Here’s what to expect
First visits last between 30 minutes to an hour. For children under 16 the consultation is always up to an hour. Follow up sessions are 30 minutes. Please arrive a few minutes early for your first appointment. You will be given a form to complete with a few standard questions before your appointment.
Session information
Your osteopath will take lots of details from you about your presenting complaint (the reason you have come to see us) and about any previous injuries or accidents. You will also be asked about your general health and any relevant medical history or medication you are taking. These details are important for the osteopath to get an understanding of your overall health and how this may impact upon your response to osteopathic treatment.
You will probably be asked to stand and go through a range of movements, so that your osteopath can see how your body is functioning.
The osteopath may choose to run some standard medical tests, for example blood pressure or tendon reflex tests, to further assess your condition, if needed.
The osteopath will use all of the information from the case history and their findings from the examination in order to come to an understanding of your symptom presentation (why your body is behaving in the way it is).
The osteopath will explain this to you in a way that you can understand. They will also explain if your condition is appropriate for osteopathic treatment, and if it is, what treatment they propose. The osteopath will aim to give you an idea of how many treatment sessions may be needed – this however is sometimes difficult, as every patient may respond differently. In a few cases osteopathic treatment may not be appropriate, in which case the osteopath will make a referral to a more appropriate practitioner if needed.
Your first visit will normally include some treatment, however if your case is particularly complicated there may not be enough time and you may be asked to return for a follow up. The osteopath will explain this to you if this is the case.
It is usual on a first visit, for patients to be asked to undress down to their underwear. This is so that the osteopaths can understand how the body as a whole functions, by viewing the joints and muscles as they move. If you are at all uncomfortable about this, please tell us, we can usually work with loose unrestrictive clothing items such as sports wear.
All children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. All adults are very welcome to bring a partner or friend into the consultation.
What our patients say
Lesley has had a major impact on our son's life. Her abilities were invaluable in aiding his hard journey to recovery from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She and her team have helped enormously towards us seeing him return to his cheeky and boisterous self.
What our patients say
Following a friend’s recommendation I’ve been using Nutley Lane for several years, with them treating and looking after a very old injury which is now well managed. They are by far the best osteopaths I’ve ever been to and I’d highly recommend.