07846 972532
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
Your osteopath will take what's known as a Case History when they will ask you questions about your past and present health, any medications, injuries and questions about the pain or problem that you have come in with. Usually your osteopath will then want to examine you; often they will ask you to remove some clothing in order to properly assess the structure of your body. You are welcome to bring vest/shorts/leggings to change into for your examination if this makes you feel more comfortable and you can bring a chaperone if you wish (unfortunately bringing a chaperone, or anyone else sitting in on your treatment, is not possible during Covid restrictions due to the increased risk of viral transmission).
After examination your osteopath will explain to you where they think the problem could be coming from and discuss the treatment they think may help. Osteopathic treatment is patient focused which means it's tailored for your body at that particular time - there is no one-size-fits-all technique for specific ailments. The kind of treatment your osteopath provides may range from joint manipulation (the familiar 'click' which many people associate with osteopathy), soft tissue work (on muscles and fascia) and stretching and exercise to very gentle balancing techniques and cranial work. The types of treatment your osteopath uses will be governed by what you feel comfortable with and your osteopath will always discuss what they want to do with you beforehand.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Your first appointment in Penzance costs £60 and will last for approximately 30-45minutes (this may include a phone consultation depending on current Covid restrictions)
Follow up appointments in Penzance cost £50 and will last approximately 30 minutes.
ARE YOUR SERVICES COVERED BY MY INSURANCE?
We do not process any insurance claims on your behalf, if you have medical insurance which covers osteopathy contact your provider before treatment to check that they will reimburse your payments to us.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU HAVE?
All osteopaths undertake a 4 or 5 year undergraduate degree in order to qualify as an osteopath. They are then registered by the General Osteopathic Council who set professional standards with which all osteopaths must comply. In 1993 parliament passed the Osteopaths Act to regulate the practice of osteopathy in the UK.
Abby received a Masters in Osteopathy (M.Ost) from the London School of Osteopathy in 2011 and a post-graduate Diploma in Paediatric Osteopathy (DPO) from the Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy in 2017.
CAN I GET A SAME-DAY APPOINTMENT? DO YOU OFFER WALK-IN CLINIC SERVICES?
All appointments must be booked in advance, we do not offer a walk-in service. Unfortunately due to high demand same-day appointments for a new patient are not usually available.
WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?
Osteopathy is a way of treating pain and dysfunction through the application of manual techniques aimed at improving the mobility, fluid flow and tissue health of the body. Often this manual treatment will be directed at the muscles, joints, nerves and membranes of the body but osteopaths think about the internal organs, blood vessels and lymphatic system just as much as the spine and muscular system. It is a system of treatment based on the anatomy (structure) and physiology (functioning) of the human body, that was developed by an American doctor (Dr. Still) who set up the first school of Osteopathy in 1892. Dr. Still was interested in how changing the structure of the body (injuring a joint for example) affected the function of the whole body; If he saw a patient with lung problems he would investigate the position of their ribs and collar bones to see if injuries here may be changing blood flow to the lungs, if he saw a patient with headaches he would look at their neck and jaw with similar interest. The legacy that all osteopaths take from Dr. Still is that the body has the ability to heal itself, if given the right opportunity, and that restoring or improving the structure of the body enables it to begin this journey back towards health.