At your first consultation please arrive five minutes early to fill out a new patient form. Debra will then ask you questions about your symptoms, medical history and lifestyle to begin to develop an understanding of your concerns. All information provided will be kept strictly confidential.
Debra will then conduct a physical examination. She may need to see and touch the area of concern. Sometimes the area where you feel the pain may not be the cause of your symptoms so she may need to examine areas other than your area of pain. For example, sometimes pain in the leg can be referred from your back or pelvis so she may need to touch these areas. You may be asked to remove some clothing for examination or treatment, if you are uncomfortable in underwear a gown will be made available or you may wear stretchy sportswear. You will be covered with a towel during treatment.
Debra may ask to observe you standing or walking and may ask you to move in certain ways to examine the muscles, nerves and joints. She will feel for areas of tension or tenderness.
During and after examination Debra will explain her findings and discuss a treatment plan.
With your consent treatments might include soft tissue massage, joint mobilisation and adjustments. Dry needling may be used when indicated. Throughout treatment, Debra will constantly reassess the structures she is working on.
You may be given exercises to do at home or advice on ergonomics or other potential contributing factors.
Osteopathic treatment should not be painful but some techniques or releases may be a little uncomfortable or tender. Debra will regularly check in with you to make sure you are Okay. If you are too uncomfortable or experiencing pain at any point during the therapy please let Debra know so that the techniques can be modified.
It is normal to feel some discomfort following treatment. Please let Debra know if this does not ease within a few days.
At the end of the treatment, a follow-up consultation may be booked if further manual therapy is required. Payment can be made on the day. There are EFTPOS and HICAPS facilities available to claim from your insurer if applicable.
