Your First Appointment

 

For your first visit

  • you can request to see a practitioner of preference, male or female

  • you do not need a referral to book an appointment

It can be really daunting going somewhere new for the first time, but at The Bedworth Active Health Clinic our friendly osteopaths and practitioners will do everything they can to put you at ease… but just to give you an idea about what to expect here is some information about what will happen on your first visit to the clinic.

Osteopathic Consultation 

We will go through a full medical case history, which will include questions about your presenting problem and current symptoms, your general medical health, operations, accidents, diet, work and leisure activities as this all helps in making the correct diagnosis and identifying any contributory factors to your current problem. Please bring any medication lists and recent X-ray or scan results if you have them.

At this point, in an osteopathic consultation, we may require you to undress to your underwear in order to perform a physical assessment. This obviously depends on the area to be examined, but if you’d feel more comfortable please bring shorts, tracksuit bottoms or a vest to wear.

The Osteopathic examination will involve looking for any imbalances in your posture both standing and sitting, how your body moves actively (when you move it) and passively (when it is moved for you). We will also palpate (touch) for areas of pain, muscle tension and joint restriction. We may take your blood pressure and pulse, and perform a basic neurological assessment if perceived necessary.

At this point if treatment is appropriate for your problem, we will explain our findings, diagnosis and the treatment required for your problem. We will provide some idea as to how many treatments you may require and over what period. However, sometimes it is difficult to be precise at the first visit if the problem has been present for a long time.

Treatment to suit your individual needs

Osteopathic treatment and acupuncture is very different for each person and the techniques used will be tailored to suit your age, fitness and diagnosis. Osteopathic treatment will commonly involve massage, stretching, gentle joint manipulation and articulation to improve your joint mobility and relax muscles. Electrotherapy and acupuncture may also be offered to you depending on the problem. The osteopath may also give you advice on posture, work and seating ergonomics and exercises to do at home.

If the Osteopath does not feel that they can help your problem or they feel you require further testing before treatment commences, they will tell you the best course of action. This may involve them writing to your GP or referring you for further tests such as blood tests, X-rays or an MRI, which can be organised through your GP or privately depending on problem.