This page is primarily intended to provide you with the necessary information to give informed consent to treatment. As such please read it before coming in for treatment so that you can consent to being treated in the manner described.
Patient Information About Osteopathic Treatment
The first appointment is between 60 to 90 minutes long. A case history is taken where you will be asked about your presenting complaint, your medical history, any accidents or stresses you may have had over the years, etc… During the examination and treatment we will have a look at you standing to get a general feel for how the different parts of the body are moving. We will go through any relevant clinical testing, after which you will be asked to lye down in a comfortable position on the couch for a more gentle feel of the different tissue qualities and the actual hands on treatment.
- Please wear loose comfortable clothing, preferably no tight jeans or leathers. I normally work with patients fully dressed, but sometimes it may be necessary to remove some items of clothing for the examination.
- Osteopaths look at the whole body and how the different parts are inter related in order to help with your presenting complaint. Osteopaths treat using their hands, and will place their hands on various parts of your body. If you feel unhappy with hand contact in any part you should say so.
- I may spend much of the treatment in an area distant from your symptom area. This is usually because the cause of the problem lies distant to the area of symptoms, or because it is a better place to access the change.
- During treatment you may feel sensations in various parts of your body. This is usually a feeling of warmth or tingling, or more commonly a sense of deep relaxation. Rarely some discomfort may be felt, but you should tell me immediately if you are in any pain.
- Whilst Osteopaths use their professional skill to do their utmost to help you with your problems, we cannot guarantee the outcome because every patient is different.
Treatment Response and Reactions
A normal treatment response is for symptoms to change after a treatment, often for up to a week. Normally any new symptoms will be short lived and pass after 2 to 3 days. It is possible for old symptoms to reappear temporarily during a course of treatment, but if you are in more pain for more than 2 to 3 three days after a treatment, or if you are concerned, you should contact me for advice. Rarely a new symptom area develops; this is due to the whole body responding to the treatment and finding it difficult to adapt. A degree of light-headedness is common after the treatment; this is normal and usually lasts a few hours at most. More rarely dizziness may occur after treatment; if this persists for more than 2 to 3 days you should contact me. It is common to feel tired after a treatment, and it is helpful to take some rest. Wherever possible please arrange your treatments so that you can lye down for 20 minutes when you get home.
Babies are usually relaxed settled and sleep well after a treatment, but occasionally they may be unsettled, sometimes severely so. This is temporary and quite rare; but if it happens you should contact me early on (within 24hrs of the treatment), as we may need to bring the baby back for a very quick re-balancing.
You will be advised if a reaction to treatment is expected, but please bear in mind that it can be difficult to predict accurately because every patient responds differently.
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANYTHING AFTER A TREATMENT THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, PLEASE TELEPHONE ME FOR ADVISE.
How you can help yourself
After a treatment you will be advised of any particular precautions that you should take, which will vary depending on what your problem is. In general you should avoid strenuous exercise for 2 to 3 days after a treatment. If you feel tired, then rest. It is often helpful to lye down on your back with your knees bent for 10-20mins periodically in the day, especially whilst you are going through a course of treatment. Where possible avoid undue stress or rushing about on the day of treatment.
Risks of treatment
This gentle approach to osteopathic treatment is by nature very low risk, but no treatment is totally risk free. In very rare cases pain may get worse before it gets better. If you are a migraine sufferer, in a small number of cases treatment will trigger a migraine. It will not cause migraines if you are not a migraine sufferer, although a head ache can occur after treatment for a few hours. In a patient who has a history of seizures or epileptic fits, although osteopathic treatment is often beneficial in reducing the number of fits, it may trigger a fit after treatment. Rarely tinnitus can be caused by osteopathic treatment, although I have never come across this in clinic. It is important that you tell Nuno as soon as you know you are pregnant. We know of no evidence to show that this form of treatment carries a risk of miscarriage even during the critical first 12 week period, although forceful manipulation would be contraindicated at this time.
Cancellation of Appointments
Please attend all your booked appointments. If you cannot attend please give us at least 24hrs notice of cancellations. Appointments can often be filled even at short notice. Appointments not cancelled with 24hrs notice will normally be charged for.
It may be helpful during the course of your treatment for me to either inform your GP about areas of your health and treatment or to obtain details of your medical history. Your consent is required for this and you will be informed before me doing so.
I hope that your experience at the clinic is a happy one. Please do let me know if there is anything that you are not happy with so that I can continue to improve the service I provide.
Cranial Osteopathy for Babies, Children & During Pregnancy