Treatment- What to Expect
As a new patient, the appointment will last approx. 45 minutes. During this time a detailed medical case history will be taken and physical examination will be performed. The examination and treatment can be carried out in one of two ways:
a) the patient is asked to undress down to their underwear– This is preferable as it enables the osteopath to see the area that requires treatment and other areas of the body that could be contributing to the symptoms. Osteopaths are guided by tissue quality and appearance, so being able to observe and palpate (feel) is important. Extra layers of clothing can inhibit the practitioner. This method also provides a unique opportunity to have a practitioner who has knowledge of skin conditions to identify any skin irregularities that may require the attention of a GP.
b) or the patient wears light shorts and a t-shirt during the examination and treatment to minimise the layers of clothing that the osteopath has to work though.
During the appointments you can expect a combination of hands-on treatment, stretching and lifestyle management advice. The focus of osteopathic treatment is to facilitate what your body naturally wants to do and help you to become pain-free. Hand-on intervention by our osteopath is the main focus during the appointments with stretches and advice being given for patients to carry out between appointments.
Disposable gowns will be made available to any patients who would like one for the duration of the appointment.