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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?
Osteopathy is a system of assessing, diagnosing, treating and preventing a wide range of health problems.
Osteopaths are commonly known for treating back pain and postural problems including changes due to pregnancy, caused by driving or work strain, the pain of arthritis and minor sports injuries.
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Patients have also found osteopathy helpful for conditions such as digestive issues, circulatory problems, neuralgia and problems sleeping and for the symptoms of many others.
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Osteopathic patients include the young, older people, manual workers, office professionals, pregnant women, children and sports people.
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Osteopaths are trained to check for signs of serious conditions they cannot treat. In these circumstances, they should inform you of what they believe is the problem and refer you to see your GP or hospital for further investigations.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT AS A NEW PATIENT?
WHAT CONDITIONS DO OSTEOPATHS TREAT?
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general, acute and chronic backache and back pain
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neck pain
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aches and pains
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headache arising from the neck
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shoulder and elbow pain
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joint pains and lumbago
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sciatica
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muscle spasms
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sports injuries and tensions
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joint pains including hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis in association with other treatment for this condition
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arthritic pain
At the start of your first session, your osteopath will ask you to tell them about your problem. We will ask questions about your medical history and lifestyle as well as your symptoms. This is very important as it will help us to make an accurate diagnosis and suggest appropriate treatment. We will write down what you say in your records. These will be kept confidential. If you want, you can ask for a copy of these notes.
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We will need to examine the area(s) of your body causing discomfort. Sometimes the cause of the problem may be in a different area to the pain, (For example, a difference in leg length may result in compensations in the upper back which might result in neck pain) so we may need to examine your whole body. We will need to feel for tightness in the muscles and stiffness in the joints and may need to touch these areas to identify problems. We will explain what we are doing as we go along. If you are uncomfortable with any part of this, you have the right to ask us to stop at any stage without prejudicing your future treatment.
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In order to examine you effectively, it may be necessary for us to ask you to remove some clothing as appropriate for the condition, which might mean undressing down to your underwear. If this is a problem for you, make us aware of this, and discuss whether it might be appropriate for us to treat you while you wear shorts and a t-shirt.
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We will suggest a course of treatment, which may require several visits. We may be able to give you an estimate of how often we need to see you and any associated costs by the end of the first session. We will ask for your permission to provide treatment and you will be asked to sign a consent form. We normally begin your treatment at your first appointment, but sometimes we may require further tests first i.e. blood tests or scans. Occasionally we may diagnose an illness that they are unable to treat and may suggest that you consult your GP or another appropriate health professional. You may experience mild discomfort with some of the treatment techniques used, but osteopathic treatment is usually a very gentle process.
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We will let you know if any discomfort is likely and it can be helpful to let us know what you are feeling. If pain persists after treatment, contact us for advice. You are welcome to bring someone with you for all or part of your consultation. Children should always be accompanied by a parent or guardian. If you have any other questions, please ask us.