Click on the headings below to learn more about what to expect from your appointment at Hawthorn Health Alliance, and if you have any questions or concerns about your appointment please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are always happy to talk you through how our sessions will work and hopefully allay any worries you may have about visiting us. You may also find the video below helpful, which gives a fun overview of what to expect.
Initial Consultation
During your first appointment, we will begin by discussing what daily life is like for you and what has brought you in. We will explore your symptoms, medical history, general health, and any factors that may be affecting your wellbeing. This includes looking beyond physical symptoms alone to consider things such as work, sleep, stress, diet, lifestyle, and previous experiences with pain or injury. I will take the time to listen to your story and build a full understanding of your situation, helping us work together to create an examination and treatment plan tailored to your needs and goals.
Examination
Examinations usually involve some observation whilst you run through some movements, and then some hands-on examination where I take you through a range of movements, this will depend on what has come up in your case history. In some cases it may be necessary to perform clinical tests such as, neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory screening; or orthopaedic testing. This will be discussed with you in detail beforehand. Examinations can sometimes provoke your symptoms and/or pain. We will talk this through before we do anything to ensure you are fully comfortable, and have a good understanding of any risks or side effects.
Diagnosis & Treatment Plans
Following examination, I will talk you through my findings and provide a working diagnosis for your symptoms, and any underlying causes that I think may be contributing to your issue. I will then talk you through your treatment options, encouraging you to question the benefits and risks of treatment and any alternative options, including doing nothing. I will provide you with all the information to make an informed decision, in a way that is most accessible to you. Together we can then work on a treatment plan that you are happy with, exploring all potential factors influencing your pain or injury. Through shared decision-making, we prioritise the factors we can address most effectively and devise a plan that empowers you to pursue your goals according to your values, preferences and aspirations.
Treatment
Treatment can include a variety of modalities. Hands-on treatment may involve joint mobilisation, physical manipulation, stretching and soft tissue work to try to reduce tension, relieve pain, desensitise painful areas and improve range of movement. As an evidence-based practitioner, movement often forms a large part of treatment. I will discuss exercise and movement based options with you and provide support and supervision for exercise and/or rehabilitation plans. I will provide advice and education regarding your symptoms, and we can work together to help identify areas you would like to change/improve and then build a management plan to address these. We will discuss any modifiable psychosocial factors that we have identified as contributing to your presentation, and I will provide advice, education, additional resources or referral to address these where necessary. Hands-on treatment will not always be provided in consultations, this will depend on the complexity of your presentation and the treatment indicated by the best available evidence.
Follow-up Appointments
After your initial consultation we may schedule follow-up appointments according to the treatment plan that we have agreed. This will never be more than is necessary. As an evidence-based practitioner I only provide treatment that is required to achieve your desired outcome. This is also an opportunity to check in with me as to how you have responded to treatment so far and whether we need to adjust any part of your treatment plan. Ongoing appointments may include a mixture of hands-on treatment, advice, supervised exercise, and education.
What to Wear
It is not necessary for you to get undressed if you are not comfortable with this, but it can sometimes help to get a better view of the specific area we are working on. It is advisable to bring/wear shorts or leggings, and a vest or some flexible/loose clothing to make examination and treatment more effective. But ultimately it is most important that you are comfortable, I can always adapt around you and your clothing.
Informed Consent
Once we have discussed your symptoms/pain I will talk you through what examinations and/or treatment I think would be appropriate and why. We will also discuss the risks/side effects to any examinations or treatments, as well as the benefits, alternative options and consequences of doing nothing. It is always your choice as to whether you go ahead with any examinations, tests or treatments. I will give you the information necessary in a format that works for you, to ensure you are able to make an informed choice. I will not put my hands on you without your explicit and enthusiastic consent. Throughout the session I will keep checking in with you to make sure you are still ok and happy with how things are going. If at any point you do not feel comfortable or you want to stop, we will change what we are doing and find a way forward that you are happy with.
Referrals
Part of my role as an Osteopath is to make sure that the cause of your symptoms/pain is safe and appropriate for Osteopathic treatment. Sometimes you may come to see me with something that is beyond the scope of Osteopathy, if this is the case I may suggest you see a different health professional more suited to your pain or injury. During our initial consultation and through-out our sessions, when we discuss your symptoms it is my responsibility as your healthcare practitioner to be screening for red flags. These are symptoms that could indicate a serious or underlying pathological cause for your pain. If I suspect that this is the case, I will discuss it with you and refer you to the appropriate health professional, this may be your GP, A&E, or another allied health profession.
Accessibility
When Hawthorn Health Alliance operates out of Movement Clinic, the treatment room is located on the first floor with step access only. If you are unable to navigate stairs please get in touch as we may be able to make alternative arrangements to accommodate you. Downstairs treatment rooms are available at Seaford Osteopathic Clinic. We have a non gendered bathroom that is accessible for wheelchair users or those with walking aids. If you have any adjustments that you feel are necessary for you to be able to access your session with Hawthorn Health Alliance then please do not hesitate to Contact us to discuss your needs.