Ask Your Osteopathy Physician the Right Questions
You have been hearing about osteopathy and the benefits it can have on your health from close friends and you decide it is time you too consulted one for the various aches and pains that you have been suffering from. Since there are so many osteopaths practicing in your city, how will you be able to find out the right doctor for you? Ask these simple questions during your first appointment to ensure that you enlist the services of a practitioner who can understand and treat your problems successfully. Wrist pain Osteopathic treatment
Would I have to take treatment for my entire body even though I only suffer from chronic backache?
A skilled osteopath will be able to explain to you why it is necessary to treat your entire body even though your complaint is restricted to one area. All the bones in our body are linked intricately and a problem in one part of the body can have an effect in another part. Sometimes chronic back ache may result from the spine compression, hence it becomes necessary to treat both the spine as well as the back muscles to address your back pain. If the osteopath focuses on just one area, he may miss out the complaints in the other parts and not provide you holistic healing for your entire body.
Do you have the right qualifications to treat me?
This may sound a little silly to ask any medical practitioner but is a must as it is your health at risk. You can request your osteopath to show his certificates or you only need to look around his office as most doctors hang their qualifications on the walls. After all, you are paying for his services and he has the duty to put your fears at rest. Knee pain Osteopathic treatment
Is it necessary to make appointments each time?
Some osteopathy practitioners may require you to make appointments each time you come for a sitting while some others may ask to make an appointment only the first time. Most often, after you have had a detailed first consultation, the osteopath prepares a plan of action and timetable which will have to be followed. A copy of this will be handed over to you while a copy will be maintained in your health records. This way, you will be free to walk into the clinic as per the plan instead of making appointments each time.
When will the treatment begin?
It is important to find out if the treatment will be put into effect from the very first consultation. Most practitioners prefer to start the treatment during the second sitting and devotes the first one entirely to understand what your complaints are and also to use the time to explain how the therapy will be carried out. But if you are suffering from chronic pain, then this will be taken into consideration and the practitioner will recommend you to take the treatment on the first day itself. Osteopathic treatment for Shoulder pain
Should I sign a treatment contract before the actual therapy begins?
There are many clinics and osteopathy practitioners who may ask you to sign a treatment plan or contract even before you have been assessed and a diagnosis done. Think twice about continuing in such places as they clearly seem to be interested in your money than in your health. An ideal practitioner will never ask you to pay or draft a treatment plan before assessing you. Most often, a treatment plan is drawn only after you have been examined and diagnosed. In this situation too, the osteopath will explain that the plan is only temporary and changes will be made as treatment progresses and by the way your body responds to the therapy.