“What is Osteopathy?”
Osteopathy is a government regulated primary health care profession, whose practitioners need a minimum of 4 years qualifications to practice. The current standard for new osteopaths entering the profession is a Masters degree in Health Science. They are also required by law to complete ongoing training regularly. ACC classifies osteopaths as allied health providers along with Physiotherapists and Chiropractors.
“What is the difference between an Osteopath, a Chiropractor and a Physiotherapist?”
Great question. It’s a difficult answer though because while I know about the osteopathic side, I cannot answer for the other professions. All three professions work in the field of manual therapy, so there are some similarities and crossovers. At the same time two osteopaths can be quite different. In the end, it depends heavily on the individual therapist that you are seeing. My advice with all health professionals is that you find someone that you trust enough to be honest with and relax with. I suggest that you look at the following websites for more detailed information:
For Osteopathy:
http://osteopathsnz.co.nz/
http://www.osteopathiccouncil.org.nz/what-is-osteopathic-medicine
For Chiropractors:
http://www.chiropractic.org.nz/default.aspx?g=47cd8770-c190-41e2-bc04-554ecfd5545e
http://www.chiropracticboard.org.nz/Public-Info/What-Is-Chiropractic/
For Physiotherapy:
http://physiotherapy.org.nz/about-physiotherapy/what-is-physiotherapy/
“Do I need a referral?”
No. You can come and see us without a referral. Some people are referred to us by their GP or other health practitioner. You can make an ACC claim through us without needing to go to your GP first.
“Will ACC cover my appointment cost?”
If you have had an accident within the last year, you can lodge a claim with ACC. If accepted by ACC, this will cover some of your treatment costs for up to one year from the date of the accident, or up to 16 treatments, whichever comes first. Accidents that are older than this can get more complicated – it’s best to talk with me about your individual circumstances. Please bear in mind that in the end, ACC makes all the decisions, not me. See also: > Information for patients
“How long will it take? – How many appointments will I need?”
Appointments are scheduled to last 30 minutes. Occasionally I will take a little longer if it is necessary. The number of appointments you need heavily depends on what the problem is, how long it’s been going on for, what sort of shape you are in and how much you can change whatever it is that is causing your problem. My aim is to get you right as soon as possible and to give you the tools (whether it be advice, exercises, stretches etc), that will enable you to self manage.
“Will it hurt?”
At times it may hurt – usually because I’ll be pressing on the parts of you that are hurting anyway. At all times though, you are in charge. If anything I do hurts more than you want it to, please let me know immediately and I will try a different approach.
“Do you deal with sports injuries?”
Yes. I see a number of athletes both for injuries and to keep their bodies working optimally. I tend to look at any injury in the context of the person’s overall biomechanics and the demands of their sport.
“How do I know when an Osteopath is the right person to see?”
When you have a problem with the way that your body works. Most people consult me because they are in pain, but sometimes, it’s because their body doesn’t do everything they would like it to. For more information, please look under the > Services section on this website. If you are still unsure, please call and we’ll talk about your situation. There are times when I will need to see you in order to make that decision. If I can’t help you, I’ll let you know as soon as we can.
“Osteopaths just deal with backs and necks don’t they?”
No. We work on all parts of the body including jaw/TMJ problems, shoulders, knees, ankles, wrists and elbows.
“Will I be cracked?”
That’s dependent on what you are comfortable with, what your problem is and the condition of your body. Please let me know if you have a preference either way.
“Do you refer to other specialists?”
Your health and well being is our priority and I would like to do all I can to enhance it. Sometimes this means that I am not the only type of practitioner that you need, therefore I may refer you for an x-ray or ultrasound scan or to a specialist. I will do our best to make sure that you get the help that you need.