Everything you’d want to know before your first visit, and some things you might not have thought to ask. If something isn’t covered here, just get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting started
No. You can book directly, no GP referral, no specialist letter, no documentation required. Just choose a time and come in.
Yes. The first visit begins with a thorough conversation about your history, your health background, and what you’re hoping for, before any hands-on work begins. Ben will explain what he observes and what he’d suggest before anything happens. Care is adapted to the individual at every visit.
Yes. We regularly see newborns, children at all stages of development, and teenagers. The approach adapts significantly for younger patients, the contacts used with infants are extremely light, no more than a gentle fingertip pressure, and sessions are always at the child’s pace with parents present throughout.
Yes. Network Spinal is particularly well suited to pregnancy, gentle, non-force, and focused on nervous system ease and spinal adaptability at a time when the body is changing rapidly. All care is adapted to your stage of pregnancy and your comfort. No referral from your midwife or obstetrician is required, though if you have specific concerns your care team has flagged, please mention them when you arrive.
Yes. The gentle, non-force approach used here is appropriate for many people who would not be suited to traditional manual manipulation. We take a thorough history at the first visit and takes any relevant health conditions fully into account before recommending any hands-on work. If there is any reason care would not be appropriate, he will say so directly.
The visit
The first visit begins with a proper conversation, your health history, what you’re currently experiencing, what you’ve tried before, and what you’re hoping for. This typically takes fifteen to twenty minutes and shapes everything that follows.
Ben will then carry out a gentle spinal and nervous system assessment, you remain fully clothed throughout, and nothing forceful happens at any point. He’ll explain what he observes. In most cases, he’ll offer a gentle hands-on session in the same visit if you’d like to proceed.
Allow around 60 to 75 minutes for your first visit. Follow-up visits are shorter, typically 15 to 20 minutes.
Something comfortable is ideal, loose clothing makes the assessment easier. That said, most people come straight from the office and that’s perfectly fine. You remain fully clothed throughout the assessment and session.
Follow-up sessions typically run between 15 and 20 minutes, long enough to be meaningful, short enough to fit within a lunch break. Many patients who work nearby schedule sessions during the week.
Of course. You’re welcome to bring a partner, friend, or family member. For children, a parent or guardian is present throughout every session.
In the earlier stages of care, more frequent visits, typically two to three times a week, help the nervous system build momentum and establish new patterns before they default back to old ones. As care develops and the system becomes more self-sustaining, the frequency typically reduces.
We will give you a clear recommendation at your first visit, based on what he observes and what your goals are. There is no obligation beyond the first appointment.
Book a first visit, available throughout the week. No referral needed.
→ Call Us on 08 8232 9515
The methods
No Care at Lifewise is tailored to you, your history, your body, and your preferences. Network Spinal uses light, precise contacts along the spine with no cracking, twisting, or force whatsoever.
Network Spinal is a precise, gentle chiropractic method that works with the relationship between the spine and the nervous system. Rather than applying force to joints, it uses light, specific contacts at key points along the spine, particularly the neck and tailbone, that help the nervous system recognise where it’s been holding tension and begin, at its own pace, to release it.
The contacts don’t impose change. They give the nervous system a kind of signal, well-timed input that invites the body’s own self-correcting intelligence to come online. Over time, the nervous system builds more efficient strategies: less bracing, more adaptability, greater ease.
Physiotherapy and massage work primarily with muscles and joints, effective approaches for what they do. Network Spinal works with the nervous system itself: the part that governs how muscles hold tension, how the body responds to stress, and how quickly it recovers between demands.
For many people, the change they notice is less “my back feels better” and more “I feel like myself again”, a shift that tends to be more durable because it reflects a genuine change in how the nervous system is functioning rather than temporary relief from symptoms.
Network Spinal works with the nervous system’s own capacity to regulate and adapt. People come in for a wide range of reasons, back and neck pain, headaches, postural strain, stress and anxiety, burnout, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, disc and nerve concerns, and more.
Rather than targeting a diagnosis directly, the approach supports the nervous system’s ability to function more efficiently, and many things improve as a result of that, often including issues the person didn’t come in primarily for.
