Darren Cheah
Physiotherapist · Fitzroy North
Physiotherapist with a clinical interest in lower back pain, using assessment, hands-on care, education and exercise rehabilitation.
Meet Darren CheahBACK AND LEG SYMPTOMS · MELBOURNE
Sciatica stopping you sitting, driving or sleeping?
Get a plan for the day you want back.
The drive to work. An evening on the couch. A night when you cannot find a comfortable position. Back and leg symptoms can turn ordinary parts of the day into a constant negotiation.
Sciatica is nerve-related pain that can travel from the lower back into the buttock or leg. Premier assesses your symptoms, explains the findings and connects suitable hands-on treatment with a written starting plan. You know what to change, what to practise and what we will review.
Book a back and leg assessmentBook Physiotherapy · New Patient if new to Premier. Need help choosing? Call 03 9481 7794.
Brunswick · Fitzroy North · Thornbury
40,000patients served
20 yearsin the community
30 expertsacross Premier
One teambehind your care
START WITH YOUR DAY
Tell us which part of the day your leg symptoms interrupt.
Does pain build in the car, spread down the leg at your desk or wake you when you turn over? Tell us where it travels, what brings it on and what changes it. Bring any reports or advice you already have.
We use that information with an examination of relevant movement, strength and nerve-related signs. Your starting plan should make sense for the actual task you need to manage.
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE TREATING
Sciatica describes the symptoms. The assessment guides the plan.
Sciatica usually refers to pain travelling from the lower back into the buttock or leg along a nerve-related distribution. Tingling or numbness can occur too. Disc-related problems and spinal narrowing are among the possible contributors; not every painful leg has the same cause.
Your practitioner explains what the findings suggest, whether allied health treatment is appropriate and whether medical assessment is needed. You do not need to choose the diagnosis before asking what to book.
MAKE THE FIRST VISIT USEFUL
Leave knowing what to do between this visit and the next.
We discuss the symptoms, examine the relevant back and leg findings and explain your options. With your consent, suitable hands-on care or movement work can begin when the assessment supports it.
Your written plan sets out selected exercises, practical activity changes and what to do if the response changes. Strength and conditioning or Clinical Pilates can be added when clinically required.
YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
Bring your questions. Leave with a starting plan.
Bring your symptom history, medicines list, scan reports if you have them and any specialist advice. Tell us what matters most now: sleep, work, driving, walking or training. We agree a realistic starting task and the next point for review.
Your takeaways
- An explanation of the assessment findings
- Suitable treatment options discussed with you
- A written exercise and activity plan
- A documented plan for reviewing your response
WHEN RELIEF DOES NOT LAST
The next review should check more than how you feel on the treatment table.
A useful review connects symptom changes with your agreed task: sitting through part of a workday, tolerating a drive or walking a familiar route. We also reassess relevant strength, movement and nerve-related findings.
We document progress and adapt the plan. If the pattern is not improving as expected, we discuss the next clinical or medical step instead of simply repeating the same visit.
PEOPLE AND PRACTICAL DETAILS
Choose a physiotherapist with back-pain rehabilitation experience.
Matt Taylor
Physiotherapist · Brunswick
Works with chronic lower back pain, knee ligament injuries and sporting rehabilitation, using hands-on care and progressive exercise selected around the patient’s goals.
Meet Matt TaylorReception can confirm the appropriate practitioner, appointment and current availability.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BOOK
Answers for the next decision.
Is sciatica the same as a disc bulge?
No. Sciatica describes nerve-related leg symptoms; a disc bulge is a structural finding. A disc problem can contribute, but the history and examination guide interpretation and care.
Should I keep walking or stop exercising?
We help you choose a manageable level of walking or exercise based on your symptoms and examination, and explain what response should prompt a change. Your starting plan gives you practical activity guidance.
Do I need a scan before booking?
You can ask about an assessment without arranging a scan yourself. Bring existing reports. Your clinician or doctor can advise whether imaging or another medical investigation is indicated.
Will I receive treatment at the first visit?
Suitable treatment can begin with your consent when the findings support it. If medical assessment should come first, we explain that next step.
How do you check progress?
We document symptoms, relevant clinical findings and the task agreed with you, such as sitting, driving or walking tolerance. Reviews guide whether to adapt or progress the plan.
When do I need urgent medical help?
Seek urgent medical care for new bladder or bowel changes, numbness around the groin or saddle region, severe or worsening leg weakness, major trauma or other medically urgent symptoms. Call 000 in an emergency.
YOUR NEXT APPOINTMENT
Make your next appointment about the day you want back.
Book an assessment of your back and leg symptoms. Tell us what is difficult and what you have already tried, so the appointment starts with your priorities.
Choose Physiotherapy, your preferred clinic and a New Patient appointment if you are new to Premier. Follow the Re-Exam guidance if you have not attended in six months. Call reception if you are unsure.
Book a back and leg assessmentCurrent fees and appointment types are confirmed by reception. Check private health cover for the chosen practitioner and service with your insurer.
LOCAL CARE
Find your clinic.
Brunswick
2/200 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056
Fitzroy North
373–375 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Thornbury
680 High Street, Thornbury VIC 3071
RELATED CARE
Follow the question that fits your situation.
- Premier Back Pain Reset Protocol
- Disc bulge and disc-related back pain
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- SI joint pain
- Physiotherapy at Premier
When medical care comes first: New bladder or bowel changes, saddle-region numbness, or severe or worsening leg weakness need urgent medical assessment. Major trauma, fever or other medically concerning symptoms also need medical advice. Call 000 in an emergency.
Clinical information sources
Healthdirect: sciatica · Healthdirect: spinal disc problems
Prepared 18 October 2026. General information supports an individual assessment.