Frequently Asked Questions

We are located at our custom-built home for hypermobility in Eight Mile Plains.

Our contact details are as follows: 

Freeway Office Park 2, Building 9, Level 1, 2728 Logan Rd, Eight Mile Plains. QLD 4113 Phone: (07) 3123 4826.   Fax: (07) 3532 8704

It is best to search for “Not Just Bendy” in your maps app.

Directions can be found here: https://notjustbendy.com/directions/

Yes! To be contacted when an appointment is available, please complete our New Booking Enquiry Form. Please note if you request a specific therapist wait times may vary.

Please note that our principal, Sharon Hennessey, is currently not accepting new clients. However, she closely collaborates with her team to ensure consistent care from all therapists at our clinic.

If you are a new client to the clinic please complete a new patient booking enquiry form. If you are an existing client who has seen one of our therapists in the past 12 months, you can book online through Hot Doc (click here), or contact us by phone or email.

All enquiries are triaged based on multiple factors, including time on the enquiry list, risk of rapid deterioration, available supports, and referrer details. If you are often available for last-minute appointments, please indicate this in your enquiry.

Once we receive your entry on the New Booking Enquiry Form, our team will send you an email with additional information. To ensure smooth communication, please double-check that your provided mobile number and email address are correct. We also recommend saving our contact details and regularly checking your spam folder.

When you reach the top of the enquiry list, our team will contact you to let you know that an appointment is available within the next six weeks. It is then your responsibility to contact the clinic via phone or email to confirm a booking. We will make two attempts to reach you via email and SMS. If we do not receive a response within 48 hours, your place on the list may be forfeited. If you are not available for an appointment in the next six weeks, we kindly request that you contact the clinic when you are ready, as we cannot place holds on our enquiry list.

If it has been 12 months or more since your last appointment, you will be considered a new client and will need to complete the New Client Booking Form. Please select “Past client of Not Just Bendy” and include details about your current situation. This helps us allocate appointments fairly and manage our therapists’ busy schedules.

Please note that we cannot guarantee an appointment with Sharon or your previous therapist, even if you have seen them before.

Please note: we are not an ordinary musculoskeletal clinic. All our clients go through a detailed assessment and screening process. While we do provide treatment for joints, we do this for our clients in a holistic manner, based on our rigorous assessment process.

Your first two appointments are structured to make sure we gather everything we need before starting treatment, so your plan is tailored specifically to you.

First Appointment — Information Gathering & Clinical History

• A detailed discussion of your history, symptoms and goals
• Review of any previous reports, scans or assessments
• Discussion of how your symptoms affect daily life
• Planning what further assessment is needed
• If requested, an assessment of whether you meet the h-EDS/HSD criteria, and a provisional diagnosis

Second Appointment — Physical Assessment & Treatment Planning

• Hands-on physical assessment
• Discussion of assessment findings
• Development of your individual treatment plan
• Agreeing on next steps and goals together

Follow-up sessions then focus on delivering your treatment plan and adjusting it as you progress. See our Fees and Pricing page for session costs.

It takes a little longer to get you started with treatment because we are not a traditional physiotherapy practice. By the time most clients come to us, they’ve often already seen multiple practitioners looking for answers. Hypermobility is a complex, multi-system condition, and without understanding someone’s full history and the comorbidities that can go alongside it, we don’t feel we can safely give appropriate advice or treatment without first completing this assessment.

Your first appointment includes a screening assessment so we can let you know whether your presentation is consistent with symptomatic hypermobility. If requested, we can also let you know if you meet the criteria for a provisional diagnosis of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (h-EDS). The international classification and criteria for h-EDS can take up a significant amount of time in your session, so we do not do this routinely for everyone unless requested.

Any provisional diagnosis would need to be confirmed by a medical specialist, and we can provide our clients with the names of appropriate people to consult if we agree that is important and relevant for you.

We will also screen you for comorbidities (co-occurring conditions) and take a thorough history of your symptoms and goals.

