What to Expect at Your First Osteopathy Appointment in Cromer

Booking your first osteopathy appointment can feel nerve-racking. Here’s what happens at our clinic inside Cromer Golf Club, step by step.

Walking into any new health appointment is a bit nerve-racking. You don’t know what they’ll ask or whether it’ll hurt. You also don’t know if you should have prepared. So let me take the mystery out of it. Here’s how a first osteopathy appointment works at our clinic.

Do I need a referral for my first osteopathy appointment?

No. You can book directly, online or by phone on 0493 837 172. You don’t need a GP referral. We also accept HICAPS. So if you have private health cover with extras, you can usually claim on the spot.

How long is the first appointment?

It’s longer than a standard follow-up. I’m a bit stubborn about this one. You can’t properly assess someone in a rushed 30 minutes. You also can’t understand what’s going on and start treatment that quickly. So we give the first visit a full hour. That way you feel heard. You also leave with an actual plan, rather than a vague “come back next week”.

What happens at your first osteopathy appointment?

It breaks down into four parts:

1. The conversation. We’ll ask about your pain or injury and how it started. We’ll also ask what makes it better or worse, plus your work, sport and general health. If you play golf, we’ll ask about that too. It tells us a lot about how you move. Bring any scans or reports you have, but don’t worry if you don’t.
2. The assessment. We’ll watch how you move and test your joints and muscles. We’ll also look at areas around the sore spot that might be contributing. For example, a sore shoulder often involves the neck and upper back.
3. Hands-on treatment. Depending on what we find, treatment might include joint mobilisation, soft tissue work and stretching. We’ll explain what we’re doing and why. You can also tell us to ease off at any time.
4. Advice and a plan. You’ll leave knowing what we think is going on and what you can do at home. You’ll also know roughly how many visits we expect. We’d rather you didn’t rely on treatment forever. So we’ll often move you towards exercise as you improve. At Links HP you can progress into our clinic gym and Pilates studio.

Will it hurt?

Most people find osteopathy comfortable, and some find it quite relaxing. If an area is very sore, we’ll adjust our approach. However, some people feel a bit sore or tired for a day or so afterwards. It’s a little like after a workout. If anything worries you, tell us.

What should I wear and bring?

• Comfortable clothes you can move in. Shorts and a t-shirt are ideal. If you’re coming from work, don’t stress. We’ll work with what you’ve got.
• Your Medicare and private health cards if you’re claiming.
• Any scans, referral letters or reports, if you have them.
• A list of medications, if you take any.

Who will I see?

You can book with Kris (that’s me). Osteopaths in Australia are registered with AHPRA through the Osteopathy Board of Australia.

My focus areas are lower back pain, sciatica, neck pain and headaches, and foot pain. Our osteopathy appointments run across clinic hours, Monday to Saturday. So there’s usually something that suits your week.

Coming from outside Cromer?

Plenty of our patients travel in from Dee Why, Narrabeen, Collaroy and further around the Northern Beaches. Our clinic is at 2/10 Cromer Road, inside Cromer Golf Club. If you’re coming from Dee Why, it’s a short trip up the road.

Ready to book your first osteopathy appointment?

You can book your first osteopathy appointment online. You can also read more about osteopathy at our Cromer clinic first.

One last thing: this article is general information only. If you have a specific injury or condition, book an assessment rather than self-diagnosing or self-treating from a blog post. However, seek urgent help if you have sudden severe pain, numbness or weakness. The same goes for loss of bladder or bowel control. See your GP or go to an emergency department.