Having Osteopathy? Here’s what to expect at your first appointment

There are many reasons why you might visit an Osteopath.

Whether it’s a back, joint, or stress-induced condition, or more specific workplace or sporting injury – Osteopathy can help improve a range of ailments.

Robin Kiashek  is an Osteopath with more than 25 years’ experience in his field. He says: “Using a range of techniques, Osteopaths can reduce pain, increase joint mobility, relieve muscle tension and enhance the blood and nerve supply to tissues, to help the body’s own healing mechanism.”

Maybe you have already booked an appointment with an Osteopath or are planning to – either way, here’s what to expect from your initial consultation to your patient discharge.

Visiting an Osteopath

On the first visit, your Osteopath will take a detailed case history including a full medical history, information about your symptoms, health problems and any medical care you have been receiving.

Depending on the location of the problem, this is followed by a physical examination during which they will ask you to undergo various movements in a bid to reproduce your symptoms.

To help understand the problem at hand, an Osteopath will use a combination of visual analysis and touch (or palpation). They may also use orthopaedic tests and occasionally refer for further x-ray or MRI investigation to help form a diagnosis.

At the end of first consultation

Once a diagnosis has been reached, your Osteopath will give you a full explanation and treatment plan. A treatment will be included in the initial Osteopathic consultation, assuming it’s safe to do so.

Robin adds: “I take on a more holistic approach, treating musculoskeletal disorders relating to muscles, ligaments, joints, nerves, cartilage, tendons and the general skeletal system. But I’ll also identify underlying causative factors. So I’ll work with you to help heal your specific condition/s and work towards preventing this from happening again.”

The treatment plan will let you know what aggravating factors to avoid and will include lifestyle advice to help you do so.

Length of Consultation

Generally speaking, your first consultation will last around 45 minutes with any subsequent visits lasting for half an hour.

However, please do note that these appointment lengths may vary as some conditions need extra time and some require less.

Robin says: “The important thing to remember is that each session is dependent on the individual patient. Therefore, each treatment is tailored to a patient’s specific problem.”

How many treatments will you need?

Resolving acute pain can be relatively easy.  However, understanding how and why the pain came about is more difficult.

Robin says: “Unfortunately Osteopathy can be seen as a ‘quick fix’ for both acute and chronic pain. Yes, it can resolve pain quickly but so can taking painkillers. I believe that unless we understand why the pain started – whether it be physical, postural and or emotional or even nutritional – there can be an increased probability of pain returning.

“I find that underlying many acute problems there is a history of physical and/or emotional patterns, which the patient may not always be aware of.”

Which is why, there is no one answer fits all to this question.

Robin adds: “Some patients can have two or three treatments, while others will need a few more to help put them on the road to recover and rid these underlying patterns once and for all.”

If you are suffering with any kind of health problem, whether it’s headaches, stomach pains, or mobility issues, don’t hesitate to call Robin or book in for an initial consultation.