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Frequently Asked Questions

What Should I Wear?

In order to ensure safety, you will be asked to remove a few items of clothing for examination, it is best to wear underwear that you will be comfortable in.

If you are not comfortable to undress, this is completely alright. To help the osteopath, wearing loose-fitting clothing – for example a vest and shorts.

What Will Happen During My First Appointment?

During and appointment I will evaluate, diagnose and treat your complaint in a safe environment. As well as giving you information about the diagnosis, all to manage your pain comprehensively and effectively.

I make sure all our new patients feel welcome, safe and taken care of. During your first visit, I will review your injury and medical history. For diagnosis, I will examine your muscles, nerves and joints in areas I believe may be contributing to your pain, use clinical orthopaedic tests and ask you to do a few movements to narrow down which structures could be involved.

From there, I will explain what I believe the cause to be in plain English, describe the best treatment plan and how many sessions I believe it will take to resolve. I will also advise you on how to help prevent further injury or re-injury to give you best control over your pain.

What Is Pain and What Can Osteopathy Do?

Pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. It is often caused by swelling of tissue, which creates pressure on nerves and leads to discomfort.

Pain is a useful mechanism to alert you to a problem, and stops you from damaging your body further. It should always, therefore, be taken seriously.

Pain can affect many areas of the body, but particularly the lower back, head, neck, joints and legs bring people to the osteopath. It can result from injuries and arthritis, and can also manifest itself in the form of rheumatic pain and period pain.

One of the main purposes of osteopathy is pain relief and the elimination of the cause of pain by improving the cause of pain.

I will not treat you to reduce the pain but treat you to improve the cause of your pain!

I can diagnose the cause of pain and help to ease your pain by reducing tissue inflammation.

The osteopaths treatment methods range from massage of muscles and connective tissues to manipulation and stretching of joints. This helps to reduce muscle spasm, to increase mobility and to create a healthier state in which damaged tissues can heal.

Much long-term, recurrent pain can be caused by wear and tear changes to the body's framework.

Nobody can reverse this process of ageing, but your osteopaths treatment may still ease pain by improving the function of your structure.

I can give guidance on simple self-help methods to use at home. The skilled techniques of osteopathy can often allow you a speedy return to normal activity.

If you have had a pain for a long time, and other forms of treatment have not helped, osteopathic treatment could be the answer for you.

What Is The Audible Click?

Joint manipulation is characteristically associated with the production of an audible clicking sound. When a manipulation is performed, the applied force separates the joint surfaces of a fully encapsulated synovial joint. This stretches the joint capsule, which in turn creates a reduction in pressure within the joint cavity.

In this low pressure environment, some of the gases that are dissolved in the synovial fluid leave the solution creating a bubble which rapidly collapses upon itself, resulting in a 'clicking' sound.

The effects of this process will remain for a period of time termed the refractory period, which can range from a few minutes to more than an hour, while it is slowly reabsorbed back into the synovial fluid.

That is the reason, that it is normally possible to do an adjustment to the joint already after one hour – with a new audible click. That does not mean that the joint “has gone back”.

What Happens If I Need To See My GP?

It is not necessary to gain approval from your GP before attending an osteopathy appointment. However, it is fine if you wish to do so.

If at any point during an appointment I believe that a visit to your GP is needed, I shall explain to you why that is and when I believe you should go.

If I do refer you back to your GP, I always call your you and your GP for a quick follow up conversation and appointment.

Is Osteopathy Safe?

Osteopaths are NHS-recognised skilled health care professionals who deal with pain every day.

Six million people suffering from pain are treated by osteopaths each year.

Osteopaths have to train for 4-5 years in order to qualify and call themselves an osteopath. Osteopaths are required to complete 1500 hours of hands-on clinical experience as a student before qualifying as well as complete many exams and essays including a 20,000 word dissertation.

All osteopaths must be registered with our governing body The General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) whose role is to enforce the highest standard of patient and practitioner safety. To stay on the register, all osteopaths must complete 40 hours of continual professional development by attending GOsC-recognised courses every year.

You should never see an osteopath who is not on the official GOsC register. My GOsC register number is 9809.

You can search the register using the link here - https://www.osteopathy.org.uk/register-search/

Osteopaths must also have insurance in order to practice.

You are welcome to bring a chaperone to the appointment if you wish.