Written by Boroondara Osteopathy
A well-known clinic in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs founded by Dr Katie Willy (Osteopath)
A well-known clinic in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs founded by Dr Katie Willy (Osteopath)
Excellent question! Many people wonder what an Osteopathy appointment looks like. It’s a question we’re frequently asked by newcomers to osteopathy and manual therapy in general. And yes, we totally get it- patients want bang for their buck and great service, and that begins with knowing exactly what it is you’re getting.
So, let’s break it down….
For new patients, we begin with an initial consult. This is usually an extended appointment that allows a practitioner to get to know you on a deeper level, delve in to why you’re seeking treatment, and establish what you intend to gain from it.
During this appointment, an osteopath will ask you a series of clinical questions which assist in generating and developing your health history. Moving forward, the health history will go on to serve as an integral piece of the puzzle. So, it’s important that you don’t leave out any of those finer details- what may seem irrelevant to you, could be a game changer in the eyes of an observant osteo!
Your osteopath will then use your health history to develop not only a working diagnosis (if there is a need for one), but an entire examination and treatment plan tailored specifically to you. Pretty cool, huh?!
Following the history taking process, an osteopath will usually perform some examinations to determine where you’re at. These examinations could include gait analysis (to check out how your body is moving as a whole), neurological testing (if you’re presenting with nerve-y kinda stuff), range of motion exercises (for when you’re feeling stiff and restricted), and palpatory assessment (to locate any tender points). This information is invaluable, as it all helps build what osteos call the ‘clinical picture’.
Then comes the fun stuff- your hands on treatment! This will differ from treatment to treatment, and from practitioner to practitioner. Depending on what’s required as determined by your osteo, hands on treatment could consist of anything from mobility exercises to soft tissue techniques, muscle or joint stretching to back cracking! At the end of the day, every osteopath has a plethora of weapons in their arsenal, it all depends on what will be most beneficial to you as a patient.
But hold up….. not so quickly! It’s highly likely that your osteo will give you some kind of take home exercises- a little homework, if you will. After all, all good things take time and practice, right? It’s well worth noting that if you can manage to do these consistently, as per directed, the benefits you experience from treatment will be enhanced and extended.
Got any questions? Feel free to give us a call on 9859 5059, or shoot us an email if you want to know more!