Motion Clinic

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Your questions

What can I expect on my first treatment?

On the first consultation, we will take a full case history. This will be about your present complaint as well as about your past medical history. After, your osteopath will start an examination. This normally involves you standing and doing some movements. Your osteopath will observe these movements and might do additional orthopaedic tests, palate (feel) muscles and move joints to help make a diagnosis. This diagnosis and treatment plan will be explained to you.
If you are happy, your osteopath will start treatment. Osteopathy is a ‘package’ of care that includes skilled mobilising and manipulative techniques, reinforced by guidance on diet and exercise.
At the end of the session your osteopath will estimate the likely number of sessions you need to treat your condition effectively. If your osteopath thinks that your condition is unlikely to respond to osteopathic treatment, you will be advised about how to seek further care. Osteopaths are skilled in diagnostic techniques and trained to identify when a patient needs to be referred to a GP.

Can I claim through my Health Insurance?

Many private health insurance policies provide cover for osteopathic treatment. It may be possible to claim for a course of treatment but you should check in advance with your insurance company before seeking osteopathic treatment, in order to confirm the available level of cover and whether you will need to have a referral from your GP or a specialist.

Will I feel sore after treatment?

Sometimes…. all people react differently to treatment, this can be due to a variety of factors which your osteopath will try and take into account. This is often a normal part of the healing process and is to be expected. Treatment reactions normally only last between 24-48hrs. Your osteopath can advise you how to manage any soreness and please do call the clinic if you have any concerns.

Will I need to undress?

It depends on where the problem is, always try wearing loose fitting clothes and ones that you feel comfortable in. As with many problems, your body is likely to compensate so being able to see more of the spine can be useful to our osteopaths. So we may ask you to undress down to your underwear – we can give you privacy to do this. Always remember to voice your concerns with your osteopath if you have any problems. Our main aim is that you feel comfortable and happy during your treatment.

Do I need a GP referral to see an Osteopath?

Most of our patients ‘self refer’ to us for treatment. Although referral by a GP is not necessary, patients are encouraged to see their GP if they have any concerns. It is good to keep both GP and osteopath fully informed, so you, the patient, receive the best possible care from both healthcare practitioners.

What is the difference between an Osteopath and Chiropractor?

This is a very common question from our patients and can be sometimes quite difficult to answer. There are some principles that differ between Osteopaths and Chiropractors, that do have some effect on the treatment each provide.

Chiropractors tend to concentrate on the spine with emphasis on improving the nerve functions that exit in the spine. For example if you had an ankle problem, they may manipulate your lower back to try to effect the nerves that supply that ankle.

Osteopaths do use this method to some extent but we would also treat the ankle directly. We would look for possible compensatory mechanisms that the ankle may be causing, this could be from knee and lower back pain or even headaches. As osteopaths we are always interested in what the underlying issue is to bring you back to optimal health.

Treatments do differ, chiropractor appointments tend to be shorter, between 10-15 minutes for follow-up treatments. Osteopathic treatments are usually a minimum of 30 minutes, this is normally due to the techniques we use. Chiropractors use mainly the manipulative techniques. Osteopaths do use these, but also include deep tissue massage, mobilisation and stretching techniques.

Otherwise there is not much difference between the two and we treat the same problems on a daily basis with similar results. It comes down to what you, the patient, finds more effective.