Most people coming to the clinic for the first time don't know what to expect or may already have ideas about what osteopathic treatment will involve that don't fit in with how we work here. Here is a brief outline of how a consultation and treatment are carried out and why.

Even if your problem seems to involve only one part of your body and you think you know what is causing it, your doctor will want to ask you about your body generally and about any aspects of your life that may be having an influence: your occupation, hobbies, social situation and what you think and feel about a painful disability are all important when we try to help you overcome it. Osteopathy views all parts of the body as influencing each other and so understanding a problem in one region may involve consideration of the whole structure. Especially on the first visit this will usually require that you have a complete examination in underwear - whether you have an ache in your head or your big toe we will need to take stock of all the bits in between those extremities.

A partnership

Once your doctor has talked to you and examined you they will want to explain the likely causes of your problems and the ways that they can be changed for the better. Here we can run into a slight problem: we find some people expect to check in their bodies to be put right with a few manipulations much in the same way they would put their car in for repair - not expecting to understand too much about the engineering involved; just wanting to pay the bill and carry on driving much as before. However we consider that when it comes to your body rather than your car, you do need to understand more about what has gone wrong and why; only the n can you fully take part in your treatment. You will need to understand that to get you well and keep you well it's not just what we do by manipulations that matters: you can make a big difference yourself. Changes can be important in things that only you can control - posture, exercise, choosing equipment and furniture, improving the way you do things, controlling the way your emotions affect your muscles and breathing - a host of opportunities for beneficial changes you can make that may be more influential on your future health than the things we actually do to you. So it's a partnership between you and us. We can show you what and how but only you can actually make these useful changes.

Treatment methods

When it comes to treatment there are several different ways we can try to change how the muscles and joints are working: as well as quick movements that sometimes make your joints click, we may use stretching, soft tissue treatment, and gently putting your joints through their ranges of movement. If there is some type of treatment that you don't want (perhaps because it hasn't suited you before) mention this when your treatment is being discussed before it starts.

Because we consider every part of the body to be able to influence any other, your treatment may involve work on areas other than those in which you feel pain. So don't be surprised by this but do mention to your doctor if you have particular concerns about avoiding treating any particular area.

Osteopathic treatment should not cause pain but if you do feel uncomfortable during your treatment you should tell the doctor. Keeping quiet doesn't help because your muscles will tense up and may prevent the treatment from helping you.