Osteopathy (Luton and Dunstable)

About Osteopathy

Osteopathy can help alot of muscle, joint, ligament, tendon, and nerve problems. If you are not sure whether osteopathy is for you, then you can call or email one of our experienced osteopaths and they'll let you know.

Osteopaths can treat whatever a physiotherapist treats and will often treat other conditions too. The treatments mainly differ in that osteopathy is more of a holistic therapy and concentrates on a more hands on approach whereas physiotherapy will, in general, concentrate on giving exercises. The two therapies overlap and it will vary depending on the way in which the therapist works and your condition. Osteopaths also give out exercises and Amba Clinic is a firm believer in educating you in ways that you can help yourself.

Osteopaths use massage, stretches and mobilisation techniques to help reduce your pain and increase your mobility and therefore your overall comfort. Manipulations can be carried out by osteopaths but here, at Amba Clinic, we will always explain what we are doing and why and also make sure you are happy for us to proceed. A manipulation (the famous "clicking" technique), is not always used; it is used only if appropriate and with your permission.

Some people will need one or two treatments but in general three (or more) can be recommended but it does depend on the individual. Alot of people like to have what we call maintenance or preventative treatment a few times a year as they find this helps them cope. You can also just have the one off advice session.

What To Expect During Your First Visit

The first session will last up to one hour depending on the type of complaint. Typically a session consists of the following:

- Current complaint/ Medical history

- Physical examination

- Diagnosis and treatment plan

- Treatment

- Advice

Current complaint/ Medical history

During this part of the consultation, the osteopath will ask detailed questions about your previous and current health including your current symptoms. Some of the medical questions might not seem related or relevant to the presenting complaint but we need to make sure that your symptoms are musculo-skeletal in nature and not a sign of any other medical problem.

Physical Examination

Once it has been established that you are appropriate for osteopathic treatment the osteopath needs to assess the area causing your problems. To do this you will need to remove any clothing over that area and sometimes it is necessary for you to undress down to underwear. This is so that a holistic view can be taken i.e. osteopaths believe in treating the whole person and not only the area of complaint. So please wear under garments that you are comfortable with and that are appropriate. Or if you prefer you can wear shorts in cases where the legs need to be exposed for examination. If you really are uncomfortable undressing then let your osteopath know. It is ideal to undress but not always absolutely necessary. For example someone with low back pain and leg pain would ideally undress down to underwear so that the spine and legs can be assessed. In the case of tennis elbow, exposing the elbow and above the waist is useful for the osteopath as quite often elbow pain can originate from the neck, shoulders or spine, as well as the elbow itself. NB: Amba Clinic has both female and male therapists and it is up to you to specify, when booking, if you have a preference. You can also bring a chaperone to be in the room during the session.

During the physical examination the osteopath will instruct you to do some movements of the injured and associated areas. He or she might then assess more closely your muscles and joints by moving the area while you relax as much as you can. Your muscle strength and other tests such as nerve testing might be necessary to help reach a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment Plan

After the physical examination the osteopath will have a better idea as to what is wrong and how you can be helped. The diagnosis will be explained to you and also a suggested treatment plan.

Treatment

Treatment usually involves the patient lying down or sitting and a variety of hands on techniques applied involving either massage, stretching, encouragement of movement in joints (mobilising) and joint manipulation (the "clicking" technique osteopaths and chiropractors are known for). Patients are encouraged to say if they are not comfortable with a certain technique as often an alternative can be used.

Advice

Sometimes patients can feel some discomfort after treatment and upto two days is not unusual. Ways of managing post treatment soreness will be discussed and also any self-management exercises you can do to help your condition improve or prevent it from getting worse.

Number of Treatment Sessions

It is not unusual for patients to have between 3-6 treatments before feeling a real benefit from treatment. However, if there is no improvement, as this can sometimes be the case, your condition will be reviewed and suggestions made as to what is the best way forward to help you recover.

Amba Clinic, 374 Dunstable Road, Luton. Bedfordshire. LU4 8JT. 01582 591544 enquiries@ambaclinic.co.uk