Frequently asked questions

A Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician is a medical specialist for muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. Think of it like seeing a cardiologist for your heart. The training pathway bridges the gap between GPs, surgeons, and physiotherapists.

The letters FACSEP after a doctor's name mean they have completed specialist training and passed national fellowship examinations with the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians. After six years of medical school and three years as a junior doctor, a sports physician completes a minimum of four years of specialist training. From starting medical school to receiving these letters takes at least thirteen years.

No. The name describes the training pathway, not the patient group. Specialist Sports Medicine sees people of all ages and activity levels, including:

• Office workers with neck, back, and shoulder pain
• Retirees with arthritis or joint pain
• Teenagers with growing pains and overuse injuries
• Weekend gardeners, runners, golfers, and surfers
• Recreational and elite athletes

If your problem involves muscles, bones, joints, tendons, or movement, you are in the right place.

All three play important roles in musculoskeletal care, but each has a different training and focus.

Specialist Sports Medicine works collaboratively with all three.

No. Sports medicine is a medical specialty practised by doctors who have completed full medical training plus FACSEP fellowship. Physiotherapy is a separate allied health profession. The two work closely together. A sports physician focuses on diagnosis, imaging, medication, injections, and overall care planning. A physiotherapist provides the hands-on treatment, exercise rehabilitation, and movement retraining. Many people benefit from both.

Yes. As a specialist service, we can prescribe medications relevant to your sport and exercise medicine care, including repeat prescriptions for medications related to the condition we are managing. Prescriptions for unrelated conditions are usually best continued by your GP, who holds your full medical record.

A GP referral is not required to book, but it is strongly recommended. With a valid referral, you access the Medicare specialist rebate (MBS A4), which for an initial standard consultation is approximately a $150 rebate back to you. Self-referrals are welcome at any time.

WorkCover and insurance claims usually require a referral and prior approval before the appointment.

A GP referral is the most common pathway. Other specialists, such as orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists, and rehabilitation physicians, can also refer. Physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, and other allied health professionals can write a letter of recommendation, but a Medicare specialist rebate requires a referral from a doctor.

Standard GP referrals to a specialist are valid for 12 months. Indefinite referrals are possible at the GP's discretion in some chronic conditions. A specialist-to-specialist referral is valid for three months.

Yes. Medical Objects is the preferred secure messaging pathway for referring practices. This ensures imaging, pathology, and correspondence arrive securely and are reviewed before your appointment. See the referrers page for full details.

Yes. As a specialist sport and exercise medicine service, we can refer for an MRI under a Medicare item number that is bulk-billed at some participating radiology providers, which usually means no out-of-pocket cost for the scan (bulk-billing is at the radiology provider's discretion).

A GP usually cannot refer for a Medicare-rebateable MRI for most musculoskeletal conditions, so patients who go straight to imaging without a specialist referral often pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket.

Common investigations ordered include X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI, bone scan, and EOS imaging. Pathology (blood tests, joint fluid) and nerve conduction studies may also be requested where clinically indicated. Imaging requests follow current evidence-based guidelines.

Several radiology providers operate across the Sunshine Coast. Reception can suggest a provider close to home and confirm whether a particular scan will be bulk-billed at that location.

Yes. Children and adolescents have particular musculoskeletal patterns related to growth plates, flexibility, and load. Common reasons to attend include knee, heel, and shin pain, sports injuries, recurrent ankle sprains, and back pain. A parent or legal guardian must attend with a child under 16.

Yes. Female athlete health includes the menstrual cycle and performance, low energy availability and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), bone stress injuries, and pelvic and pregnancy-related considerations. We have a clinical interest in this area.

Yes. Concussion assessment, recovery, and return-to-sport pathways are core to specialist sports medicine. We follow the current Concussion in Sport Group consensus statement and Australian sport-specific protocols. See the concussion page for more detail.

Yes. Chronic musculoskeletal pain, osteoarthritis, and persistent tendon problems are managed through a structured non-surgical pathway that may include exercise prescription, lifestyle modification, medications, and injection therapies where indicated. See osteoarthritis clinic and exercise as medicine for more detail.

Yes. Specialist sports medicine review after orthopaedic surgery can support return to function and return to sport, often working alongside your surgeon and physiotherapist.