Your Osteopath will complete a thorough case history; they’ll ask you questions about your injury, medical history, occupation, hobbies, activity levels and anything else they feel is relevant. This helps them build a picture and understand your injury.
They’ll then make a decision as to whether you require any further investigations such as MRI’s, X-rays or blood tests. If necessary they can refer you onto the appropriate professional.
Once they have got the information they need they’ll move onto the physical examination. It’s really helpful if you can wear nice stretchy clothes such as gym clothing, so that your movement isn’t restricted and they can easily see how your joints are moving.
They will ask you to go through a few different movements so they can observe your range and quality of movement. They may also perform certain neurological and musculoskeletal tests to help ascertain a diagnosis.
Once a diagnosis has been formed, they will explain this to you and go through their treatment plan. Treatment will vary for each individual case, but generally speaking it will involve a combination of hands on treatment and exercise advice.