In addition, we screen for any red flags (symptoms suggestive of serious pathology) and will advise if further medical assessment is necessary. For approximately 95% of our clients, a provisional diagnosis is sufficient for effective management, as medical treatment options for HSD and h-EDS are largely the same — the distinction between the two is often not necessary for rehabilitation and care planning.

Even so, it’s a helpful starting point for understanding your body and planning your next steps. See our blog, “Do I Need an Official Diagnosis of Hypermobility?”

It’s unlikely you’ll receive hands-on treatment in session 1 — but you will receive a thorough and valuable assessment, covering everything above: your history, symptoms, daily life impact, screening for HSD/h-EDS and comorbidities, and planning what further assessment is needed.

Session 1 is focused on assessment, screening and information gathering rather than hands-on treatment, so that what we recommend from session 2 onwards is genuinely tailored to you. Specific treatment and management planning begin from session 2 onwards, once we have a full picture of your presentation.

Session 2 is where the hands-on work starts. It includes a physical assessment, a discussion of what we found in session 1 and your physical assessment, and the development of your individual treatment plan with agreed next steps and goals.

Many of our therapists are trained and experienced in Pilates and offer individual sessions. Your home program can also incorporate elements of Pilates.

At NJB, we offer supervised small group exercise classes called Bendy and Strong Classes (maximum of 4 participants), which include Pilates components, run by one of our therapists. These sessions are 50 minutes long. Once you have a basic understanding of the exercises, you can transition into a Bendy and Strong Class.

Before starting a class, you will require a minimum of 1 one-on-one assessment with the therapist leading the class (unless your treating therapist is instructing the class). If you don’t have recent Pilates or similar exercise experience, you will likely need two sessions before joining a class. This ensures your safety, allows us to tailor exercises to your needs, and helps you get the most out of the classes.

Sign me up! How do I join a Bendy and Strong Class?

If you’re interested in participating in a Bendy and Strong exercise class, feel free to discuss this at your next appointment with your therapist or contact our reception team. Our reception team is best equipped to provide you with class time options. If there isn’t a suitable time, we are always gauging interest to introduce additional classes. For cost information, please review our Prices page. Reminder to also check with your private health insurer whether your Extra’s policy offers a rebate for group exercise classes instructed by a physiotherapist.

What is your class cancellation policy and what happens if I am the only attendee?

For information on our cancellation policy, please review our Cancellation & No-Show Policy page.

Please note that if you’re the only participant in a scheduled class, you’ll receive a personalised one-on-one exercise session at no extra cost. These tailored sessions will last 30 minutes, providing focused support and expert guidance. While this may not allow you to complete your full program, it’s an excellent opportunity to work closely with your therapist on challenging exercises or progressions. Alternatively, we can offer you a place in another class scheduled that week if you’d prefer.

How do I reach my goals and make progressions in a class environment?

To keep your exercises aligned with your goals, we recommend a 30-minute one-on-one program review every 2–3 months to refresh and adjust your program as needed.

For more information on the group exercise classes we offer, click here.

Due to limited availability, our therapists can only accommodate a small number of home visits each week, and we are currently at full capacity for this service. At this time, the estimated wait for home visits is over two years, as most of our existing home visit clients receive ongoing support.

Home visits also incur a travel fee, which is billed at the treating therapist’s hourly rate.

However, we are happy to keep you on our waitlist and will notify you if availability opens up sooner. In the meantime, if you are able to visit our clinic or schedule a telehealth appointment, we encourage you to do so while remaining on our waitlist for home visits.

If you require more immediate home visit services, we recommend searching for domiciliary physiotherapy providers in your area.

Telehealth at Not Just Bendy isn’t just a faster alternative to waiting for an in-clinic appointment — it’s a valuable, standalone service in its own right.

