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Osteopathy - What to expect

Osteopathy Consultation

Before Your Initial Consultation

It may be necessary for the osteopath to ask you to remove some clothing, so that they can see and touch the areas of the body causing concern.

If you are uncomfortable undressing to your underwear the osteopath may be able to suggest clothing, such as shorts and T Shirt, or close fitting garments, that will enable them to work effectively without making you feel uncomfortable, so please do discuss this.

You are welcome to bring someone with you into the examination room if this puts you at ease and you may wish to ask for an osteopath of the same sex as yourself.

Initial Consultation

Your first consultation will last 60 minutes, please ensure you book a new patient consultation. When you first visit an osteopath they will spend some time taking a medical history, which will include questions about your general health and lifestyle as well as asking you about the symptoms or injuries that you are seeking help with. With your consent they will then perform a physical examination, which is likely to involve the osteopath touching the areas of your body that are experiencing pain and asking you to move around.

Osteopaths are highly skilled in a technique called palpation which means they can use their finely tuned receptors of touch to detect abnormalities.
They may also look at test results, x-rays and scan reports if these are available.

The osteopath will make a diagnosis and discuss a course of treatment with you. This may involve visiting them a few times for manual therapy, some exercises that you can do by yourself and some lifestyle changes. They will discuss the likely cost of this treatment and ask for your consent to begin treatment. If the osteopath believes that your condition would not be improved with osteopathic treatment they will refer you to your GP or another suitably qualified professional and may provide you with notes explaining their diagnosis and why they feel osteopathic treatment would not help you.

Is Treatment Painful?

Osteopaths work very hard to make treatment as painless as possible, but you may experience some discomfort during and after treatment. Your osteopath will warn you if they think that the technique that they are about to use is likely to be uncomfortable and will stop if you tell them that you are feeling too much pain.

After Your Consultation

Following treatment about half of patients report some mild soreness in the area of their body that was treated, this can usually be relieved with cold packs and topical cream (both available in clinic). This can last for 2-3 days after treatment.

You may be instructed to use alternative hot and cold packs depending on the treatment provided.

If you experience serious or unusual symptoms after treatment you should contact your osteopath straight away for advice.

Follow Up or Further Consultations

Follow up treatments last 30 minutes and may be required depending on each individual situation as part of a treatment programme. If you have been seen by any Osteopath at the Martinvale Clinic before you are able to book an existing patient consultation with them even if you have an additional concern or injury.

Due to our GDPR policy we will not retain patients notes beyond 8 years since your last treatment and so please do book in as a new patient if you fall into this category.