Your First Appointment
“If I don’t think I can help you after your first consultation, I won’t charge you for it.”
I would ask you to allow an hour for your first appointment, and in some cases even longer. This is because it is my belief that it’s crucial for you to feel understood and unhurried, giving you time to tell me your story.
Not only is this time vital for listening, but you need to be examined thoroughly so that I am in the best position to look at all the pieces of the puzzle before arriving at a plan of treatment or, on some occasions, deciding whether to refer you to a different healthcare professional. If I don’t think I can help you after this first consultation, I won’t charge you for it.
If it’s safe for you to proceed with a treatment then, with your consent, a combination of manual therapy techniques such as soft tissue massage, joint mobilisation and stretching may be used to help relieve pain and get your body moving better. Each person has a treatment tailored to their needs, whilst you may have similar symptoms to the next person, you can be assured that your plan will take into account your lifestyle, your activities and your preferences.
It is my philosophy to empower you to get back on track, this means that in addition to the manual therapy, together we will explore some exercise to compliment your rehabilitation. To ensure you remember how to safely carry out the exercise each one will have a short video as a prompt for you later at home.
This teamwork doesn’t stop after the initial consultation either: when you come for a follow up, which you should allow 30-40 minutes for, we will talk about how you’re getting on, and depending on your feedback, carry out the treatment plan previously agreed, or on some occasions adjust the plan to ensure that you get back on track as soon as is safe to do so.
Longer sessions enable me to help get people better and keep that way for longer. I know there are many excellent clinicians who do a fantastic job with shorter appointment times, but this way of working suits me – and my patients often tell me how much they appreciate the extra time.