Do I need a referral for soft tissue therapy?

No. You can book directly without a GP or consultant referral. Soft tissue therapy at Achilles Clinic is self-referral. If your condition requires medical investigation before treatment, we will identify that at the clinical assessment and direct you appropriately.

Soft tissue therapy addresses musculoskeletal conditions (muscle, fascia, tendon, and connective tissue) that do not require a prescribing clinician. The ISRM Level 5 qualification includes clinical assessment skills to identify presentations that are appropriate for manual therapy and those that are not.

If your presenting complaint involves red flags: night pain that does not change with position, unexplained weight loss, fever, bowel or bladder symptoms, neurological symptoms (weakness, numbness, foot drop), or trauma with possible fracture, a medical assessment should happen before any manual therapy. We will tell you this at the clinical assessment.

Achilles Clinic provides itemised receipts for all sessions. Many health insurance providers reimburse soft tissue therapy at ISRM Level 5. Check your policy for "sports massage" or "soft tissue therapy" coverage. We do not handle insurance claims directly, but we will provide the documentation you need.