How long is each session?
How much does each appointment cost?
What will happen on my first appointment?
How many treatments will I need?
Is osteopathy covered by my health insurance?
How do I know if you are properly qualified?
My GP wants me to see a physiotherapist but the waiting list is 6 weeks, can I come and see an osteopath instead?
I’m not sure if my problem is suitable for osteopathic treatment.
I’m pregnant; can I still have osteopathic treatment?
Can osteopathy help children and babies too?

 

How long is each session?
Your first session lasts between 40-45 minutes and subsequent sessions last 30-40 minutes.

How much does each appointment cost?
Initial appointments are £50 and subsequent sessions are £40.

What will happen on my first appointment?
During your first appointment we take a detailed history of your presenting complaint. We also ask about your history of accidents, injuries as well as your medical history. We do this to check that osteopathic treatment is appropriate for you. It is often useful if you bring with you the names of any medication that you are taking. We then like to take you through a series of simple movements. In order to do this, we prefer patients to undress down to their underwear. This is because osteopaths like to look at how the body moves as a whole, and being able to see how your joints move together can often give us clues as to how the problem started. We understand that people may not want to get undressed for many reasons, and we are always conscious of this. If you would rather wear shorts and a vest top then please bring them with you for your consultation. We are very respectful of a patient’s potential nervousness around visiting an osteopath for the first time and encourage patients to feel comfortable at all times.

After we have had a look at the problem and performed our examination we discuss our findings with you. We like all patients to know what their problem is, why it started, how we are going to help get it better and how long we think this will take.

We normally have time to start treatment on the first visit.

How many treatments will I need?
This depends on how long you have had the problem for. Pain that has been around for a few weeks can take 1-3 treatments to get better, where as an ongoing problem that you have suffering with for months or years can take longer before you start to notice the beneficial effects of treatment. We will always try and give you a prognosis of treatment sessions that you will need at your first consultation.

Is osteopathy covered by my health insurance?
Most health insurance policies do cover osteopathy; however it can depend on your specific policy. The best approach is to first check with your health insurance company too see whether you are covered for osteopathic treatment and if they require a letter of referral from your GP. We are registered with most health insurance companies in the UK such as PPP, BUPA, HSA, Aviva, CIGNA and many others. Most policies cover between 6-10 treatments.

How do I know if you are properly qualified?
All osteopaths in the UK are required by law to be registered with the General Osteopathic Council. They are our governing body and are there to uphold the standards of the profession and ensure the levels of excellence in our training and post-graduate education. They hold a register of all osteopaths and this can be viewed at http://www.osteopathy.org.uk/ . Pretending to be an osteopath is a prosecutable offence.

Caroline Wells, Danielle Dixon and Philippa Last all trained at the British School of Osteopathy, the largest and oldest osteopathic school in the UK. The full time training is over 4 years and covers topics from biochemistry to pathology. Caroline recently completed an MSc in Paediatric Osteopathy.

My GP wants me to see a physiotherapist but the waiting list is 6 weeks, can I come and see an osteopath instead?
It is very important to follow the wishes of your GP and the treatment plan he would like you to follow. Most GP’s now are very open to the benefits of osteopathic treatment and would be happy for you to see us whilst you are waiting for physiotherapy. We prefer not to see patients whilst they are mid-course of treatment with another practitioner so we have a full understanding of how your body is responding to our treatment.

I’m not sure if my problem is suitable for osteopathic treatment.
Most sprains and strains are very well suited for osteopathy as well as a whole range of other conditions such as sciatica, osteo-arthritis, headaches and asthma. Pain in one part of your body may be coming from dysfunction elsewhere, for example, an arthritic hip can be felt as knee or ankle pain. Similarly, a stiff neck can give you pins and needles in your fingers and aggravate a jaw problem. Jaw problems can lead to headaches and tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears). Osteopaths treat the body as a whole which is why it is such a unique and successful approach with curing so many problems. If you are not sure whether your problem can be helped by osteopathy then why not phone us to talk to an osteopath directly or e-mail us.

I’m pregnant; can I still have osteopathic treatment?
It is absolutely fine to have osteopathic treatment when you are pregnant, in fact, we highly recommend it. During pregnancy your back has to cope with a large amount of anatomical and physiological changes when your ligaments soften to help accommodate the baby. This is a time when old injuries can start niggling again or you can suffer your first episodes of back pain. Osteopathic treatment helps keep your posture in an optimum position to help prevent back pain and will also prepare your body for the birth.

Can osteopathy help children and babies too?
Osteopathy can be very beneficial for babies even from the day they are born as it helps the baby resolve the effects of the birth. With the majority of babies this occurs naturally, however some babies can be more squashed in certain positions during pregnancy or are subjected to stronger forces during the labour. This can be the case with induced labours or with forceps and ventouse (suction) deliveries and we think that this may result in a particularly fractious or colicky baby. However, all babies can benefit from a check-up and we can often help with those every-day problems that many mothers struggle with. Most midwives, breast feeding councillors and health visitors recommend cranial osteopathy for newborn babies.

We see children of all ages in the clinic, more now than ever before. This may because children are spending longer at their desks and computers and often get into bad habits such as using their lap tops whilst lying on the sofa instead of using a properly set up desk. We have treated children for many injuries including whiplash, falls from horses, roundabouts and beds as well as many sporting injuries. Children can often go through periods of discomfort especially during or after a growth spurt as their body struggles to manage the changes; it is often at these times that old injuries that they have suffered may be aggravated.