At your first consultation and treatment, you can expect:

To give a detailed history of your problem and other medical conditions:

• Your Osteopath may ask questions of a personal nature such as bowel habit or urinary function. They may ask women about any difficulty with menstruation, pregnancy or labour if this could be relevant to a low back or pelvic condition.
• Some of these questions are needed to eliminate possible medical conditions that can mimic musculoskeletal pain, but which need medical, rather than osteopathic treatment.

Examination of the area(s) of your pain and any associated regions of the body:

• Your Osteopath may need to examine you in your underwear (depending on the area of the problem) and will need access to certain areas of the spine or limbs to facilitate treatment. You can ask to be covered with a towel or to partially re-clothe if you are cold or would feel more at ease covered.
• Please bring shorts and a vest or camisole, if you do not wish to undress to your underwear.

An initial diagnosis and an explanation of your proposed treatment plan, including any advice or exercises:

• These should include any alternatives to Osteopathy, if we believe that you would benefit from this.