Your consultation

Your first visit

We will ask you to tell us about your symptoms. Then a full medical case history will be taken along with further details about your lifestyle and typical daily activities. We use many of the diagnostic approaches of orthodox medicine. Further examinations involve the osteopath palpating (feeling into) the tissues, and you performing a few simple movements to assess your biomechanics and evaluate your posture.

In order to examine and treat thoroughly, it may be necessary to remove clothing around the symptomatic area. If you'd feel more comfortable, please bring shorts or a vest to wear during the treatment session. Parental consent and chaperones are required for all patients under 16.

We are trained to assess how the body framework is working as a whole. Using a finely developed sense of palpation (touch), we detect restrictions in the joints and tension in the soft tissues.

If osteopathy or physiotherapy treatment is not appropriate for you then a referral will be made with your consent.

How do we treat?

We apply a range of techniques tailored to your individual needs. These may include
stretches, massage and joint manipulation to improve joint mobility, relax tense muscles
and promote circulation. This can help to relieve pain, optimise function and enhance
your wellbeing.

Unlike many other therapies, we don’t confine ourselves purely to the symptomatic area. We believe that the body works as a unit. If one part is compromised, it will affect the others. So if someone has a knee problem for example, we won’t look only at the knee but we’ll use our extensive knowledge of biomechanics to analyse why the knee has become dysfunctional in the context of the other parts of the body, which influence it. So we will look at the foot, the ankle, the hip, the pelvis and the soft tissues linking them in order to find the source of the problem and prevent recurrences.

Typically the session will conclude with advice about posture, and exercises will be given.

Duration

Initial consultations last around 45 minutes and 30 minutes for subsequent sessions. Usually 2 to 6 treatments are needed. Many patients decide that they would like to have periodic preventative treatment to avoid recurring problems.