It may particularly suit you if you:

• Want to get started straight away rather than wait
• Need advice and education to share with your local therapy team
• Want to know whether you meet diagnostic criteria for EDS/HSD
• Don’t necessarily need ongoing in-clinic hands-on treatment

Our telehealth service can include:

• A comprehensive assessment
• Screening against EDS/HSD diagnostic criteria
• Comorbidity assessment
• Fatigue management and pacing advice
• A personalised exercise program
• Detailed letters and reports for your local team
• Help sourcing a local multidisciplinary team
• Collaborative sessions with your local providers, where needed

If you’d like to discuss whether telehealth is right for you, please call us on (07) 3123 4826 or email reception@notjustbendy.com.

Yes, we can see NDIS participants who are self-managed or plan-managed. Unfortunately, as we are not a registered NDIS provider, we are unable to accept NDIA-managed clients.

For plan-managed clients, a service agreement is required and will be sent to you for completion before your first appointment.

In line with the updated NDIS legislation, all NDIS-funded services (including therapy and products) must be directly related to the disability listed in your NDIS plan. Your therapist will confirm with you which disability/disabilities are funded under your plan. If you’re unsure, it is your responsibility to obtain this information from the NDIS.

Please note that any outstanding invoices not covered by NDIS will be the client’s responsibility. If you plan to use NDIS funding, we recommend checking with your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to confirm whether your plan includes funding for physiotherapy before booking.

Additionally, from 30 June 2025, the therapy support line item from Core funding will be removed, meaning therapeutic supports will only be funded through Capacity Building.

Yes, our clinicians work with children aged 10 and over to support them with hypermobility-related challenges. However, as we are not primarily a paediatric clinic, we may refer your child to a specialised paediatric clinic if we feel it would better suit their needs.

At Not Just Bendy, our therapists can thoroughly assess your symptoms and determine if they align with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) or the criteria for Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (h-EDS). A formal diagnosis of h-EDS is typically only required for severe presentations or for government supports such as NDIS or DSP applications.  However, as therapists we are not able to formally diagnose h-EDS or HSD as this is outside our scope and requires a medical doctor to confirm our assessment. 

We will screen for any red flags (symptoms suggestive of serious pathology) and advise if further medical assessment is necessary. However, for approximately 95% of clients, our provisional diagnosis is sufficient for effective management, as medical treatment options for h-EDS and HSD are largely the same. The distinction between the two is often not necessary for rehabilitation and care planning.

If you’d like to get started, you can book an appointment or complete our New Patient Booking Enquiry. 

Do I need further testing?

If further medical investigation is required, your GP may order blood tests or refer you to a specialist (most commonly, Rheumatology). However, we generally only recommend seeking a formal diagnosis from a rheumatologist if it is needed for government funding (e.g., NDIS/DSP), or to improve communication between multiple medical professionals involved in your care.

Do I need genetic testing?

Genetic testing is not required for diagnosing h-EDS, as no specific genetic marker has been identified. International experts only recommend genetic testing when there is clear evidence of a different hereditary condition that requires elimination.

We only provide referrals to other medical or allied health professionals during scheduled appointments with our current clients. This helps us maintain professional boundaries and uphold the privacy of our multidisciplinary team members. 

If you are already a client with us, we recommend jotting down any questions before your next session to make the most of your time with your therapist. And of course, if you’d like help reviewing availability or making a booking, we’re here to assist. 

If you’re contacting our reception team just about this enquiry, please note that our reception staff do not have access to clinical notes or individual care plans. Hence, they are unable to provide specific recommendations for other health professionals. However, your treating clinician is the best person to discuss this with, as they can offer tailored suggestions based on your individual needs and clinical presentation. 

We do want to offer a few general resources that may help you get started: 

• The Ehlers-Danlos Society Healthcare Professional Directory 
  • A useful online resource to search for health professionals with a special interest or experience in hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: 
    Healthcare Professional Directory Archive – The Ehlers-Danlos Society
• Australian POTS Foundation Clinician Directory
  • Find healthcare professionals in Australia experienced in managing Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Clinician Directory

• Community Support Groups
  • Many people find it helpful to ask others with lived experience. These Facebook groups may be useful: EDS Zebras Australia – Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Support 

• Your GP 
  • Booking an appointment with your GP is another excellent option, as they can provide referrals tailored to your specific medical needs. 

