Initial Discussion

This often takes between 10 to 20 minutes depending on the complexity of the problem and whether the patient presents with more than one complaint. The practitioner will take a comprehensive history of how and when the problem arose, how long it has been troubling the patient, any any aggravating and relieving factors etc. In addition the patient may be asked about other medical past history, this may help the practitioner to piece together the cause, derive a diagnosis and formulate a treatment plan. Some questions may seem irrelevant to the patient such as; lung, heart and bowel problems but rest assured it  may be important to the practitioner 

Assessment

It is often neccessary for the patient to remove several items of clothing so that the practioner can both observe and feel any damaged tissues. It may be useful to bring along a pair of shorts to wear, if it makes you more at ease, if you have spinal or hip pain for instance.

The patient will be asked to go through a series of movements to assess any muscle or joint restrictions and/or highlight painful positions. Once this has been done the practitioner will both feel and mobilise the area affected and also perform an examination of other surrounding areas which they suspect may be involved. Sometimes it may be neccessary to carry out some tests to assess nerve function/damage such as reflexes or muscle strength testing, Occasionally other systems need to be examined, for example; the cardiovascular and breathing systems. This means that blood pressure, pulses, listening to the heart and lungs may be required. All painless but potentially very valuable tests.

Diagnosis

Once all of the neccessary examinations are done the practitioner will arrive at a diagnosis and formulate a treatment plan. This will be discussed in full with the patient so he/she understands both the problem, expectations on recovery and number of treatments required. Occasionally it may be neccessary to refer the patient to a doctor or specialist to get a 2nd opinion or to have scans ie MRI or XRAY. This ensures that in these rare instances the patient has a comprehensive assessment and the practitioner is happy to continue with the treatment safely.