During your first appointment, there are a few details you might want to know about...

• Case History

If it's your first appointment, you will be asked to complete a form beforehand - this provides the osteopath with any relevant background medical information as well as the usual administration details like your name address and GP details.  All information provided is confidential and will not be shared with any third-party without your explicit consent.

We want to understand not just about the problem you have come in with, but we want to build a picture of your overall heath.  To do this, osteopaths take an extensive case history with you.  You will be asked all about your symptoms; what has happened, how and when.  You will also be asked several "screening questions" about your symptoms - for instance, whether there is any accompanying breathing difficulty or pins and needles.  This is to help us identify the problem more clearly and to assist in ruling out other potential causes of your symptoms which may require further investigations or referral to your GP.

It is also important to consider your previous history; perhaps previous episodes of the same symptoms, previous injuries, accidents, operations etc.  As well as previous history, we would also ask if there is any family history of certain illnesses. 

Finally, you will be asked certain questions about your lifestyle:  Work, Family, Diet, Alcohol, Smoking, etc.  Again, this helps us build up a picture of who you are, how healthy you are and what you get up to on a daily basis.

To re-iterate, all information that you provide is in the strictest of confidence and will not be shared with anyone without your explicit consent.

• Examination

Once the Case History is over, you'll be asked to undress for examination. You may need to remove belts and outer layers of clothing as long as you are happy to do so.

This is where an osteopath will look at your posture and movements to analyse how well your body is working.  We work with our hands and use our developed skills in palpation to help us understand the state of your body's tissues (Palpation is a skill that all osteopaths develop during their training - it's a highly sensitized form of touch).  We want to look for restriction, tension, inflammation, changes on the skin, breathing patterns, general posture, balance - as thoroughly as possible.  This process allows us to formulate our diagnosis - in conjunction with the case history.  If there is anything you are unsure about, or you have any questions - please ask.

• Tests

Sometimes we may need to perform other special tests to help clarify the diagnosis.  These tests may be Neurological, Cardio-vascular, Functional, Orthopaedic or indeed any other form of testing that might be necessary.  Examples of these tests would include; testing the reflex response of the nerves in your arms or legs, checking your blood pressure, looking at your movement patterns, testing the stability of your cruciate knee ligaments.

• Diagnosis/Prognosis

Once we've finished examining you, a discussion and explanation of our findings should follow.  It's hoped that by explaining clearly what has been found, you are able to make an informed decision about your treatment.  It may be necessary to follow up the appointment with a trip to your GP if there are any findings which warrant further investigation.  If treatment is proposed, an osteopath will aim to give you an approximate timescale in which a positive response can be expected - although this is very hard to predict as everyone is individual and will respond differently to treatment.

• Treatment

Treatment, in classical osteopathy, most often involves treatment of the whole body.  We use hands-on techniques such as articulation of joints, stretching of muscles and soft tissues and sometimes we use manipulation.  Manipulations are where we release your joints from restriction.  They can be noisy,  but are usually completely painless.  It might come as a surprise to know that not all osteopaths use manipulation and it is not always appropriate to manipulate a patient during treatment.  It's not the main tool we use, just one of many approaches we have in our repertoire to encourage the restoration of health in the body's tissues and structures.  The key of treatment is to restore normal function and to improve the relation of your body's structures to their surroundings.  Integration is the key!  By helping the various parts and systems of the body to work together, it is easier for the body to return towards and maintain a healthier, less uncomfortable state.