Your First Visit
Not sure what to expect? Here's exactly how your first visit works — from the assessment to walking out with a clear plan and no pressure.
Every new patient starts with a Spinal Health Assessment — a proper look at what's going on before any treatment. It runs 45 to 60 minutes, and it's where we work out whether we can help and what the right next step is for you.
What happens on the day
Four simple steps
Your story and your goals
We start by understanding what's bothering you — how long it's been going on, what makes it better or worse, and what you want to get back to doing. This part matters as much as the physical exam.
Movement and functional testing
Your clinician assesses how your spine moves, where it's restricted, and how it's affecting the rest of your body. If you have recent scans or specialist reports, bring them along — they help us build a clearer picture. And if imaging like an X-ray or MRI would help, your clinician can arrange a referral.
Your findings, explained plainly
You'll get a clear, jargon-free explanation of what's going on and why. No scare tactics — just an honest picture of where things stand so you can make an informed decision.
If decompression is right for you
Where it makes clinical sense on the day, your first MT Core Smart Decompression session may happen at this first visit. It's a treatment you receive lying down on a purpose-built, heated table — nothing is asked of you while you're on it.
Sessions run 20 to 25 minutes, and most people describe the sensation as a mild, comfortable stretch. Shift was the first clinic in South Australia to offer it.
We won't recommend more than you need. If a few sessions will do it, we'll say so.
That's the standard we hold ourselves to on every first visit — honest care, and a clear path rather than open-ended appointments.
101 Grange Road, Allenby Gardens 5009
(08) 8340 1000
309 Unley Road, Malvern 5061
(08) 7081 0422
Ready to get started?
Book your Spinal Health Assessment and we'll take it from there.
Book a Spinal Health Assessment or call (08) 8340 1000A Spinal Health Assessment lets a clinician check that any treatment is right for you before it begins. Nothing on this page replaces that individual assessment.