Nobody enjoys asking what treatment costs. You are already in pain, you do not know how many visits you will need, and you are quietly worried the answer is going to be “it depends” followed by a number that keeps climbing.
So let us just answer it.
Atlas Spine Clinic publishes its full rates on the price list page. No quotes, no “call for pricing,” no pressure to book before you find out what you are committing to. This guide walks through what those numbers actually mean for you, what insurance usually covers, and roughly what a full course of care tends to add up to.
One thing worth saying before the numbers: you can start at zero. Atlas offers a free 15 minute consultation, and it exists for exactly this reason. It is a chance to sit down, describe what is going on, and get some initial thoughts on it before any money changes hands. If you are not sure treatment is even the right call, start there.
What a visit costs
Chiropractic and physiotherapy are priced the same way at Atlas:
| Visit | Length | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Initial assessment and treatment | 35 to 45 min | $110 |
| Subsequent treatment (standard) | 25 to 30 min | $80 |
| Subsequent treatment (extended) | 40 to 45 min | $100 |
| Subsequent treatment (complex) | 55 to 60 min | $110 |
Other services:
| Service | Rate |
|---|---|
| Registered massage therapy | $75 (30 min), $95 (45 min), $110 (60 min) |
| Acupuncture and fire cupping | $75 (30 min), $100 (45 min), $120 (60 min) |
| Osteopathy | $75 to $110 depending on length |
| Naturopathy | $125 to $250 depending on length |
Two things people miss. Massage therapy and osteopathy have HST added on top of the listed rate, so the number you see is not the number you pay. Chiropractic and physiotherapy do not. And there is a 24 hour cancellation policy: give less notice than that and a $50 fee may apply.
Products are separate: custom orthotics are $495, orthopaedic braces start at $300, compression socks start at $140, and a TENS machine starts at $300.
Rates can change, so treat the price list as the source of truth rather than this article.
The number you actually want: what does the whole thing cost?
A per visit rate is not what you are really asking. You want to know what this costs you by the time you are done.
Atlas does not sell packages or bundles, and that is deliberate. Their own wording is that sessions are “treatment based, tailored to individual needs, and not limited by time.” You are not buying a block of ten visits up front and hoping you need them.
What they will tell you is the realistic range. From the physiotherapy FAQ: most acute injuries resolve in 4 to 8 sessions. Chronic conditions and post surgical rehab can take longer, and your practitioner gives you a realistic timeline at the first visit rather than at visit six.
So you can do the math yourself from the published rates. An acute case running 4 to 8 sessions means one initial assessment at $110 plus three to seven standard follow ups at $80. That lands somewhere in the region of $350 to $670 in total, before any insurance.
To be clear, that is illustrative math from the published rates, not a quote from the clinic. Your plan depends on your injury, how long you have had it, and how you respond. Someone with a six week old ankle sprain and someone with fifteen years of low back pain are not the same case. But it gives you an honest order of magnitude, which is more than most clinics will give you before you walk in.
And a course of care has an end. The clinic reassesses as you go and tells you when you are done, rather than quietly booking you forever.
How insurance works here
Most people paying for chiropractic or physiotherapy in Ontario are not paying the full sticker price. They are paying whatever is left after their extended health plan.
Atlas is set up for this. In their own words, they are “an authorized clinic to perform direct billing,” and they will send claims to your insurance provider using e claims on your behalf where that option is available. If direct billing is not an option with your plan, they provide a receipt to submit yourself.
In practice that means one of two things happens:
- Direct billing works with your plan. You pay only your portion at the desk, if anything. The claim goes to your insurer electronically and you never chase it.
- Direct billing is not available with your plan. You pay, you get a receipt, you submit it, your insurer reimburses you.
Either way the coverage is the same. The difference is only whether you wait for the money.
The honest caveat: plans vary enormously. Some cover a fixed dollar amount per year, some cover a percentage per visit, some cap the number of visits, and some require a doctor’s referral for reimbursement even though Atlas does not require one to treat you. The clinic can help clarify your coverage before your first visit, and it is worth doing that rather than guessing.
Injured at work: WSIB
If you were hurt on the job, this section is the one that matters, and the answer is much simpler.
Atlas is a WSIB approved physiotherapy clinic. Services are fully covered by WSIB for eligible claims, including assessment, rehabilitation, and return to work programs, and the clinic bills WSIB directly. Their own page puts it plainly: no out of pocket costs for covered treatments.
So on an approved claim, the rates above are not your problem. They also handle the WSIB forms and the communication with your case manager, which is the part most injured workers dread.
The qualifiers matter and we are not going to hide them: the claim has to be eligible, and the treatment has to be covered. WSIB decides both of those, not the clinic. But if your claim is approved, you are not paying for your rehab. More on how that works on the workplace injury rehabilitation page.
Hurt in a car accident
If your injury came from a motor vehicle accident, treatment is generally handled through your auto insurance rather than your extended health plan, under Ontario’s no fault accident benefits system.
Atlas is an FSRA approved facility licensed to provide MVA related treatment, and offers direct billing to auto insurance, which as the clinic puts it “may help to prevent paying out of pocket.”
We are quoting that carefully on purpose. Auto insurance claims are approved treatment plan by treatment plan, and what gets approved varies by case. Rather than promise you it costs nothing, the right move is to call and have your specific coverage confirmed before you start. There is more detail on the MVA rehabilitation page, and we walked through the insurance side in our post accident insurance guide.
Is physiotherapy covered by OHIP?
Short version, and this comes straight from the clinic’s own FAQ: physiotherapy is not covered by OHIP for most adults, but it is covered by most extended health benefit plans. Atlas also accepts WSIB claims and direct bills for MVA patients.
So for the average working adult in Scarborough, the funding route is extended health, WSIB, or auto insurance, not OHIP.
What we would tell a friend
If cost is the thing stopping you from booking, here is the practical order of operations.
Book the free 15 minute consultation first. It costs nothing, and you will find out whether you even need a course of treatment before you spend anything. Bring your insurance details to that conversation and ask them to check your coverage, because knowing your per visit portion changes the decision entirely. And ask what the plan looks like: how many visits, and what the reassessment point is. A clinic that will not answer that is one you should be wary of.
Then decide. Pain that you ignore for six months is rarely cheaper in the end.
Find out what your care would actually cost
Book the free 15 minute consultation, or call and we will help you check your coverage before you commit to anything.
Call (647) 794-6868 or book online.
Atlas Spine Clinic, 21 Glendinning Ave, Scarborough, ON M1W 3E2.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a first chiropractic or physiotherapy visit at Atlas?
The initial assessment and treatment is $110 and runs 35 to 45 minutes. Follow up visits are $80, $100, or $110 depending on length and complexity. Full rates are on the price list.
Do you direct bill my insurance?
Yes, where your plan allows it. Atlas is an authorized direct billing clinic and submits claims electronically on your behalf. If your plan does not support direct billing, you get a receipt to submit for reimbursement.
Do I need a doctor’s referral?
Not to be treated. Some extended health plans require one for reimbursement, so check your plan.
How many visits will I need?
Most acute injuries resolve in 4 to 8 sessions. Chronic or post surgical cases can take longer. You get a realistic timeline at your first visit, and there are no packages to buy up front.
Does WSIB cover this?
Atlas is a WSIB approved clinic and bills WSIB directly, with no out of pocket cost to you for covered treatments on an eligible claim.
Is there a cancellation fee?
Give at least 24 hours notice by call or text. Less than that and a $50 fee may apply.
