At your first visit to the osteopath, a detailed case history will be taken from you. As well as discussing your presenting symptoms, you will be asked questions about your medical history, and about any illnesses, operations or accidents which have happened to you. Your work and any sporting activities will also be discussed. This is important so that the osteopath can build a complete picture of your health and understand the kinds of stresses and strains that your body has gone through.
The next step is the examination, for which it may be necessary to remove some of your outer clothing.
The examination will usually involve a simple series of movements of the affected body part to establish the range and quality of movement. Other parts of the body may also be examined, since pain or dysfunction in one part of the body can affect function elsewhere. An example of this could be when a foot problem causes mechanical changes in the knee or hip. Sometimes it may also be necessary to examine the cardiovascular, respiratory or neurological systems, much of which can be conducted manually without the need for complex equipment.

The next part of the examination involves palpation. This is where the osteopath uses his or her sense of touch to examine the tissues of the body. The osteopath will be assessing muscle tone and flexibility, soft-tissue pliability, and range and quality of joint motion.

What to expect

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