If you are an NDIS participant, you may be able to use your NDIS funding for physiotherapy when the service is an appropriate disability-related support and meets the NDIS funding requirements.
Physiotherapy can help people work towards goals involving mobility, transfers, balance, physical independence, participation and everyday activities.
But not every physiotherapy appointment is automatically an NDIS support.
The key question is why you need physiotherapy and what functional outcome the therapy is intended to achieve.
This guide explains how NDIS physiotherapy works, when home physiotherapy may be appropriate, what your physiotherapist may assess, and what information can help demonstrate the functional purpose of therapy.
Last reviewed: August 2026
Can the NDIS fund physiotherapy?
Yes.
The NDIS lists physiotherapy among the therapy supports that it may fund where the relevant NDIS funding criteria are met.
The NDIS describes therapy supports as supports that can help participants improve or maintain skills and independence in areas such as mobility, movement, personal care, community living and everyday functioning.
However, being prescribed or recommended physiotherapy does not automatically mean that the NDIS will fund every physiotherapy service.
The support must meet the applicable NDIS requirements.
What is the difference between medical physiotherapy and NDIS physiotherapy?
This is one of the most important questions for participants and families.
Physiotherapy is a health profession, but the NDIS does not fund health care simply because a person has a medical condition.
The purpose of the physiotherapy matters.
For example, physiotherapy following surgery may be primarily related to treatment of a health condition and may therefore sit within the health system.
By contrast, physiotherapy may potentially be relevant to the NDIS when it addresses the ongoing functional impact of a participant's disability and helps them build, maintain or support independence and participation.
The NDIS considers the individual circumstances and the purpose of the support.
What can NDIS-funded physiotherapy help with?
Depending on your disability and goals, physiotherapy may address areas such as:
* Walking and mobility
* Transfers
* Balance
* Strength
* Physical endurance
* Mobility around the home
* Use of mobility equipment
* Functional movement
* Participation in community activities
* Maintaining physical function
* Reducing the impact of functional decline
* Developing strategies for everyday activities
* Training family members or support workers where clinically appropriate
The specific goals should be individual to the participant.
A useful physiotherapy goal is not simply:
> "Improve strength."
A more meaningful functional goal might be:
> "Improve lower-limb strength and balance so I can safely transfer from my bed to my wheelchair with less assistance."
The second goal explains why the therapy matters in everyday life.
Why home physiotherapy can be useful for NDIS participants
For many participants, the home is where their functional difficulties are most obvious.
A clinic assessment may show that someone can perform a particular movement in a controlled environment.
A home assessment can reveal what happens when that person:
* Gets out of their own bed
* Moves through a narrow hallway
* Transfers from their usual chair
* Uses their bathroom
* Walks across their normal flooring
* Manages stairs
* Uses their mobility aid
* Carries out everyday tasks
* Interacts with their support workers
This can make home physiotherapy particularly useful when the participant's goals are focused on independence and daily function.
What happens during an NDIS home physiotherapy assessment?
Your first appointment is usually about understanding the participant rather than simply testing individual muscles.
A physiotherapist may assess:
1. Your goals
What do you want to be able to do?
This might involve personal care, moving around your home, getting into the community, returning to work or study, exercising, or participating in social activities.
2. Your current functional ability
Your physiotherapist may assess:
* Walking
* Transfers
* Balance
* Strength
* Coordination
* Endurance
* Range of movement
* Functional mobility
3. Your home environment
Where appropriate, the physiotherapist may consider whether the physical environment creates barriers to independence.
4. Your current supports
This may include mobility equipment, support workers, family assistance or other services involved in your care.
5. Your rehabilitation potential and ongoing needs
The physiotherapist considers what intervention is likely to be useful and what outcomes can reasonably be expected.
Does NDIS physiotherapy have to be provided in a clinic?
No.
Therapy can be delivered in environments that are appropriate for the participant and the goals of the support.
For someone whose goals involve moving safely around their home, practising transfers or becoming more independent with everyday activities, the home can be a clinically useful treatment environment.
