OUR TREATMENTS
YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
Your First Appointment
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What happens at your first appointment?
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Case History
When you first see the Osteopath you will be asked questions about your current complaint – site of pain, type of pain, when it first started, things that relieves the symptoms or makes them worse, whether the pain moves to other parts of the body
If the Osteopath thinks it necessary, you may be asked questions on your past medical history and whether there is any relevant family history.
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Examination
The Osteopath will carry out a physical examination where you may be asked to undress down to your underwear. This enables to Osteopath to look at and observe the affected and any related areas.
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The Osteopath feels for any tightness in the muscles and tissues, any areas that may cause tenderness on palpation.
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You will then be asked to perform some simple movements so that the Osteopath can see how you are moving – usually the spine and other affected areas – and which movements cause discomfort.
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Any relevant Orthopaedic tests will be carried out to aid the Osteopath to a diagnosis.
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Treatment
Osteopathic treatment aims to reduce pain, alleviate muscle tension, and increase mobility enabling the patient to return to their normal activity levels as soon as possible.
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Treatment involves soft tissue massage, rhythmic joint mobilisation, muscle release techniques and joint manipulation using short, quick movements.
In addition to hands on treatment in the clinic, your treatment may include a prescription of exercise activity to do at home to speed up your rehabilitation.
NECK & BACK PAIN
Worried that your next movement is going to cause that nagging ache to turn into a brief, if excruciating, shooting pain?
Does checking over your shoulder when driving cause you to wince?
Does turning over in bed wake you up?
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Many people suffer from pain in the neck, lower back, or mid back, or a combination of these. Osteopathy, a form of spinal manipulative therapy, has been shown to be a quick and effective way of treating both neck and lower back pain.
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Your Osteopath will use their skilled examination to determine the cause and source of the pain and work to resolve these problems
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Follow this link for an article on lower back pain and for neck pain.
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Commonly treated conditions include:
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Sciatic pain
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Disc problems
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Wear and tear/ Spondylosis
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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
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Cervicogenic headache
PELVIS, HIP AND LEG PAIN
Does picking something up off the floor cause shooting pain down your leg?
Do you get numbness or pins and needles in your feet?
Does walking down stairs cause pain in your knees?
Does getting up and walking around cause you pains
in your feet?
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Not all sciatic pain is caused by problems in the back and can be caused by muscle imbalances around the pelvis and hip. Your Osteopath will use their skilled assessment and examination to diagnose and treat the cause of your pain.
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Common conditions treated are:
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Sciatica
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Anterior knee pain – Patellar maltracking
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Plantar fasciitis
WESTERN MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE
Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (TCA) involves putting acupuncture needles in specific points on specific ‘lines’ or meridians to allow the body’s energy, the qi, to flow freely around the body.
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However, medical acupuncture, also known as dry needling, relieves muscular tension by inserting acupuncture needles into specific muscular trigger points (very tight, tender,
knotty spots in muscles involved in causing muscle pain and commonly found in acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders), decreases nerve impulses to the central nervous system resulting in a decrease in pain levels, and stimulating blood flow to the junctions between tendons, ligaments and bone.
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Medical acupuncture is used as a very effective adjunct treatment by many manual therapists and medical doctors alike, with the needles being inserted from a few seconds up to a few minutes depending on the desired treatment.
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Many people are a bit apprehensive about having needles put in for the first time, but the process is virtually painless, with many patients only feeling a slight pin prick on insertion and a gentle pulling sensation while the needle is in the muscle belly.
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A message for blood and component donors:
As of February 2011 donors who have had acupuncture treatment by a qualified Healthcare Professional registered with a statutory body can freely give blood without waiting for 4 months. The GOsC is included in this list.
Follow this link to the National Blood Service