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The First Visit · Mornington
Forty minutes.Here's all of it.
Most people book a first appointment without knowing what they're walking into. This is the whole thing, start to finish, so you don't have to guess.
Dale Peirson · Senior Myotherapist · 25 years
The questionnaire — please do it early
When you book, you'll be sent a new patient history questionnaire by email. Fill it in at home, in your own time, before you come in.
This matters more than it sounds. Dale reads it before you walk through the door. He wants to arrive at the appointment already understanding your history, so the forty minutes is spent examining and treating you rather than taking down background he could have read the night before.
It's also simply a better place to do it. Recalling when something started, what you've already tried and which specialist said what is easier at your own kitchen table than on a clipboard in a waiting room.
Haven't got to it? Not a problem — just arrive 10 to 15 minutes early and you can complete it at the clinic before your appointment starts.
Before you arrive
- Wear
- Something you can move in. Shorts or leggings if it's a leg or back problem. You stay fully dressed throughout — no gowns, no towels.
- Bring
- Any scans or specialist reports if you have them. If you don't, that's completely fine — nothing about the appointment depends on them.
- Arrive
- A few minutes early is plenty. Parking is on site at 12/1140 Nepean Highway.
- Health fund
- Bring your card. HICAPS is on site, so any rebate comes off on the spot rather than being claimed back later.
Where the forty minutes go
Four things happen, and they are not evenly sized. Most of the appointment is hands-on treatment — this is not a warm-up visit where you come back next week for the actual work.
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History5 min
What you do, what set it off, what you've already tried, and what it's currently stopping you doing. Short, because you completed the questionnaire before you came in and Dale has already read it.
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Examination5 min
Range of movement, what loads it and what unloads it, strength, and what the joints above and below are contributing. Testing rather than assuming.
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Explanation5 min
You get told what's actually going on, in plain words, before anything is done to you. If Dale isn't sure, he says so.
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Treatment25 min
The bulk of the appointment. Hands-on work starts today — soft tissue work, trigger point release, dry needling if it's the right tool and you're happy with it — plus the two or three things worth changing before the next visit.
Those minutes are indicative, not a stopwatch. A complicated history takes longer and the treatment shortens; a straightforward one goes the other way. What doesn't change is that treatment is the biggest part of the appointment.
What myotherapy actually is
Myotherapy is the clinical assessment and treatment of muscle and joint pain. In practice, that means some combination of these — chosen after the examination, not before it:
- Soft tissue therapy — hands-on work to release tension and restore movement through a muscle.
- Trigger point therapy — direct pressure on the specific points reproducing your pain.
- Dry needling — fine needles into deep muscle tension. Optional, explained first, and never done without your say-so.
- Stretching and exercise prescription — the small number of things you do between appointments that make the treatment hold.
It is not a relaxation massage, and it isn't trying to be. The goal is that it holds.
After the appointment
You'll leave knowing three things: what's driving the problem, what was done about it today, and what to do before the next visit.
Nobody can tell you what your back needs over the phone, and anyone who tries is guessing. You will leave the first appointment knowing what is actually going on and what happens next.
Some people feel loose and easy afterwards. Some feel a bit worked-over for a day, particularly after firm work on something long-standing. Both are normal, and Dale will tell you which to expect before you leave.
Book your first appointment
Forty minutes with Dale, now that you know exactly what the forty minutes holds. Pick a time below — it books straight into his diary, and you'll have a confirmation in your inbox before you close the page.
Pick a time with Dale.
Booked.
With Dale Peirson at 12/1140 Nepean Highway, Mornington. Parking on site. Wear something you can move in — you stay fully dressed.
A confirmation is on its way to your email. If anything changes, call 03 5947 4896.
Our booking form isn't loading right now. Book on the clinic system instead, or call 03 5947 4896.
Nothing to pay now. $160 on the day, with your health fund rebate taken off at the counter. Need to move it? Ring 03 5947 4896.
Senior Myotherapist · 25 years
Dale Peirson
Twenty-five years of hands on people who'd been told to rest it. Dale's caseload is chronic and complex — the backs, shoulders and necks that have already been through a few other pairs of hands.
He's the only myotherapist here, so the person who assesses you is the person who treats you, every visit.
What people actually say
I had been putting up with stubborn elbow pain from tennis for months. The team at Mornington Peninsula Myotherapy and Massage really understands musculoskeletal issues, and after a few targeted remedial massage sessions, my arm is finally pain-free.
Chronic neck pain had been ruining my sleep for years. The targeted myotherapy and remedial massage here finally gave me the relief I couldn't find anywhere else.
Sitting all day wrecked my lower back, but Dale's targeted myotherapy provided immediate relief. Highly recommend his clinic for anyone dealing with desk-related chronic back pain!
Verbatim from the clinic's Google profile · 5.0 from 60 reviews
Book an appointment
40 minutes with Dale. No referral needed.
Book a first appointmentMonday to Thursday · 12/1140 Nepean Highway, Mornington
No referral needed. Book directly, or call the clinic and ask whatever you'd rather ask a person.