The research page has more detail on the evidence base:
What to expect
You’ll lie face-down on a padded table, fully clothed. Ben makes a series of light, precise contacts along the spine. The contacts themselves are subtle, most people describe them as surprisingly gentle, often less than they expected.
What people notice varies. Some experience a deepening of the breath, a fuller inhale that arrives without effort. Others notice a softening through the shoulders or jaw, a warmth moving through the body, or a wave-like movement through the spine. Some notice very little during the session and feel the difference in the hours that follow. All of these are normal.
Many people notice something within the first few sessions, a fuller breath, a different quality to their sleep, a sense of less tension in the shoulders by the end of the day. Others notice change more gradually, as patterns unwind over multiple visits. Both are completely normal.
More substantial and sustained change typically develops over six to eight weeks of consistent care as the nervous system builds new patterns. We will track your progress with you and adjust the approach based on how you’re responding.
It’s common, particularly in the early stages. Network Spinal Care works at the level of the nervous system, and those changes are often subtle before they become obvious. The most noticeable shifts frequently happen in the hours or days after a session rather than during it.
It’s also worth knowing that Ben monitors your nervous system’s response at every visit. If genuine progress isn’t occurring, the approach is adjusted. The work is always responsive to what your body is showing.
Physical tension and emotional experience are stored together in the body, they’re not as separate as we often assume. As tension patterns release, it’s not uncommon for an emotion to surface alongside the physical shift. This might feel like unexpected sadness, a wave of relief, or simply a sense of being more open or raw than usual.
This is a normal part of how the nervous system processes change. It isn’t something to suppress or push through, simply notice it, give yourself space, and mention it at your next visit. We can help you understand what’s happening and what to expect next.
Yes. There’s no restriction on exercise after a session. If you can, giving yourself an hour or two of relative quiet beforehand allows the nervous system to begin integrating the session without competition from a high-output activity. Many people find that their exercise experience shifts over time as the body develops more fluid movement patterns, better coordination, less effort for the same output.
Practical details
Full fee information is on the fees page. Discounted 10-visit packages are available for patients who want to commit to a course of care.
Ben is a registered Chiropractor, so many private health funds provide cover under chiropractic benefits. Coverage varies by fund and level of cover, it’s worth checking with your provider.
The practice is open Monday to Friday. First visits for new patients are available throughout the week at lunchtimes and on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Follow-up appointments are available across all open days. If none of the available times suit, get in touch directly and we will do our best to accommodate you.
50/81 Carrington Street Adelaide. See here for full directions and transport options:
Discounted 10-visit packages are available and represent the most cost-effective way to engage in a sustained course of care. Please speak with Ben directly about these options.
Getting the most from care
Nothing specific. Coming in with an open awareness of how your body feels, rather than pushing through the day on autopilot, tends to make the experience richer. But there’s nothing required. Just arrive.
A session is not something done to you, it’s something you participate in. The more attention you bring to what’s happening in the body during the session, the more the nervous system tends to respond. A few things that help:
Notice sensation. As you settle onto the table, take stock of where tension is held, in the neck, the shoulders, the jaw, the breath. You don’t need to do anything with it. Just notice.
Follow your breath. Breath is one of the most direct signals the nervous system uses. If you notice your breath changing, deepening, slowing, shifting, let it. Don’t direct it, just allow it.
Let the body move if it wants to. Some people notice a spontaneous movement, a wave through the spine, a shift in the shoulders, a release in the hips. This is the nervous system organising itself. You don’t need to suppress it or exaggerate it.
Stay focused on your experience. Conversation during a session pulls the nervous system back into analytical mode, which works against the integration happening on the table. Save questions and observations for before or after.
Take your time afterwards. Don’t rush off the table. Give yourself a minute to notice how you feel before you re-engage with the day. The integration continues for some time after you leave, the quality of the next hour or two matters.
Whatever is different. That’s the most useful thing to track, not whether you feel dramatically better, but what has shifted. Breath. The way tension is held in the mornings. How you respond to something stressful. How you sleep. How your body feels at the end of a working day compared to usual.
Small, consistent shifts are more meaningful than dramatic ones. They’re the signal that the nervous system is building new patterns rather than simply relaxing temporarily.
Still have a question?
If something isn’t covered here, get in touch directly. Or simply come in — the first visit is largely a conversation, and we’re happy to answer anything.