Osteopathy
Osteopaths can treat the whole family!
Osteopaths are manual therapists trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions.
Osteopaths complete a minimum of four years at university and have to complete over 1000 hours in clinic before they qualify. They treat a wide range of aches and pains, ranging from your head to your toes.
There are conditions that may not have a cure but your osteopath might be able to help support the body to reduce symptoms. Some osteopaths complete extra training to specialise in areas such as babies and children or sports.
What conditions can osteopaths treat?
Patients often attend an osteopath with various conditions such as:
- Low back pain, Sciatica
- Neck pain/Headaches
- Hip and/or Knee pain
- Sports injuries
- Symptoms of osteoarthritis
If you’re unsure if we can help, please get in touch.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
If you haven’t visited an osteopath before you may feel a little uncertain of what to expect. The information below should help to explain what happens and answer any questions you may have. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact the practice prior to attending your appointment.
Your Consultation
Osteopaths are healthcare professionals trained in diagnosing musculoskeletal health issues. Your first appointment will consist of being asked questions about symptoms, your medical history and lifestyle. This will help the osteopath to make an accurate diagnosis and suggest appropriate treatment.
This will be recorded in your medical records at the clinic. These will be treated as confidential in accordance with the General Osteopathic Council and the Data Protection Act 1998.
Your osteopath will need to examine the area(s) of your body that are causing discomfort. Sometimes the cause of the problem may be in a different area to the pain, (For example, pain in your lower arm may be linked to the nerves in your neck) so they may need to examine your whole body. They will explain what they are doing as they go along. If you are uncomfortable with any part of this, you have the right to ask them to stop at any stage, without prejudicing your future treatment.
What to Wear
As with any healthcare appointment, it may be necessary for your osteopath to ask you to remove some clothing. This is so they can see and touch the areas of the body causing you concern. Your osteopath will want you to feel at ease, therefore if you feel uncomfortable undressing to your underwear, your osteopath may be able to suggest wearing clothing, such as shorts and a t-shirt, or close-fitting garments, that will enable them to work effectively, so please do discuss this with them.
You may wish to seek treatment from an osteopath of the same sex as yourself. You are also welcome to ask a friend or relative to accompany you and be present throughout your appointment.
Your Treatment
Your osteopath will make a diagnosis and discuss a course of treatment with you. This may involve further visits for osteopathy along with exercises that you can do at home and advice to help you manage your pain. They will ask for your consent to begin treatment. 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 that they are unable to treat and may refer you to your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional.
Is Treatment Painful?
Osteopathic treatment is usually a very gentle process and 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.
Following treatment, you may experience some mild soreness in the area of the body that was treated, this will normally resolve within 48 hours. If you experience serious or unusual symptoms after treatment, you should contact your osteopath straight away for advice.
Training and Regulation
You can be confident that your osteopath has the highest level of training and expertise, and will provide a safe and effective diagnosis and treatment for you. In the UK, the osteopathic profession is regulated by the General Osteopathic Council and osteopaths are trained to degree level, taking a minimum of four years, including over 1000 hours of contact time with patients at undergraduate level.
Osteopaths are also recognised by the NHS as Allied Health Professionals and play a critical role in the diagnosis, treatment and care of people of all ages.