Getting to a physio appointment sounds simple — until it isn’t. After surgery, a fall, or as mobility declines with age, the trip to a clinic can be the hardest part of the week. So care gets put off, and the very people who need physiotherapy most are the ones who miss it.
Mobile physiotherapy solves that by bringing the physio to you. Here’s how it works, who it suits, and what to expect.
What is mobile physiotherapy?
Mobile physiotherapy — also called home-visit or in-home physio — is exactly what it sounds like: a qualified physiotherapist comes to your home and delivers the same expert care you’d get in a clinic, in the place you actually live. You don’t travel, you don’t sit in a waiting room, and you’re treated in the environment where you move every day.
For Tensegrity Home, that last point matters. Treating you at home means we can see the real-world things a clinic never shows us: the step you struggle with, the chair that’s too low, the rug that’s a trip hazard. We build your care around your actual home, not a treatment table.
Who is mobile physiotherapy for?
Home visits suit anyone for whom getting to a clinic is hard, unsafe or simply too tiring. That commonly includes:
- Older Australians who’ve become less steady or less confident on their feet
- Patients recovering after surgery — a knee or hip replacement, a fracture, or spinal surgery
- People discharged from hospital who need to keep their rehab going at home
- People living with disability, including NDIS participants
- Anyone managing a chronic or complex condition that makes travel difficult
If leaving the house for an appointment is a barrier, mobile physio is likely a good fit — and a short phone call is usually enough to know for sure.
What happens at the first visit?
The first appointment is an extended home assessment, usually 45 to 60 minutes. It’s where we get the full picture and set the plan. Your physiotherapist will:
- Take a full history and do a hands-on physical assessment
- Review your home for safety and mobility — the spaces you move through most
- Set clear, practical goals with you (and your family or carer, if you’d like them there)
- Write a care plan and take baseline measures so progress is something you can actually see
You don’t need special equipment. Comfortable clothing, supportive shoes, a clear space of a few metres and a sturdy chair are all that’s needed. Keep any walking aids and a list of your medications handy.
What does a typical course of care look like?
After the assessment, you move into a planned course of visits — generally 30 to 45 minutes each, at a frequency that suits your goals. Sessions combine hands-on treatment with exercise therapy, strength and balance work, and progress against the goals you set. Between visits, you’ll usually have a short home exercise program to keep things moving — little and often works best.
As you improve, visits typically taper. The aim isn’t to keep you in care indefinitely — it’s to get you steadier, stronger and more independent, then keep you there.
Is it really the same as clinic physio?
Yes — same standards, same clinicians, delivered at home. Tensegrity Home is the in-home division of Tensegrity Sports Clinics, a Sydney musculoskeletal group with seven clinics, more than a decade of experience and a 5.0-star reputation across 500+ reviews. Our team is multilingual (Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean), and because your home visits link back to real local clinics, anything more complex has a clear next step. You get premium, evidence-based care that simply travels to you.
Physiotherapy is also just one part of our in-home team. See how our chiropractors, physiotherapists and massage therapists work together on a single plan.
How is mobile physiotherapy funded?
Most people are covered. Under the government’s Support at Home program, physiotherapy sits in the Clinical Care category and is fully funded — $0 to you — when it’s part of your approved care plan. It’s also covered through the NDIS, DVA, and Medicare’s Chronic Disease Management plan (up to five allied-health visits a year), or you can pay privately. We’ll help you work out which pathway applies.
We’ve written a plain-language guide to the aged-care pathway here: Using your Support at Home funding for physiotherapy.
How do I arrange a home visit?
It starts with a home assessment. You can refer yourself, or a GP, specialist, hospital or aged-care coordinator can refer you — we handle the eligibility and funding from there. We currently visit across Sydney’s North Shore, the Hills, Northern Beaches and surrounds, with an initial assessment typically within 2 business days of referral.
Book a home assessment
Email home@tensegrity.com.au or contact your nearest Tensegrity clinic, and we’ll arrange a time and sort out your funding. Tensegrity Home — by Tensegrity Sports Clinics.
Frequently asked questions
Do you come to my home? Yes. A Tensegrity physiotherapist visits you at home — no clinic trip needed — across Sydney’s North Shore, the Hills, Northern Beaches and surrounds.
Is home physio more expensive than the clinic? For most older Australians it’s fully funded under Support at Home, and it’s also covered by NDIS, DVA and Medicare CDM. Private visits include a travel component beyond a set distance. We’ll confirm your costs upfront.
Do I need a doctor’s referral? Not always — you can enquire directly. A referral helps for some funding pathways, and GPs, specialists and coordinators are welcome to refer.
How soon can someone visit? An initial home assessment is typically within 2 business days of your enquiry.