What is osteopathy?
Osteopaths are trained to recognise and treat many causes of pain. Osteopathy is an established system of diagnosis and manual treatment, which is recongnised by the British Medical Association as a discrete clinical discipline.
Osteopathy uses many of the diagnostic procedures used in conventional medical assessment and diagnosis. Its main strength, however, lies in the unique way the patient is assessed from a mechanical, functional and postural standpoint and the manual methods of treatment applied to suit the needs of the individual patient.
What to expect at your first appointment
Visiting an osteopath for the first time can be a little disconcerting to begin with. The following will hopefully explain exactly what to expect and answer some of the questions you might have. If you have any concerns, please contact the practice by phone prior to attending your first appointment.
In order to examine you effectively, it may be necessary for your osteopath to ask you to remove some of your clothing as appropriate for your condition, which might mean undressing down to your underwear. If this is a problem, make the osteopath aware of this and discuss whether it might be appropriate for them to treat you while you wear loose clothing e.g. shorts and t-shirt.
The osteopath might suggest a course of treatment, which may require several visits. They will ask permission to provide treatment and you may be asked to sign a consent form.
Most osteopaths will begin your treatment at your first appointment, but sometimes they may require further tests first i.e. blood tests or scans. Occasionally they may diagnose an illness or condition that they are unable to treat and may suggest that you consult your GP.
You are welcome to bring someone with you for all or part of your consultation. Children should always be accompanied by an adult.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask the osteopath.