• Book in with our physiotherapy team 
  • If you are not yet a client, we invite you to become one via the New Patient Booking Enquiry. After a thorough review, our clinicians can offer advice on helpful next steps and other providers who may support your care. 

Women’s Health Physiotherapy focuses on the assessment and treatment of conditions affecting the pelvic floor, bladder, bowel, pelvic organs, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and pelvic pain.

Our Women’s Health Physiotherapist, Anna, provides individualised assessment, education, and treatment to help women improve their pelvic health, confidence, and quality of life.

Anna can assist with:

• Urinary leakage or incontinence
• Bladder symptoms such as urgency and frequency
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Constipation and bowel dysfunction
• Pelvic pain
• Endometriosis
• Pregnancy-related pelvic pain
• Postnatal recovery
• Pelvic floor weakness
• Pain during intercourse
• Return to exercise after pregnancy
• Pelvic floor education and prevention

Your initial appointment includes a detailed discussion about your symptoms, medical history, bladder and bowel habits, lifestyle, and goals.

Physical assessment may include:

External Assessment

• Observation of pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation
• Sensation testing
• Reflex testing
• Movement and posture assessment

Internal Assessment (if appropriate)

An internal examination may involve either a vaginal examination or a digital rectal examination, depending on your symptoms and clinical findings.

The examination is performed using a single gloved finger to assess:

• Pelvic floor muscle function
• Muscle attachments and areas of tenderness
• Pelvic organ prolapse

An internal examination is always optional and will only be performed with your informed consent.

No.

Many women choose not to have an internal examination during their first appointment. There is still significant value in assessment, education, and treatment without an internal examination.

If you are unsure or uncomfortable, Anna will discuss all options with you and ensure you feel informed and comfortable before proceeding.

Initial Women’s Health appointments are typically 75 minutes to allow adequate time for assessment, education, and treatment planning.

If an internal examination is not performed, the appointment may be shortened depending on your needs.

Following your assessment, Anna will develop a personalised treatment plan which may include:

• Education
• Pelvic floor training
• Exercise prescription
• Manual therapy
• Lifestyle strategies
• Bladder and bowel management advice
• Biofeedback training

Many clients benefit from follow-up appointments to monitor progress and continue treatment.

Follow-up appointment durations vary depending on your needs and may be booked for:

• 45 minutes
• 60 minutes

Anna will recommend the most appropriate follow-up schedule for you.

Yes.

Prior to your appointment, you will receive the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire via SMS and email. Completing this questionnaire before your appointment helps Anna better understand your symptoms and prepare for your consultation.

Prices/Fees for treatment at Not Just Bendy are listed on our prices page

Telehealth consultations are priced the same as our in-room sessions of equivalent duration. This is because our therapists allocate the same time in their schedule for telehealth sessions as they do for in-room sessions.

Prices/Fees for treatment at Not Just Bendy are listed on our prices page

No, you do not need a referral from a doctor to see a Physiotherapist.

However, if your doctor provides you with a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP), you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate on up to five allied health consultations per calendar year, which can be used for Physiotherapy. Please discuss this with your doctor and inform our staff when booking if you have a GPCCMP which includes Physiotherapy.

As we are not a bulk-billing clinic, you will need to pay the full consultation fee at the time of your appointment. You can then claim your Medicare rebate. If you bring your Medicare card and a physical debit card to your appointment, we can process your rebate on the spot.

Please see our Prices Page for the current Medicare rebate amount.

Yes, all our services and classes at NJB are eligible for private health rebates.

For in-clinic appointments, we can process your rebate directly with your health insurer, so you only need to pay the gap between your rebate and our standard fees. As rebate amounts vary between insurers, we recommend contacting your provider directly to confirm your coverage.

