We love helping people with osteopathic treatment, but are always realistic about what osteopathy can treat. It is for this reason that we only really treat musculoskeletal conditions at the Bexleyheath Osteopathic Practice.
Pain is a really complicated and unpredictable thing in humans, and whilst there is some quite good evidence supporting the techniques used by osteopaths, it is not always a “magic cure.”
Some patients need a short course of treatment, some however need longer courses, it is impossible to tell until we see you (..sorry!)
The path to becoming symptom free is not always uniform either and we warn all of our patients that there might be some "road bumps” along the way. We tend to ask people to gauge their condition "week on week", not necessarily "minute on minute” as pain levels often fluctuate depending on many factors.
We also warn patients that they might actually be sore immediately after treatment, as osteopathy can be quite challenging to the tissues that might be damaged. It is for this reason that we try to make people aware that they might even feel a little bit worse after undergoing osteopathic manipulation. This should be very short term and manageable, but it’s important to us that patients understand that it can happen.
It is actually quite easy to over treat some conditions, which can lead to increased pain, this is why a session is not “set in stone”. We tend to take about 45 minutes to see a new patient, and then work on about a half an hour list for returning patients. Working longer and harder does not necessarily give better outcomes… would you ask a dentist to continue drilling when they have completed the treatment you have come for?
Thanks for reading, as we feel having realistic expectations about your visit to the Bexleyheath Osteopahtic Practice will help us to help you more effectively.
If you would like to book an appointment to see one of our osteopaths in Bexleyheath please give us a call on 02082987122 to arrange a convenient time. We look forward to meeting you at the Bexleyheath Osteopathic Practice soon!!