What to Expect at DW Osteopathy
Your First Visit Explained

"Dan took great time and care to thoroughly explain what was wrong with my back. He was approachable and easy to talk to, I felt reassured I was in capable hands."
- Chepstow

The initial one hour consultation is to allow sufficient time to conduct a thorough case history, medical history background and questions surrounding current day to day lifestyle and activities.
Questions may cover; current symptoms, onset, exacerbating/alleviating factors and progression on the discomfort.
Some questions may seem a little irrelevant, but they are structured such that your osteopath can gain a better understanding of the full medical and social picture.

Following the case history a standing physical examination takes place. At this point the osteopath will ask you to change into any comfortable, loose fitting shorts and vest you have brought. This is to allow the osteopath to easily see the contours of your spine and standing posture.
The standing assessment also involves some gentle movements performed by the patient to ascertain areas of restriction, loss of normal range of motion and pain.

The patient will then be asked to lie down on the treatment table to allow the osteopath to assess the health and function of muscles, joints, ligaments and nerves whilst the patient is completely relaxed.
This allows for a more detailed understanding of the functionality an health of the body.

Based on the information gathered from the case history and physical assessment, the osteopath will arrive at a working diagnosis (a conclusion of the current issue causing pain).
They will then explain this working diagnosis to the patient, and answer any questions highlighted.
At DW Osteopathy we strive to ensure each patient has completely understood exactly what the osteopath has decided to be the working diagnosis. We believe that fully understanding whats wrong is the biggest step towards improving recovery time.

The osteopath will then outline a unique and individually tailored treatment plan for exact condition or problem causing pain; catering to the patient's individual needs.
Before initiating the treatment, informed consent must be gained from the patient. Knowledge of risk factors and prognosis should be explained.
An initial consultation at DW Osteopathy is thorough, straightforward and most importantly, open. There is no such thing as a silly question, please feel free to ask as many questions as you like.