What can you expect during your initial visit

We encourage you to ask your osteopath any questions about the nature, extent and purpose of your treatment and inform your osteopath about your preferences, expectations and any aversions you may have to help ensure the best possible outcome.

Case history taking

Usually, the priority of an initial consultation is to establish a diagnosis. Firstly, your osteopath will ask you questions about the nature of your complaint, your medical history, scans or test results, your work and lifestyle that may be related to your complaint.

Physical Examination

After taking your Case History, your osteopath will leave the room for you to undress to your underwear for a physical examination. Clinic gowns are provided or you may prefer to bring along thin pants, shorts or top.

Examination tests may include your osteopath gently moving your joints testing for quality and range of movement or you may be asked to perform simple movements such as lifting your arms, legs or bending forward to reach for the floor. Clinical neurological tests that asses nerve function are carried out where indicated.

A major part of an osteopathic examination is palpating (examining your tissues by hand) for signs of strain, dysfunction or pathology. Your osteopath will examine the local area that is troubling you as well as related parts of your body. For example, if you have an injured knee, your osteopath may also examine your foot, pelvis, back and even your ribs.

Based on your case history and examination findings your osteopath will determine whether osteopathic treatment is appropriate for your complaint, recommend further medical tests or refer you to the most appropriate health care provider.

Treatment

Osteopathy is a form of hands-on therapy which includes soft tissue manipulation, organ (visceral) manipulation, stretching, rhythmic joint mobilisation and/or gentle joint manipulation. As most conditions require examination and treatment of painful and tender tissue, your osteopath will closely monitor you for any signs of undue discomfort but please do not hesitate to ask him to stop or alter treatment at any time.

Is osteopathy safe?

Osteopathy is considered very safe. But there are risks associated with any type of treatment. Osteopaths undergo five years of university training and are regulated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency with your safety as a high priority. Training prepares osteopaths to examine and screen for potential conditions that indicate where referral is required or where certain osteopathic techniques should not be used, thereby minimising your exposure to unnecessary risk.

Research has found that around half of patients experience mild to moderate reactions to manual treatment including local discomfort, tiredness, headache, stiffness or soreness especially after the first treatment. Generally this lasts for 24 to 48 hours.

In patients undergoing high velocity cervical spine (neck) manipulation serious side effects including stroke and death are rare, reported to occur in between 1 in 400,000 to 1 in 6 million neck manipulations.

By comparison, taking anti-inflammatory medication (e.g. nurofen, ibuprofen, aspirin) for at least two months leads to an annual hospitalization rate in Australia of 1 in 400 users due to stomach ulcer, bleeding or perforation and death in 1 in 1,200 users. It has been estimated that lower back manipulation is 37,000 to 148,000 times safer than anti-inflammatory medication and 50,000 to 450,000 times safer than surgery for the treatment of lower back disc herniation.

You should note that spinal manipulation is not necessary to achieve successful clinical outcomes. There are other techniques available that achieve similar results. Some people feel great satisfaction after spinal manipulation and others are averse to it. Please let your osteopath know your preference.

We urge you to contact the clinic if you have any concerns about any side-effects after your treatment.

Your personal information

The information you provide to this clinic is strictly confidential. Only with your signed consent will your personal information be forwarded to a third party such as a health practitioner or insurance company. Your records will be kept for a minimum of seven years.

How much treatment will you need?

Care is taken by your osteopath to ensure that a successful outcome is reached within a minimum timeframe whilst minimising exposure to adverse risks. Any timeframes and clinical outcomes indicated by your osteopath are based on professional judgment and clinical experience but they cannot be guaranteed because all relevant obstacles to success may not be apparent at the time.

In general, most cases are straightforward and long-term resolution is achieved in one to five visits; on the other hand, some complex and chronic conditions require many months or even years to achieve resolution. Usually your osteopath can give you a timeframe of how much treatment is expected (prognosis) on the first visit. In some cases a prognosis is arrived at after a few visits as relevant information comes to light.

What are the fees?

The first standard consultation is $130 and subsequent visits are $95. Allow thirty minutes for your appointment. Part of the fee is covered by most private insurance plans. If your condition is one that has been (or is likely to be) present for six months or longer, up to five visits can be subsidised by around $58 per visit by Medicare under Chronic Disease Management (CDM) items. A referral from your G.P. is needed for a CDM plan.

No show or late cancellation fee

Unfortunately, we often need to turn away people who are in pain because there are no available appointments. If you cannot make it to your appointment, need to change your appointment or you do not wish to continue your treatment please give us 24 hours notice. A fee of $95 will be charged for failure to notify us with less than 3 hours before your scheduled appointment.