Your First Visit

What you can expect from a consultation
Case History
The initial consultation lasts for 80 minutes*; we will take a full case history, we cover the current problem and previous problems, medical history including accidents, operations and illnesses and lastly your general health – past and current.  With infants and children this will be where we ask about your pregnancy, labour and delivery.

Examination
Generally you will be asked to undress to your underwear so choose clothing so that you will be comfortable with during this stage of the consultation.  This is necessary so that we can see your body as you stand, assess your posture and your movement.

The examination continues as we invite you to lay on the treatment bench and start to feel how your body moves without you actively moving your own limbs, neck and torso.  We test muscle tone and strength, flexibility of joints and if necessary, perform other clinical tests such as neurological reflexes and blood pressure.  ‘Cranial’ osteopaths here will assess the more subtle movements that your body is expressing whilst you lay still; using various handholds, the osteopath builds up an impression of your ‘involuntary mechanism’.

Diagnosis
We will explain our working diagnosis and talk with you about the treatment options and how we think we will be able to help, to ensure a safe and effective approach.  Where necessary, we will seek your consent to liaise with your GP to include them in the management of your case.

Treatment plan
We will help you understand the problem you have come with, its causes and how treatment can help you recover or improve how you function.  Equally important is advising you how to help yourself and preventative steps you can take, including postural advice and exercise (both in terms of activities and tailored exercises).

People may be seeking ongoing treatment to help them with aches and pains or for chronic health challenges.  Others want targeted treatment to help them return to their sport or hobby, or get back on their feet after an injury.  Some simply come for a health check up, knowing that there is more that they can do to look after themselves.  Dealing with issues at an early stage can pay dividends in helping prevent problems developing later.  This might include being checked after an accident or fall, or when something just doesn’t feel right.

We are fortunate to exist within a broad ranging multi-disciplinary complementary health care team, with a wide range of classes and workshops available.  We may recommend to you to another practitioner if we feel that it may be specifically supportive, given what we find during your course of treatment with us.  This recommendation will always have you at the heart of it as we are a patient-centred practice.

* Joanna Mitchell by choice operates longer sessions.  For first appointments:
adults – allow up to two hours;
children and older babies – allow up to 90 minutes;
newborns – allow up to one hour.

When a patient returns after more than two years they will be booked in as a new patient in order that we can fully update their case history.