Exercise Physiology Five Dock: NDIS Access Guide
People searching for exercise physiology in Five Dock usually have one of two problems. Either they know what an accredited exercise physiologist does and just want to find one nearby, or they've been told by a support coordinator or GP to arrange sessions and have no idea how the funding works. This covers the second problem, because the first one is solved by a phone call.
We run exercise physiology from Five Dock in the Inner West and from Gladesville on the Lower North Shore, working with NDIS participants who have a sport or training goal attached to their plan.
What an accredited exercise physiologist actually does
Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are university-qualified allied health professionals accredited by Exercise and Sports Science Australia. They prescribe and supervise exercise for people with injury, disability or chronic conditions, and they are recognised providers under the NDIS, Medicare chronic disease management plans, DVA and most private health funds.
The practical difference from physiotherapy matters for how you spend your plan. Physiotherapy typically leads where there is acute pain, a recent injury, a post-surgical protocol, or a diagnostic question about what structure is causing symptoms. Exercise physiology typically leads where the diagnosis is settled and the work is building physical capacity over months: strength, aerobic fitness, balance, coordination, bone loading, and the confidence to train independently.
Plenty of participants use both. A common pattern is physiotherapy for the first eight to twelve weeks after a knee injury, then exercise physiology for the longer strength and conditioning phase that gets someone back to training with their club.
Which part of your NDIS plan pays for it
Exercise physiology is funded through Capacity Building, and it can appear in one of two places depending on how your plan was written.
Improved Daily Living (CB Daily Activity) is the more common line and covers allied health assessment, therapy and training. Improved Health and Wellbeing (CB Health and Wellbeing) is the other, and it specifically covers exercise advice and personal training where the need relates to your disability. General gym memberships and fitness costs unrelated to disability are not funded by the NDIS.
If you are not sure which of those lines your plan has, look for the Capacity Building section of your plan document, or ask your plan manager to check the remaining balance before you book a block of sessions. It saves an awkward conversation later.
Plan management changes how you book
This is the part that catches people out.
Self-managed participants can book any provider, registered or unregistered, and pay invoices directly or claim them through the myplace portal. Plan-managed participants can also use registered or unregistered providers, with invoices sent to your plan manager for payment. NDIA-managed participants must use NDIS registered providers only.
If you're NDIA-managed, confirm registration status before your first appointment rather than after. Ask the clinic directly and ask for the registration group they're registered under.
Do you need a referral?
No referral is required to see an exercise physiologist under the NDIS. You can contact us directly, or your support coordinator, GP or physiotherapist can make contact on your behalf. What helps is bringing a copy of your plan or at least knowing your stated goals, because the sessions and the reporting are built around those goals.
If you're using a Medicare chronic disease management plan instead of NDIS funding, that does require a GP referral and covers up to five allied health sessions per calendar year across all providers combined.
What happens at the first appointment
The initial assessment at Five Dock runs 60 minutes. We go through your medical history, current medications relevant to exercise, previous injuries, what activity you're doing now, and what you want to be doing. If your goal is club cricket, wheelchair basketball, running a 5km or getting back to the gym twice a week, we want the specific version, not "get fitter".
Objective testing depends on your presentation but commonly includes strength testing, functional movement screening, balance and gait assessment, and a submaximal aerobic measure. For participants with neurological conditions we'll usually add spasticity and tone observations, transfer assessment, and fatigue tracking across the session.
You leave with a written program and a proposed schedule. Most participants start at one or two sessions a week, and we usually plan in blocks of six to eight sessions so there's a natural point to review progress and decide what changes.
Reporting and plan reviews
We keep progress notes tied to your plan goals and can produce a written report ahead of your plan reassessment. Those reports set out what was assessed, what has changed against measurable markers, and what we recommend for the next plan period. Your planner or LAC is making a funding decision on evidence, so specific numbers and functional changes carry more weight than general descriptions.
Give us reasonable notice before a review date. A useful report takes time to write properly.
Practical details
The Five Dock clinic covers the Inner West including Drummoyne, Concord, Haberfield, Russell Lea and Abbotsford. Gladesville covers Hunters Hill, Ryde, Putney and Lane Cove. Both sites have gym floor space and equipment for loaded strength work rather than just a treatment table, which matters if your goal involves getting strong enough to return to sport.
To get started with exercise physiology at Five Dock, get in touch to arrange an initial assessment.