Question: I have a certificate from a registered Chinese medical practitioner (listed on the Australian Medical Association website) recommending that we get a medicine ball for our staff member to sit on to help her with a pre-existing back injury.

Should we consider this doctor’s recommendation? Is it the same as getting this recommendation from a GP? In legal terms, I’m not sure what the status of Chinese medical practitioners who specialise in acupuncture is. Does their advice hold up legally if we implement the changes and they exacerbate the staff member’s condition?

We also have a certificate from a GP, which states that the staff member is fit for work, but suggests regular periods of standing, with no mention of sitting on a medicine ball.