• What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a holistic form of manual therapy which aims to restore normal function to the patient’s body, using gentle manipulative techniques. Under ‘The Osteopaths Act 1993’ Osteopathy became the first complementary health care profession to be accorded statutory recognition and, at over 135 years old, it is one of the oldest and most respected forms of alternative therapy available in the UK. Since 2017 Osteopathy has also been recognised as an Allied Health Profession.

What should I expect in the first consultation?

Osteopaths take an integrated approach to patients’ healthcare and therefore a full case history will be taken in the first consultation. This will assist the Osteopath in making a diagnosis and in the safe treatment of your condition.

The full case history will contain many specific questions about your condition such as where, for how long and what makes it worse and better. A past medical history will also be taken to find out relevant information about previous surgery and illnesses, heart conditions, family history etc. The questions may seem unrelated to your complaint at times so feel free to ask why.

Once the case history has been taken, you’ll be asked to undress to your underwear so that a full assessment can be made of your posture, any spinal deviations and the general balance of your body. This will help to confirm the suspected diagnosis made at the start of the consultation. The Osteopath will then proceed to explain to you what has been found, what their intended approach to treatment will be and, with your consent, treatment will commence.

Treatment is always tailored to patients’ needs and preferences. Ercilia is experienced in using both adjustments and a very gentle cranial approach and often combines techniques for effective treatment of the patient’s condition.

Do I have to undress?

In most cases you may need to undress down to your underwear in order to be examined. Your privacy and modesty is respected at all times.

Your safety and the effective treatment of your condition is Ercilia’s priority so please feel free to express any concerns you may have before your first consultation.

Remember that you are free to bring along a friend or relative with you to act as your chaperone at any time.

How long do I need to have treatment for?

This is largely dependent on the severity of the problem, the patient’s own ability to heal, age and how long the patient has had the problem.

Is osteopathy safe?

Yes, Osteopaths go through rigorous and extensive training for over five years and regulation by statute law ensures that osteopaths have the skills necessary to care for you in a safe and gentle fashion. It is crucial that your Osteopath knows not only when to treat but also when not to, and therefore, substantial training to diagnose and understand circumstances when treatment would not be safe is given.

On the whole, osteopathic treatments are gentle and are always aimed at getting the maximum healing with minimal intervention; it is not the Osteopath’s aim to force your body back to health but rather to assist the body to return to normal.

Will you consult with my GP?

Ercilia is a primary healthcare professional and therefore is able to communicate with your GP and other healthcare professionals should the need arise. If you have been referred by your GP it is standard practice that they should be informed of the outcome of your osteopathic treatment. However, Osteopaths practice the same patient confidentiality as GPs and therefore any communication between your Osteopath and any other healthcare professional will only occur with your full consent which you are entitled to withhold should you wish to.