You may be able to use your NDIS funding to access our services, depending on the details of your individual plan. If you’re unsure, we recommend checking with your Support Coordinator or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to confirm whether our services are covered. 

To be eligible, the services must meet the NDIS reasonable and necessary criteria—meaning they need to directly relate to your NDIS-funded disability and align with the goals and funding categories outlined in your plan. Please note that assessments unrelated to your funded disability are typically not covered. 

• To access physiotherapy, you’ll need funding in your Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living budget. 

For more guidance, you can also refer to the NDIS website or speak directly with your LAC or Support Coordinator, as our team cannot confirm this information. Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility and are ready to book, please complete our New Patient Booking Enquiry, and our team will be in touch to guide you through the next steps. 

As a small business, we are unable to offer discounts at this time. However, our pricing structure is tiered to support more affordable access to our services.

Completing reports for NDIS or DSP applications is complex and time-consuming. Our primary focus is on providing practical therapy, so we are unable to complete functional capacity assessments or extensive reports for new clients or conditions outside our scope.

For existing, established clients (as determined by the treating clinician), we may provide short supporting letters to assist with NDIS or DSP applications. Please note: these letters alone are not sufficient for NDIS access. Comprehensive reports, often from an external Occupational Therapist, are usually required.

To ensure quality and accuracy, we require at least 12 weeks’ notice for all report or letter requests. All reports are billed at the treating clinician’s hourly rate.

Short supporting letters or reports may be available to clients who:

• Are established clients who have been regularly and actively engaged in therapy at NJB.
• Have a treating clinician with a comprehensive understanding of their function and needs.
• Request reports that are within our clinical expertise and the NDIS “reasonable and necessary” guidelines.
• Meet NDIS eligibility criteria (if applicable).

NDIS guidelines recommend that the health professional providing supporting evidence has been treating the applicant for at least six months.

If both the NJB criteria and NDIS eligibility criteria are met, please email our reception team at reception@notjustbendy.com to request the Report Request Form.

Exception: NDIS Plan Review Reports are always provided for clients who have accessed services using NDIS funding. The detail and length of these reports may vary depending on the duration of engagement.

No. Supporting letters or short reports from our clinicians are generally not sufficient on their own. Comprehensive external reports, often from an Occupational Therapist are usually required for NDIS access.

We require at least 12 weeks’ notice for all report or letter requests.

Reports are billed as work is completed:

• Plan-managed clients: In 10-minute increments under the NDIS Price Guide.
• Self-managed/private clients: In 10-minute increments at the treating clinician’s private hourly rate.

Any requested modifications are billed separately at the same rate.

Our therapists may need to assess certain positions and movements with the relevant body area visible. Ideally, we recommend wearing loose shorts that finish above the knee and a singlet, sports crop, or bra.

If you’re not comfortable with this, we can make modifications in most cases and have spare garments available if needed. You’re also welcome to change at the start or during your session.

For Pilates, gym sessions, and classes, typical gym attire is appropriate.

We ask clients and visitors not to wear perfume, cologne or other strongly scented products when attending our practice. Many of our clients are highly sensitive to smells, and several of our therapists are also hypermobile and can become unwell when exposed to strong scents. We appreciate your understanding in helping us keep the clinic comfortable for everyone.

Our telehealth physiotherapy sessions are conducted via Zoom video and audio calls, allowing you to connect with your clinician from the comfort of your own home. These appointments are especially useful for providing advice, education, and exercise-based support—particularly around conservative management strategies for hypermobility specific concerns. This is often a key focus during initial consultations. 

Before your session, we’ll email you a Zoom link. All you’ll need is a stable internet connection and a device with a camera and microphone (like a phone, tablet, or computer). It’s also helpful to have a bit of clear space nearby in case your clinician needs to observe your movement or guide you through exercises. 

While hands-on treatment isn’t possible via telehealth, many of our clients find these sessions extremely valuable for personalised guidance, symptom management, and progressing their home program—especially when attending in person isn’t feasible. 

