Your First Visit
Once you have booked your appointment you will receive a confirmation via email and a request to set up your Bedale Osteopaths account. This will let you book, cancel and pay for your treatments online and is also handy if your osteopath needs to send you exercise or advice sheets.
You will be emailed a brief health questionnaire 24 hours prior to your appointment. Please take the time to fill this in.
For patients that are coming via car please feel free to park in our car park at the rear of the building for the duration of your appointment. Parking in the car park is at your own risk and alternative parking can be found on the high street (disc parking) or in either of the two pay and display car parks.
Our receptionist team are working in the mornings/early afternoon so they may not be in reception to greet you if you have a later appointment. Please just take a seat in reception and your practitioner will come and greet you.
If you have a smart phone you can check in online 1 hour prior to your appointment. This can be done from your booking reminder email and will let your osteopath know that you have arrived and are waiting. This is optional.
Osteopathy
Once you are settled and comfortable in the treatment room your osteopath will ask you to give a full account of your symptoms along with information about your lifestyle and general health. They will need to ask detailed questions about your complaint, medical history, and any medication that you may be taking. Please bring along a copy of your prescription if you are on regular medication.
Your osteopath will then conduct an examination, they will need to see the area that is causing problems and other areas that may be related to your condition. It is advisable to wear comfortable stretchy clothing that you can easily more about in. For example a vest top/ leggings/sports shorts/cotton trousers but not jeans.
Depending on the problem area you may be asked to remove some items of clothing. Please let us know if you would not be comfortable removing clothing or if you would like privacy when doing so. Your comfort is our priority.
Your osteopath will want to observe your posture and movements to assess how your whole body relates mechanically to your complaint. They may conduct simple medical tests such as checking your reflexes or taking your blood pressure.
Once your osteopath has fully assessed your condition they will take time to discuss their findings with you and suggest a treatment plan. This will usually include self help advice and exercises. Hands on treatment is usually begun on the first visit but occasionally there are situations when this is not advised and further tests or information is needed. Your osteopath will speak to you about this if necessary.
In some cases osteopathic treatment may not be appropriate for you. If this happens we will discuss this with you and advise you on who you should speak to (for example your GP, or in some cases an alternative practitioner).
Please do not hesitate to ask the Osteopath to stop treatment and explain anything he/she says or does at anytime during your appointment.
There are some commonly used and effective osteopathic techniques which are considered to have a very low risk of serious side effects/consequences. Your Osteopath will advise you of these risks and ask for your verbal consent if the choice of one of these techniques is relevant to your case.
You may experience discomfort for the first 24-48 hours after treatment. Please feel free to ring the practice if you are concerned or worried.
It may take several sessions before your condition is relieved, your Osteopath will discuss this with you.
Acupuncture
Your acupuncturist will take your medical history, may read your pulses, examine the site of your symptoms, and look at your tongue. Your individual treatment plan will be based on your health and lifestyle. Your acupuncturist will decide which combination of points is right for your whole body as well as your symptoms.
Sometimes acupuncture needles are inserted for just a second or two, or you may be left to rest for a while before the needles are removed. The needles are so fine that most people don’t feel them being inserted. It is normal to feel a mild tingle or dull ache as your acupuncturist adjusts the needle. Many people feel deeply relaxed during the treatment. If you are particularly averse to the thought of needles, acupressure (where pressure is applied to the points with the fingers or hands) can be used instead.
Treatment may also involve the use of massage, moxibustion (a warming treatment using smouldering herbs) and cupping (where suction cups are applied to the body).
Normally, people will have a course of treatment. Weekly sessions are quite usual to begin with, for perhaps five or six treatments, reducing in frequency as your body responds. Your acupuncturist will suggest how often you should come for treatment.
It is advisable to avoid strenuous exercise immediately after treatment.
If you are receiving treatment from your doctor then it makes sense to tell him or her about your plans to have acupuncture – most GPs are open to the idea of their patients receiving acupuncture. You should always tell your acupuncturist about any medication you are taking as this may affect your response to acupuncture treatment.
More information on Acupuncture can be found HERE
Massage
A confidential case history will be taken, you will be asked about your general health and your expectations of the treatment.
Massages usually require you to remove clothing from the area being treated, please let us know if you would not be comfortable removing clothing or if you would like privacy when doing so. Your comfort is our priority.
After treatment you may like a glass of water before going about your daily business – it is recommended that you try to take things easier for a few hours.
Everyone is unique and all therapies are tailored to your individual needs.
More information on massage, reflexology and Indian head massage can be found HERE