WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR FIRST VISIT

 

 

On arrival  You will be asked to complete  a Pre therapy medical questionnaire in order to give the osteopath  background information of the reason for your visit and past and present Health issues.

  

During your initial Consultation, time will be spent discussing your presenting symptoms, taking a full case history following up your general health  as well as the presenting symptoms is aimed at establishing the cause of your problems  remembering that we only see a snapshot. This is aimed at establishing the cause of your problems and will include a physical examination and a written case history to  get a complete picture of your health and lifestyle

 

You may wonder why we ask a lot of questions around the sensations you are feeling and we measure the discomfort using an Visual Analogue scale of 0-10. We look at  the modifying and maintaining factors e.g. what causes them and which positions are comfortable. We are trying to gain an understanding of you as a person, that is the context of the problem and the factors that potentially contributing to the maintenance  of the problem or stressful situation which helps us form a diagnostic hypothesis. I.e. whether your symptoms are what we call “nociceptive” which emanates from the tissues or a “central pain mechanism” (altered processing of the central nervous system )This allows us to build up an "holistic" picture , looking not only at the symptoms, but also at lifestyle etc. so that we can understand why the problem has arisen.

 

You may be asked to remove some of you're clothing to enable a full examination of the relevant area. You will then be asked to perform a series of simple movements which, along with gentle palpation will help the working assessment and cause of the problem  Osteopaths have a finely tuned sense of touch developed from their four years of training, which enables us to feel for tensions in the muscles and  restrictions in mobility of individual vertebrae and bones.

 

 

Treatment itself is like scratching a scab to make it heal, it can cause it own soreness, provokes a reaction  and since this can often mimic the original pain it is often impossible for you to differentiate between the two. Consequently you may feel slightly worse (sore)for  a  short period  post treatment .

 

We will work with you to set realistic goals which suit your level of fitness, agility and lifestyle. By providing individually tailored care we will address your pain and discomfort and will help you to restore maximum movement and functional ability. Whether your symptoms are the result of ageing, injury, disease or environmental factors our, measurable and continually reviewed treatments will aid your safe recovery.

 

 

How Many Sessions will I need

The number of treatments needed varies considerably from person to person and broad depends on

Your age - Generally you heal more slowly as you get older.

Nature of the Problem - Simple backache will often clear up more quickly than a sciatic problem

 

How long have you had the problem

Generally yesterday’s injury will resolve faster than one of ten years standing!

 

Many patients need between three  and six sessions normally at weekly intervals, this allows the tissues to settle occasionally you may need shorter intervals between treatments ,  then gradually more spaced out, by which time noticeable change should occur, though treatment can continue for longer depending on the symptoms Some respond quickly, regardless of age or the length of time that they may have been suffering with their particular problem,