• You will be seen by a fully qualified and registered osteopath
• The first session will last approximately 60 minutes, and further sessions will last approximately 30 minutes (unless otherwise advised)
• Your Osteopath needs to know about your health, past and present. As part of this you will be asked detailed questions about your current complaint, medical history, general health and any medication you are taking.
• The osteopath will carry out a physical examination, sometimes incorporating medical equipment to help with your diagnosis.
• Your osteopath will normally ask you to remove some of your clothing to perform a simple series of movements. If you feel uncomfortable, you may wear shorts and a t-shirt, swim suit top or use the gown available.
• You may bring a chaperone with you, this can be a friend or relative
• Osteopaths use touch to identify key points of weakness or excessive strain in the body. You will usually be treated lying down on a treatment couch.
• Osteopaths usually start any treatment by releasing and relaxing muscles and stretching stiff joints using gentle massage techniques, rhythmic joint movements and muscles release techniques. They may also carry out spinal manipulations. These are short quick movements to joint in order to help them restore normal joint function and mobility.
• Your osteopath may show you exercises to do at home and suggest ways you could improve your posture.

Complaints procedure

We are always pleased to listen to what you have to say. If you have a complaint or concern about the level of care you have received from an osteopath or any other staff member, please let us know and we will do our best to resolve the problem easily and quickly with the person concerned.

After your complaint has been made, we will aim to contact you within the following few days to discuss your concerns (if this is what you would like). Once this has happened, we will aim to find out what went wrong, ensure you receive an apology, and identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not reoccur.

Please be aware if you are complaining on behalf of someone else, you will need a signed consent form from the person concerned.

All complaints can be addressed to Emily Cook, 233 New Church Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 4EE.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may contact the General Osteopathic Council which is the statutory regulation body in the UK. 020 7357 6655