Osteopathy is a philosophy of healthcare that acknowledges that the living body is a self-renewing, self-regenerating, self-recuperating system which maintains health constantly throughout life. Whenever that health-maintaining system is compromised, symptoms or disease could develop. Osteopathy is concerned with that which has compromised health rather than the resulting condition.

Osteopaths have been regulated by statute since 1993. They are trained to diagnose conventionally and also to use their hands to assess body function and dysfunction. This gives the osteopath uniquely sensitive information about the disability within the body and how this insight might be used to help restore health.

Although people commonly describe their symptoms in terms of conventional medical conditions, osteopaths do not primarily treat medical conditions; they are more concerned with the cascade of events which could have contributed to the development of those medical conditions.

Osteopaths treat all the family and are true family practitioners. We can gently and safely help people of every age from newborns to the elderly. As osteopaths we address structural and mechanical dysfunction within the body and in doing so we can often help with common complaints such as:

• Back pain and Sciatica
• Neck pain
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Osteoarthritic and Rheumatic pain
• Headaches and Migraine
• Muscle spasms
• Neuralgia
• Fibromyalgia
• Shoulder, Elbow and arm pain
• Frozen shoulder and Tennis/Golfers elbow
• Pelvic, Hip, Knee and leg pain
• Postural problems
• Sports injuries and strains
• Circulatory problems/ Cramp
• Digestive problems
• Inability to relax

For specific problems encountered with Babies, Children and Teenagers, during Pregnancy and in treatment of the Elderly please see the relevant sections of our website.

When you make an appointment to see us we will always send you an e mail or letter in advance, detailing exactly what to expect on your first visit, what our clinic protocols are and what to bring with you. The initial part of your consultation will currently take place over the telephone and last about 30 minutes. This is to reduce contact time in the clinic. We will need to ask detailed questions about your symptoms which helps build up a picture of what could be the problem and why it has happened. This is followed by questions relating to your general health and past medical history to ensure that it is appropriate for you to be receiving osteopathic treatment.
If appropriate we will follow this with an appointment in the clinic where we will perform an examination of your musculoskeletal system. We may need you to partially undress for this or to undress down to your underwear so that we can examine your posture and we will let you know in advance if this will be the case. We may ask you to perform some simple movements standing, sitting and lying down on the treatment table whilst we use our hands to feel for ease or restriction of motion in your joints and muscles. We may need to perform some simple tests such as checking your reflexes or taking your blood pressure.
When we have made a diagnosis we will discuss this with you and if appropriate we will explain how osteopathic treatment can help. If you are happy to proceed and if time permits we will give you some treatment on that first visit. If there are any risks involved with the techniques we are going to use we will inform you of this before treatment. However, complications following osteopathic treatment are extremely rare and osteopathy has an extremely high safety record. We will estimate how many visits you are likely to need and what the expected outcome will be. If we feel exercises or self help treatment would benefit you at this stage we will give you instructions for these.

When we have finished taking your case history we will need to examine you. We often need to start by examining your posture and to assess this properly we may need you to undress down to your underwear. If you would like to bring a pair of lightweight shorts to wear that will be fine. If you would feel more comfortable having a companion with you then you are welcome to bring someone with you. It is important to us that you feel comfortable during examination and treatment and we will always endeavor to respect your wishes.

We will always explain what we are going to do treatment wise before we do it and let you know if anything is going to feel temporarily uncomfortable. Most people enjoy osteopathic treatment and find it relaxing and some people even fall to sleep during a treatment. However, working into muscles that have been tight for a long time can feel uncomfortable at first or likewise moving a joint that is inflamed or has been immobile for a prolonged period may initially feel a little sore. We will always aim to work within your comfort zone and let you know what to expect after your treatment.

We will give you an information sheet following your first treatment to let you know what to expect afterwards. It is usual to feel a bit sore or stiff following treatment for between 24 to 48 hours. This can be likened to post exercise soreness but in this case we have been exercising you!. If we feel that certain self help measures will minimise this discomfort such as hot and cold packs or gentle stretching we will advise you accordingly. We are always happy for you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns following treatment. Many people feel no discomfort at all after treatment and are immediately aware of it’s benefits

It is hard to generalise regarding how many treatments you will need but on average we would estimate 4 to 6 sessions for you to be feeling relief from your symptoms. If you were not responding to treatment within the expected time frame, discussed with you at your initial visit, your osteopath would either review your diagnosis, ensure that you were following self help measures correctly and not doing anything to impede progress or refer you for further investigation. It does not benefit you or the osteopath to continue with treatment if no progress is being made.

An initial consultation and treatment for an adult will cost £70.00 and for a child £65.00 and last approximately one hour ( the cost also includes a phone call prior to your treatment to gather information, allowing more time for treatment during your visit).

Follow up treatments cost £60.00 and last approximately 45-60 minutes. If we feel a 30 minute appointment would be more appropriate then we will discuss this with you.

All of our osteopaths are registered with most of the major insurance companies (see our ‘Contact Us’ page). We would always advise contacting your insurance company in advance to check that your policy covers you for osteopathy and whether there are any fee restrictions or limits imposed. Some companies require you to have a GP referral for treatment. We normally ask that you pay us after each treatment and we provide a receipt for you to claim the fee back from your insurance provider.

Usually people do not need to be referred by their GP in order to receive osteopathic treatment. In certain circumstances we  may want to advise your GP that you are receiving treatment from us and we will always ask for your consent before contacting them.
However, some insurance companies stipulate that you must be referred by your GP for osteopathic treatment in order to claim back your treatment fees, so it is worth checking this in advance if you are planning to use your insurance to cover the costs.

Your safety is our priority. During this Covid-19 pandemic we have even stricter protocols in place in our clinic to allow us to continue seeing our patients. Please see our ‘News page’ for more details. All the Wellbeing Osteopaths are registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), which regulates standards of safety and competence within the profession, and are permitted to use the title Registered Osteopath. Osteopaths have to train for a minimum of 4 years. They also have to carry out continuing professional development in order to stay registered. Osteopathy has an excellent safety record and osteopaths will always discuss any relevant risk factors with you before treatment, if that is applicable.
In 1993 osteopathy became the first major complementary healthcare profession to be accorded statutory recognition under the 1993 Osteopaths Act. It is a criminal offence for anyone in the UK to call themselves an osteopath unless they are registered with the GOsC.

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