CASE HISTORY
Your first appointment will last around 40 minutes and will consist of three parts. Firstly, we will take a detailed case history. You will be asked about your symptoms, such as how and when they started, activities that aggravate them, the area(s) of the body involved, and what you can and can’t do.
You will also be asked about any medication you may be taking, operations or procedures you may have had, and previous health issues, accidents or injuries. It is also helpful to know a bit about your everyday life such as work, hobbies, sports, diet and family health. This helps build a picture of what your body may have been through over the years. It may be relevant to your current symptoms.
EXAMINATION
Secondly, there will be a short examination. You may be asked to remove some clothing from the area being examined, and to perform simple movements.
As Osteopaths, we use our hands to find areas of weakness, tenderness, restriction or strain within your body. Following the principle that ‘the body is a unit’ your whole body may be examined to see what may or may not be influencing your symptoms.
We may take your blood pressure and perform other clinical tests such as checking nerves and muscle power. These tests are important, because as primary healthcare practitioners, we are trained to identify a wide range of health conditions that may require referral to a GP or specialist for further investigation such as MRI, Xray or blood tests.
TREATMENT
Following these first two steps, we will then discuss with you what the treatment plan will involve.
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For details of the types of treatment we may use click HERE.
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If we feel that Osteopathy is not appropriate for your symptoms then we will discuss where best to get help. However this rarely happens.
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In addition to hands on treatment, you may be advised on self-help and home exercises to aid your recovery and prevent symptoms getting worse or returning.
At the end of this first appointment we will discuss with you if any follow up appointments are needed.
These follow ups usually last 30 minutes.