What does "reasonable and necessary" mean?
NDIS supports must meet the relevant reasonable and necessary criteria.
The NDIS states that supports need to relate to the participant's disability, help them work towards their goals and be likely to be effective and beneficial, among other criteria.
The NDIS also considers value for money and whether the support should more appropriately be provided by another system.
This is why a physiotherapy report should explain the participant's functional needs and the reason the proposed therapy is required, rather than simply stating that physiotherapy would be helpful.
What evidence can a physiotherapist provide?
Depending on the participant's circumstances, physiotherapy evidence may include:
* Functional assessment findings
* Current mobility limitations
* Balance or falls risk
* Transfer ability
* Strength and movement findings
* Functional goals
* Recommended intervention
* Expected outcomes
* Frequency and duration of therapy
* Progress over time
* Barriers to independence
* The relationship between the disability and the functional limitation
Good clinical documentation connects the assessment to the participant's real-life goals.
What if the participant needs ongoing physiotherapy?
Ongoing therapy needs to remain clinically justified.
The physiotherapist should be able to explain:
* What the therapy is trying to achieve
* Why the participant requires professional physiotherapy
* What progress has occurred
* What functional outcomes are expected
* Whether the therapy should continue
* Whether another person could be trained to support the participant with aspects of the program
The appropriate therapy frequency is different for every participant.
There is no single number of physiotherapy sessions that is appropriate for every NDIS participant.
Can physiotherapy be used to maintain function?
The purpose of therapy can include helping a participant maintain functional ability and reduce decline where the relevant NDIS criteria are met.
This is particularly important for people with progressive or permanent disabilities.
However, "maintenance" should not simply mean providing indefinite treatment without a clear functional rationale.
The physiotherapist should explain why the support is required, what it achieves and why the proposed model of support is appropriate.
What does NDIS physiotherapy cost?
NDIS pricing arrangements change over time.
The NDIS publishes current pricing arrangements and maximum price information, including therapy support pricing.
From 1 July 2026, the NDIS pricing schedule applies to the current pricing period.
Participants and providers should use the current NDIS pricing arrangements rather than relying on older online articles or historical price lists.
Your physiotherapist should also explain:
* The service fee
* Travel charges, if applicable
* Report-writing fees, if applicable
* Cancellation policies
* How services will be claimed
* What is included in the appointment
Can support coordinators refer someone for home physiotherapy?
Yes, a participant may be connected with a physiotherapist through their support network, which can include family members, support coordinators, plan managers or other professionals.
However, the participant remains at the centre of the decision-making process.
The physiotherapy program should be based on the participant's goals and functional needs.
What should I ask a physiotherapist before booking?
Ask:
1. Are you AHPRA registered?
2. Do you provide home visits in my area?
3. Do you work with NDIS participants?
4. Can you assess functional mobility in the home?
5. What happens during the first appointment?
6. How are goals documented?
7. Do you provide progress reports when required?
8. How are travel and report-writing fees handled?
9. What are your cancellation terms?
10. How do you communicate with support coordinators and other treating professionals?
NDIS physiotherapy in North Tasmania
Physio to Home provides mobile physiotherapy for NDIS participants across North Tasmania.
Home-based physiotherapy can be particularly appropriate when a participant's goals involve mobility, transfers, balance, independence or participation in their usual home and community environments.
Our approach is focused on practical function rather than simply treating an isolated body part.
Important information for NDIS participants
NDIS funding decisions are made by the NDIA under the NDIS Act, Rules and current guidelines.
A physiotherapist can assess your needs and provide clinical evidence, but a recommendation from a health professional does not by itself guarantee that the NDIS will fund the requested support.
NDIS rules and pricing arrangements can change. Always check the current NDIS information relevant to your plan.
About the author
Micheal Ghattas, DPT
AHPRA Registered Physiotherapist
Physio to Home | North Tasmania
Micheal provides home-based physiotherapy for people living with neurological, musculoskeletal, mobility and rehabilitation needs across North Tasmania.