Case history

I will take a full case history which will include you or your child’s medical history (as far back as birth and time during pregnancy if relevant) and current general health along with your presenting complaint.

Patient examination

For the purpose of examination you or your child will be asked to undress to your underwear (or nappy for a baby) if you are happy to. This allows me to examine you or your child globally and consider the relevance of different parts of the body to your presenting problem. 

If you do not feel comfortable undressing this is also ok, but I would appreciate loose clothing and no denim material to be able to examine properly. Or bring shorts and a vest top as necessary. 

As part of the examination, you may be asked to perform some movements and I may then move different areas of your body to see how they are functioning. Depending on your individual case, additional tests may be performed such as taking your blood pressure or testing your reflexes (an infant’s primitive reflexes are tested routinely). During a “cranial Osteopathy” examination, I will place my hands on various parts of the body to look at deeper and subtler rotations, torsion, pulls, compressions, inflammation etc. in the tissues. This is a passive and gentle examination. 

Evaluation

Once I have completed the examination I will then let you know what I think is causing the problem and discuss possible treatments with you. This will include the treatment options available and their effects, the type of treatment recommended and the aims of the treatment. 

Occasionally patients need to be referred to their GP for further investigation or care and in this situation I am happy to write a letter as to why we feel this is necessary. This is normally only carried out with your permission. 

Osteopathic treatment 

There are many different techniques and treatment types that osteopaths can use and I will discuss these with you. I may advise you with regards to exercises, diet, work posture etc., as is relevant to you or your child’s case. If you have any concerns after the treatment please contact me for further advice. 

Although a lot of treatment I give is gentle, it can have big effect, so for a day or two after treatment don’t do anything too vigorous whilst your body adjusts to changes made, as the day after treatment you may feel a little sore, and tired. Most patients have a good night’s sleep following the treatment itself. 

How I use the information that you share with me

The information you provide to me is strictly confidential; should information need to be shared with another health professional I will only do this with your consent. 

Questions or concerns 

If at any stage of your consultation you have any concerns or questions, please discuss them with me and I will be happy to provide further information. 

I always hope that your visit to me will have been helpful. However, if for any reason you are unhappy about any aspect of your consultation, please email or speak with me so I can then advise accordingly.