In the past, we’ve faced challenges, including the resignation of several staff members due to burnout. This highlighted the need to reassess how we worked, particularly given the complexity and unique needs of our clients. Ensuring the well-being of our team is just as important as providing exceptional care.

To address these challenges, consultation times were slightly adjusted to include time for comprehensive documentation. This time was essential for ensuring treatment continuity, monitoring client progress, and meeting legal requirements set by our governing body.

The updated appointment structure is as follows:

• 30-minute consultation: 25 minutes of therapy + 5 minutes for documentation.
• 45-minute consultation: 37 minutes of therapy + 8 minutes for documentation.
• 60-minute consultation: 50 minutes of therapy + 10 minutes for documentation.

As part of a quality improvement process, we undertook efforts to improve the accuracy of clinical notes and decrease the time it took to complete letters. To support this, we now ask each client (on each session) for permission to record the session so a transcript could be created. These transcripts (not your voice recordings) are stored on a secure server for 30 days before being deleted. Rest assured, only details relevant to your session are permanently recorded in your notes. Please know there is no pressure to consent if you have any concerns about this process.

Please read our Cancellation & No Show Policy

Our therapists always endeavour to run on time, and your late arrival to a booked appointment will unfortunately reduce your treatment time. We are unable to add additional time at the end of the appointment to make up for any missed time at the start, as we are usually fully booked. Appointment fees will not be adjusted to account for lost time due to a late arrival.

If you’re feeling unwell with a contagious illness—such as a cold, flu, gastro, or COVID-like symptoms—we kindly ask that you do not attend your appointment in person. Please let us know as soon as possible. 

Where appropriate, we’re happy to switch your appointment to a telehealth session instead. If you haven’t had a telehealth session before and would like more information, we’re more than happy to guide you through how it works. 

If you’re only feeling very mildly unwell, we ask that you wear a mask during your appointment to help protect our team and other clients. 

Please note that fees may still apply, especially for late cancellations. Changing to telehealth can be a great way to keep your care on track and avoid cancellation fees if you’re feeling up to it. 

You should call 000 immediately if you are experiencing symptoms of chest pain, difficulty breathing, or sudden neurological symptoms. 

If you ring up our practice, our reception staff will not be qualified to provide health advice. Unfortunately, our therapists are unable to consult outside of scheduled appointment times due to their busy caseloads.  

If you are concerned about your symptoms, we recommend speaking with a medical professional.  If your pain or symptoms feel significant, different or more severe than what is usual for you – for example, if there is a new loss of function, severe pain, joint dislocation that is not resolving as per usual or symptoms that feel alarming or out of character – we suggest you attend the emergency department or dial triple 000.  Other options for less severe issues would be to contact your GP, an urgent care clinic or call 13HEALTH for advice. 

If the problem seems to be due to something more familiar – and you’re unsure how to manage it, you’re welcome to book a telehealth appointment with one of our clinicians to talk it through. But please understand that it is your own decision to make regarding your health. Let us know if you’d like help checking the earliest availability with one of our clinicians.  

As you can imagine, our therapists care for many clients with complex needs, so they are unable to take phone calls or correspond via email outside of appointment times, except in emergencies.

If you have questions about your exercise program, a flare in symptoms, or would like an earlier appointment, please contact our reception team via phone or email. They can assist you or pass your message along to your therapist.

For general questions that arise between sessions, we recommend keeping a list (e.g., on your phone) to discuss at your next appointment.

In some cases, a short phone or telehealth consultation (up to 15 minutes) can be arranged with your therapist. These are charged at the treating therapist’s equivalent hourly rate.

Yes, the Not Just Bendy Privacy Policy is online at NotJustBendy.com/privacy/

At Not Just Bendy, we take all complaints seriously and aim to resolve them promptly. Please complete our online feedback form here. We strive to acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 48 hours (excluding weekends) and will contact you with further information after investigating, which typically takes up to one week.