What happens when I see the Osteopath?

On arrival you will be asked to fill in a standard form giving a few personal details such as address, date of birth etc. You will then be shown into the treatment room by the Osteopath and the consultation will commence. This consists of the following elements;


Case history;  A history of your presenting complaint including your previous history, general health, operations, illnesses, prescribed medication etc. It is a chance for you to give us your “story”.

Examination;  Unlike your GP,  the Osteopath will ask you to get undressed but only as far as is necessary to make a full appraisal of your condition. This will never include removing underwear and many patients like to put on shorts or sportswear which is fine. After a thourough physical examination, where necessary, other diagnostic tests such as blood pressure, urine tests etc. might be performed at this point.

Diagnosis; The above elements are used to form a diagnosis i.e. what is actually causing your pain and this will be explained to you in full. Please ask questions if you are unclear. It is occasionally necessary to make a recommendation for further investigations such as X-ray or MRI scanning although this is not routine. If so, we can easily arrange this, and have the results back within a week or so.

Treatment;  The selection of techniques we choose and which comprises your treatment is largely based on the diagnosis although other factors such as age, build and  other health considerations are also taken into account. Osteopathic treatment is hands on but at City Osteopaths Ltd. we often supplement our approach with other methods such as ultrasound, exercises, postural advice and so on. The Osteopath will then also give you an idea of how many sessions you will need and this is called the prognosis.

Finalising the session; After the treatment has finished, you may be given some self help guidance. Examples are exercises, postural advice, ice packs or heat etc. We will also suggest a time for your next follow up visit. Please try to fulfil our recommendations as they are aimed at hastening your recovery. The Osteopath will then leave the room so that you can dress and see the receptionist to make your next appointment and pay for your treatment.

What happens at each subsequent visit?  Each further visit begins by the Osteopath Making a review of your progress and events to date. He will then reassess you after which treatment will start; this could change each time as could your self-help advice, again depending on your progress.

For further information, please see our other web page entitled,” FAQs”.