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
I will work with you to develop our therapeutic relationship. We will have a conversation and I will take the time to listen to your story, placing your experience at the centre of our session. This will involve taking a comprehensive case history, talking through what has brought you in and what your health journey has been so far, including your past medical history and current health. In addition to talking about your physical symptoms we will also talk about psychosocial factors that may be contributing to your pain. This may include talking about work, sleep, stress and diet, as well as your values and beliefs. This enables me to build a full picture of what might be going on and helps inform our plan for examination and treatment.
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 be 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 discuss with you 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. In addition to hands on treatment I will discuss exercise options 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 will 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 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 your symptoms/pain are safe and appropriate for Osteopathic treatment. Sometimes you may come into 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 you 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 refer you to the appropriate health professional, this may be your GP, A&E or another allied health profession.
Accessibility
The Hawthorn Health Alliance clinic space in Brighton has step free access and is set over one floor. 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 at Hawthorn Health Alliance then please do not hesitate to Contact us to discuss your needs.