Top 5 Things that may Happen During my First Osteopathy Appointment

Osteopathy is an incredible profession. Osteopaths are so highly trained, skilled, and advanced with treatment techniques that you will be quite amazed at the good work they can do to improve your musculoskeletal pain. Osteopaths are direct, but also holistic, looking at the whole body and the wider picture.

Osteopathy is recognised as an Allied Healthcare Profession in the NHS. At Surrey Physio, we’ve been placing osteopaths into the NHS for over 10 years.

Your first osteopathy appointment may be a little daunting if you have not previously seen an osteopath before. Well, don’t be nervous or anxious. We’re here to help you. We know you will be a little unsure of what to expect but please do not worry, it is safe and can be completely pain-free. We will do our best to help you. Let’s look at our top five things that may happen during your first osteopathy appointment…

1. Case History

Your osteopath will review your medical history. We will want to conduct a comprehensive evaluation. This includes discussing your medical history, current physical abilities, pain levels, and, if applicable, the particular circumstances surrounding your injury or condition. We will inquire as to aggravating and alleviating factors. We will inquire as to whether there are any patterns to your pain. We'll need to know if you've ever had serious health issues. We may inquire about the medications you're taking. And we'll want to know how the pain began and for how long it's been there. All of these factors contribute to the construction of a diagnostic picture. Consent is essential, so if you do not wish to continue, please inform your osteopath at this stage.

2. Physical Examination – We need to observe, palpate and move the joint

Your osteopath may perform a physical examination to evaluate your posture, mobility, and physical abilities. This could involve evaluating your range of motion, strength, balance, joint mobility, and other pertinent physical characteristics. This examination assists in determining your physical capabilities and limitations. We may attempt to replicate your pain in order to comprehend the biomechanics of your issue. We may wish to palpate your muscles or joints. We may conduct special examinations on you, which typically involve moving a joint to a specific range of motion. This aids in the formation of a diagnosis. We will only undress you to the minimum level but you should always keep on clothes that you want to. It does help though to be prepared, for example, if you see us for a hip problem, wearing shorts is much better than tight jeans.

3. Diagnosis

We frequently form a diagnosis using all of the puzzle pieces. We will explain what we believe is occurring. Through a process of shared decision-making, we will discuss the alternatives. If we are unable to establish a diagnosis, we may need to obtain additional information, such as results from your most recent blood test, scans, or X-rays. In most instances, however, we are able to formulate a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan.

4. Treatment- to HVT or not HVT?

Osteopaths are very hands-on. Clasically, many will use HVT (high velocity thrusts). However, many patients do not like this approach. You should speak to your osteopath to ask, do they work gently, or do they use heavier techniques such as HVT. Osteopaths use more hands-on treatment than many other professions, using a combination of massage to release and relax muscles, stretching stiff joints, and articulation - where your joints are moved through their natural range of motion. Another name for HVT is manipulation. These are short, sharp movements to the spine, which normally produce a clicking noise similar to cracking your knuckles Our team at Surrey Physio are quite gentle, so we do not perform too many HVTs or thrusts.

5. Home Exercise Plan

Frequently, the osteopath will provide you with home exercises to aid in your progress. To prevent further injury, they will ensure that you comprehend the correct execution. At Surrey Physio, we prescribe exercises using Rehab My Patient www.rehabmypatient.com . It is a brilliant and effective software for exercise prescription that guides you with videos, images, and line art. We need you to perform the exercises between appointments so that you can continue to recover. Patients who perform the exercises tend to recover more quickly, according to our experience. But if home exercises are not for you (and they do not work for everyone), simply visit our osteo team for additional care.

Here are some examples of exercises we might prescribe to you for acute back pain:

The goal of your osteopath is to help you get better, and they are there to support you. We do our best to help you.

If you are a patient, in pain suffering with acute or chronic pain, please call us to discuss your case further. Surrey Physio have an amazing team of therapists to help you recover from pain, but also to achieve top performance. Call us on 0208 685 6930 or click the link at the top to book online.)