During
the first visit you will be asked to describe the pain or discomfort
you are experiencing. You will also be asked general medical questions
which could well be relevant to the treatment.
This will be followed
by a thorough examination of the muscles and joints of the body.
When
a full diagnosis has been made, your osteopath will explain the problem
and start the treatment, which is usually gentle and rarely causes
pain. You may also be given specific exercise regimes and possibly
asked to look at the activities which could have caused your condition,
such as posture or work positions. This will help you to help
yourself! These are designed to aid rehabilitation and hopefully
reduce the chance of the problem happening again.
It may be necessary to arrange x-rays or other tests at
which point you may be referred back to your GP or through a fast track fee paying service.
What about my Doctor?
Since
regulation by parliament, osteopathic treatment has been officially
recognized by the general medical council and is in fact, available
within certain areas of the NHS. Often you will be referred to an
osteopath by your GP. But this is not a necessity to gain access to
osteopathic care.