Information for New Patients
Tess (Therese) Darcy, the Director of Coastal Headache Clinic, has the in depth knowledge and experience to treat headache and migraine suffers using non-drug treatment strategies which are directed at settling down the barrage of noxious sensory information coming from the joints and soft tissues structures of the upper neck region into specific areas of the lower brain known to be sensitized in a variety of headache and migraine conditions. You do not need to feel pain in your neck for this barrage to be taking place. The specialised "hands on" evaluation of the upper neck joints and soft tissues, which does not consist of any cracking or manipulation, undertaken during the first session establishes the significance of the sensory information being sent from these soft tissues to your brain in relation to your specific headache or migraine experience. There is no guess work. Treatment at Coastal Headache Clinic is not for everyone. We don’t just “treat regardless of findings and take a “wait and see” approach. Even when there are clear signs that treatment with us should yield positive results, if we don’t start to see some appreciable improvement with the first 4-5 sessions, treatment is discontinued. Coastal Headache Clinic is not an advocate of prolonged treatment programs.
Tess is a great listener who makes it a priority to hear your story and understand your headache history. She collaborates with you and takes the time to explain in detail the assessment findings and the recommended treatment.
If you have Private Health Insurance we are able to process your rebate on the spot via HICAPS. You may like to check with your insurer to determine what the gap fee will be. Again this payment is processed on the spot.
We are also able to provide care under the Chronic Disease Management Scheme, where a GP Management Plan (GPMP) and Team Care Arrangements (TCAs) have been developed. Let your General Practitioner know that treatment is provided by a physiotherapist. We are also able to process Medicare rebates and the gap fee on the spot.
Still have queries? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions section.