PATIENT INFO — William Keane Traditional Chinese Medicine
ACUPUNCTURE HERBAL MEDICINE PHYSICAL THERAPIES
WHAT TO EXPECT HEALTH FUND CLAIMS FAQ
YOUR PRACTITIONER TCM PHILOSOPHY

PATIENT INFO

 
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What to expect

Initial consultation

As you enter the building, we ask that you sanitise your hands using the sanitiser in the entryway. Make your way to the central waiting room, take a seat and enjoy the views of the rainforest. I will collect you and bring you into the treatment room, which is equipped with a comfortable patient bed. It’s a good idea to wear loose, comfortable clothes to your session, but not necessary. Make sure to bring any reports from blood tests and imaging related to the condition you’re seeking treatment for.We will spend time discussing your health concerns, your medical history and any symptoms that you may be experiencing. I may also ask questions about your lifestyle, sleep patterns and digestion. 

Diagnosis

I will closely examine

  • The parts of your body that are painful

  • The shape, coating and color of your tongue

  • The color of your face

  • The strength, rhythm and quality of the pulse in your wrist

  • The alignment of your spine and posture

This provides me with information about the treatments that are going to be most effective for you. I will tell you what I plan to do during the treatment, and whether you need to remove any clothing. I will leave the room to give you privacy as you disrobe, and will ask you to lay down on the bed and cover yourself with a towel. 

During treatment

You will find that I work on different areas of your body, and may use simultaneous treatments e.g. Acupuncture and cupping at the same time. To get the best result, I may ask you to rest quietly for up to 10 minutes with the acupuncture needles, cups or heat lamp in place. This is a standard practice to give your body the opportunity to obtain the full benefits of the treatment.Your comfort is important to me, so please let me know how you are feeling or if you have any questions about what is happening. Although these medical treatments can cause temporary discomfort, you should not experience strong pain.  

After treatment

I will check how you are feeling, and may again check the pulse in your wrist to see how you have responded to the treatment. The effects of the treatment will continue for several days.Depending on your condition, I may provide you with some dietary recommendations of foods to avoid and foods that will support your healing.Also, I will often prescribe and provide a Chinese Herbal formula for you to take over the following weeks. This helps your body to continue to heal and rebalance in between consultations.You may be feeling either calm and sleepy or energised after the treatment. You are welcome to help yourself to tea, coffee or water in the kitchen and spend some time relaxing in the serenity of the waiting room before continuing your day.

 
 
 

Health Fund Claims

Eligibility

If you have private health insurance, you may be eligible to claim a rebate for your consultation and treatment. Claims are available if you have Extras cover that provides cover for either Acupuncture or Chinese Herbal Medicine. The amount of any rebate will depend on your health fund, level of cover and waiting periods. Please contact your health fund to find out how much you can claim on your consultations. Consultations and treatments are not covered by Medicare. 

Registered funds

My registration numbers to help you to make a claim are listed on the receipt. I am registered with all of the major health funds. 

How to make a claim

Login to your health fund portal and follow the steps to make a claim. This may involve entering the relevant details and/or taking a photo of your receipt. You will receive a receipt via email immediately after the treatment. Alternatively, download a claim form from your health fund’s site and lodge it with a copy of your receipt.

Many health funds require an image of the receipt to be uploaded when lodging an online claim. If you can access your email via your phone, the inbuilt screenshot capability may be able to simplify the health fund claim process. From your phone email, capture an image (photo) of the emailed receipt using the following instructions. The image will then be accessible for upload to the health fund claim.

For Android : https://support.google.com/android/answer/9075928
For iPhone : https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT200289

 
 

FAQ

Q: HOW MANY TREATMENTS WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

I aim to help you to feel better as quickly as possible. There is no way to predict how quickly your body will respond to the treatment, so we will discuss your progress at each consultation. I will recommend an appropriate length of time between consultations. You should expect to see significant progress within 3-4 treatments.

For chronic health conditions, it may take a greater number of treatments to build your health before we agree upon a maintenance schedule.

Remember: the things that are concerns now have usually taken time to develop. So they can take time to heal.

Many patients find it helpful to visit every few months for maintenance treatments to ensure that their body remains in balance.

Q: WHAT CONDITIONS DO YOU TREAT? CAN YOU HELP ME WITH MY PARTICULAR ISSUE?

I see a variety of people, with a variety of issues. Traditional Chinese Medicine is concerned with treating the person, not the disease process or a set of symptoms.

Most patients come seeking help with something particular in mind, but through treatment, you’ll see a general improvement in vitality.

Typically, patients need assistance to address an underlying issue where treating the symptom alone has not been able to resolve the cause of the problem. TCM is a therapeutic approach you seek when you wish to understand the underlying cause of the imbalance, as well as address any current discomfort.

Q: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

See the Book Now tab for the consultation fee.

Q: IS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM) SAFE?

Traditional Chinese Medicine is generally considered to be safe but occasionally (as with all health treatments) may be associated with possible adverse reactions in rare cases.

TCM is tightly regulated in Australia. Practitioners need to have completed an approved qualification, be registered with AHPRA and belong to a professional association.

There is empirical evidence that TCM has long proven to be successful in treating many health complaints. A review by the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA) of scientific literature has assessed the evidence for the efficacy and cost effectiveness of Acupuncture treatments and the results can be found here.

For Acupuncture, I use sterile single-use only needles from quality assured manufacturers. All herbs and supplements are practitioner-prescribed only, are approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and go through stringent testing and evaluation by reputable independent bodies.

Q: CAN I CHOOSE THE TREATMENT I WANT DONE?

I will consider any treatment requests that you have, however you may not achieve the optimum results from the session if I do not use the treatment regime that I would select based on my extensive professional experience.

Q: CAN I TAKE WESTERN MEDICINE AND CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE TOGETHER?

Or should I stop taking western medicine while I am taking Chinese Herbal Medicine?

It is fine to continue with any Western medicine that you take, although I recommend that you leave a 2 hour gap between the Western medicine and Chinese Herbal Medicine.

Do not reduce or stop taking prescription medicine without consulting your General Practitioner.

Q: CAN I RECEIVE TREATMENT WHEN I AM PREGNANT?

Yes, you definitely can receive treatment, although you should tell me once you suspect that you are pregnant. There are some acupuncture points that are not appropriate for a pregnant patient, but it is very common to have Acupuncture when you are pregnant. It can be an effective way to help you to manage any symptoms that you experience and support your health as you move through the stages of pregnancy.

Q: CAN YOU TREAT CHILDREN WITH TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE?

Yes, it is common to treat children and will adjust the treatment to suit their age and size.

Children under 16 years old need to have parent or guardian present during the consultation and treatment.

Q: WHY AREN"T EXPRESS TREATMENTS OFFERED?

As the treatments progress, there will be changes in the systems of your body. These changes need to be recognised and encouraged. Each consultation will involve adjustments to the treatment and this takes time. Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the holistic state of your body, not just individual symptoms.