Osteopathy

Something comfortable, not too bulky that moves easily. Leggings, shorts and vest tops are ideal. Jeans or thick clothing are not.

This all depends on the complexity and duration of the problem. Typically, 2 to 6 is not unusual with increasing intervals to match your progress. Your osteopath will discuss the anticipated course of treatment, your prognosis, and realistic expectations for recovery.

Osteopathic treatment can be adapted to suit all patients. If we feel that it isn’t for you, we will explain our reasoning and try to refer you to someone we think could help.

Patients under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a suitable adult.

In short, as soon as we can. With two osteopaths working 5 days per week and alternate Saturday’s too we usually can accommodate you quickly. In the meantime, we’d be happy to have a chat with you over the phone to offer some useful advice to make life more comfortable until we meet.

This is not necessary, but you may if you wish of course. As primary healthcare practitioners, we are clinically trained to assess patients without recourse to medical records.

Usually yes, but you’ll need to contact them beforehand to obtain an authorisation number which we need to process your claim with. Details of your policy excesses and session limits are also good to know.  Our practitioners are registered with most insurance bodies.

Details of any prescribed medication and relevant X-rays, scans or medical reports are useful.

Yes, but please be aware that they will become party to all conversation during the appointment. Anyone under the age of 16 should be always accompanied by a parent or appointed guardian.

Osteopathy can be helpful throughout all stages of pregnancy. All pregnancies are at a higher risk of miscarriage during the first trimester (12-14 weeks) and as a precaution we moderate and adapt our treatment during this phase. It is important that you advise us if you are or think you may be pregnant.

Fees are settled at the end of each session. Payment can be via cash, credit / debit card or BACS payment by arrangement.

Yes, there is usually a lot you can do to speed up your rate of recovery. Your osteopath will advise you of any activities or exercises that you should or should not do. Please ask if you have any specific activity in mind or for the suitability of any ‘old’ exercises.

Painkillers can sometimes ‘mask’ symptoms and potentially cause more problems. That said the use of analgesic, anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant medication can often be extremely useful, especially in the acute phases of some conditions to ‘kick start’ the healing process. Your osteopath will advise on the suitability of appropriate ‘over the counter’ medication as well as other methods of easing discomfort such as the application of heat and/or cold packs, the use of pain-relieving gels or gentle exercises. If prescription medications are required, your osteopath can liaise with your GP.

We do not routinely offer home visits. This is mainly because of the limitations and therefor effectiveness imposed on treatment by not having our treatment table with us. Often if the pain is so bad that you cannot come to us, we often find that it is too early to try osteopathic intervention anyway and good advice on pain management at this stage is better. Once past the acutely painful phase, we can then see you in the practice to start work in earnest. Of course, in the meantime, we can offer a probable diagnosis and some help and advice towards making you more comfortable over the telephone until you can reach the clinic.

The title “Osteopath” is protected by law and as such anyone claiming to be an osteopath or using osteopathic techniques (such as cranial osteopathy) must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council. An osteopath will have completed a specialist four-year degree at one of the accredited independent colleges or universities and be undertaking Continued Professional Development throughout the year to ensure they are up to date with the latest developments. You can easily check by contacting the General osteopathic council.

In some cases the body needs to adjust to a new position or function after treatment and occasionally this may feel like you have “had a work-out” for up to a day or so afterwards. This typically only occurs after the first or second treatment. Your osteopath will give you post treatment advice towards minimizing this. If you are at all concerned, please call us straight away. Most patients, however, experience very little discomfort, and as osteopathy has a reputation for quick results, feel improvement following treatment.

There are many small differences between the three professions and most of them are due to their evolution of practice. Historically, osteopathy was the first to be developed in 1874 and chiropractic branched off to form a separate profession in 1895. Although there remain many similarities in terms of the type of conditions treated, their philosophies now differ because of this separation. In general, an osteopath would be concerned with the function of the whole body, as well as its structure, considering the health of the spinal and other joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves.

A chiropractor would be concerned with the structural alignment of the spine with a view to ensuring good nerve function and may focus on spinal manipulation.

A physiotherapist’s treatment may vary depending on whether they work within the NHS or privately, but their approach is mainly directed at exercises to strengthen muscles and help with post-operative rehabilitation.

Occasionally this is exactly what is needed but on other occasions your symptoms will have worsened or started to affect other areas of the body as they try to compensate.

As a rule of thumb, most problems should have started to ease within 72 hours. If by then it is showing minimal improvement or even worsening, we recommend you contact the practice.

People do not get injured because they age; they get injured because of what they do. If you’re 65 years of age with an arthritic hip, shoulder, back etc I can say with some certainty that the other hip, shoulder is just as old. We do not need to return your body back to as it was when you were 18, only to before it became painful if we can.

The belief is, once you have had a bad back, you will always suffer. This is not true. People injure themselves through lifestyle choices. Changing aspects of these can often go a long way to breaking that cycle of pain and dysfunction. Your osteopath can advise you on some of these things and help to put your body into a better place to receive these changes.

Osteopaths can treat a wide range of problems. If you’re not sure if we can help you and would like to have a brief chat with one of the osteopaths for advice, then please telephone the clinic and we’ll make the arrangements for you.

Many patients have become programmed into accepting the problems that they have and have become conditioned into believing that nothing can be done. It is extremely rare that nothing can be done to help, and our osteopaths will give honest and clear advice.

Much like doctors and dentists, all osteopaths are different and whilst their training is at the same high standards across the board, they all work slightly differently. Sometimes a different approach is all that is needed.

Yes, all our treatment rooms are on the ground floor along with the waiting room and toilet. There is also full disabled access.