Martley Osteopaths

Yes. It is very important for the osteopath to be able to see the spine and your standing posture to better understand why and how your symptoms are presenting. The osteopath may ask you to make certain movements to see how joints are moving and observe where restrictions are occurring.
It is best to wear comfortable underwear and once the examination process is over you will be covered with a towel when lying on the couch.

It’s always difficult to give an exact answer to this question, as everybody’s different. However, we can give you an idea of the ‘average’ recovery period and the factors that might hasten or slow your recovery.

The average, full recovery period is 6-8 weeks (or to be precise 6.7 treatments). After that, in most cases, it’s clear to see that your body has truly corrected and returned to normal. This isn’t the same as taking painkillers for six weeks, while you hope you’ll get better. This can appear to be effective because the painkillers cause your brain to turn off your pain receptors, but you’re doing nothing to correct the underlying dysfunctions. Such unresolved dysfunctions can lead to far worse problems in the future.

It is quite common to feel tired after an osteopathic treatment, other people feel relaxed and uplifted after a treatment as well.

Osteopathy is charged with encouraging your own health restoration, the osteopath is giving the treatment, but it’s the body’s response to the treatment that kick starts the healing mechanism. This uses vast amounts of energy and is why after a treatment it is important to rest and take it easy to allow the process to take place. It’s crucial that the body has time to allow the corrections to take place so please resist the urge to go to the gym, dig over your garden or hoover the house no matter how good you are feeling.

No. Osteopaths are regulated healthcare professionals with diagnostic training and capabilities. This means that we work independently of the Medical profession for the most part, but where medically indicated we obviously liaise with your doctor and or other consultants to achieve the best outcome for you.

Note, all private health insurance policies will cover your osteopathic fees, however, most require your GP to have seen you too or at least to have commented that Osteopathy will be of benefit in your condition.

In the vast majority of cases then yes is the simple answer, but please take care, if you are in acute pain before your treatment then its wiser to have a friend or relative drive you to and from your appointment.

Long drives are not recommended after your treatment as rest and taking it easy are better all round.

You are freely welcomed to sit and relax after your treatment in our waiting room, until you feel right and ready to face the outside world, so please, there’s no rush. 

It is also quite common to feel sore and achy after a treatment. During a treatment, soft tissues are being stretched, joints are mobilised and blood flow is being normalised around the body. Post-treatment soreness isn’t the treatment going wrong, it is a normal response by the body to having an intervention. It can be likened to going to the gym for the first time, however the action is slightly different, because as blood supply to tissues is normalised it gives muscles, ligaments and tendons a chance to dump out any stored waste, or metabolites, such as lactic acid, back into circulation and these can have a mildly irritative effect. However, it’s much better that these metabolites are dealt with by the appropriate waste mechanisms of the body rather than being stored in intracellular spaces of your muscles.

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