tendon pain, or neck and shoulder strain.

While it can be tempting to “soldier on” through little niggles like these, you’re not doing your body any favours by ignoring them.

“I see a lot of neck and shoulder pain that people just manage with ibuprofen or paracetamol,” Rik says. But he warns that this can lead to a cycle of overuse—and means you’re merely dialling down the symptom rather than addressing the root cause.

In fact, these early warning signs are often the ideal time to intervene with a short course of physiotherapy, which can help uncover the underlying issue before it becomes a chronic problem. 

One major culprit when it comes to everyday aches and pain? The overuse of technology. According to Rik, long hours at a computer, time on phones and relaxed postures on the couch can all contribute to changes in spinal alignment and movement patterns.

Even people who exercise regularly aren’t immune.

“If you’re a runner, you’re prone to Achilles and knee issues, while tennis players tend to get shoulder and elbow problems,” Rik says. “And then there are what we call the ‘weekend warriors’, which are people who go from a sedentary lifestyle to jumping straight back into sport in their 40s.”

Changes in activity levels are hidden injury risk points

On that note, while ageing does increase injury risk, Rik says the bigger trigger is often a change in activity levels.

This might look like: 

• moving from an active job to desk-based work 
• returning to sport or increasing exercise after years away 
• retiring and suddenly spending hours gardening 
• starting a new gym program or training goal (as Rik puts it, going from “couch to marathon”).

Booking a preventative physiotherapy session at times like this can help you adapt safely by spotting issues early, adjusting your technique, posture or alignment, and building strength gradually. All of which minimises the risk of pain and injury down the road.

“After long periods of inactivity, people might have lost a lot of strength and control without realising it,” Rik says, “and suddenly returning to exercise can overload joints and muscles that aren’t ready.”

What preventative physio looks like in practice 

For someone who is generally healthy but has a history of injury, one or two check-ins a year may be enough, according to Rik.

These sessions may include movement assessments, posture checks, targeted strength or mobility work, and practical advice about work, sport or daily habits.

“For people who are active and well, but have had past injuries, that can be really valuable,” Rik says, “because movement patterns can deviate without you noticing.

If you’re unsure what your Australian Unity health insurance covers, Lenette encourages you to check—either through the app, Online Member Services or by calling the team.

“When it comes to private health insurance for physiotherapy, many people don’t realise what they’re covered for,” she says. “That’s especially true for things like group classes or hydrotherapy. We can help them understand exactly what’s included.”

When to use your physio health cover to book a check-in 

How has your body been feeling lately? If it’s been a while between physio sessions, here are a few signs that it might be worth using your extras to book in an appointment: 

• a past injury starts to “twinge” 
• you’re increasing training or starting a new activity 
• your work or daily routine changes 
• you notice you’re relying on painkillers more often 
• your movement feels restricted or “off”.

“Earlier is always easier,” Rik stresses. “So if in doubt, go see a physio for an assessment and get on the right program straight away.”