89 Charles Street, Seddon
Victoria 3011
FAQ.
An Osteopath is a primary healthcare practioner that it is Goverment registered. An Osteopath is one of ten regulated healthcare professions in Australia. Osteopaths must be registered with the Osteopathy Board of Australia and patients can check their osteopath’s registration online. Training to be an osteopath in Australia requires the successful completion of a five-year full-time university degree. An Osteopath uses there knowledge of clinical anatomy, physiology, human movement, biomechanics and pathology together with Osteopathic Manual Therapy skills to treat your musculoskeletal concern.
Osteopathy uses a large skill set which involves:
Spinal manipulation
Soft tissue massage techniques
Articulation – gentle rhythmic joint movements
Stretching muscles and joint capsules
Muscle energy techniques – encouraging muscles to work against resistance
Visceral manipulation – gentle movement of the abdominal and pelvic areas
Treatments are based on removing the impediments to normal self-healing and treating the patient as a whole unit. A global apporach is employed to determine the cause of the problem at hand.
As osteopathic techniques include a gentle approach, they can be suitable for many people, from the newborn to the older person, and for those with complex medical problems.
On your first visit you will fill out a short patient information form and consult with an Osteopath. You will be asked a series of questions to help direct the physical assessment and special tests.
In most cases a treatment will be performed and, when relevant, a home exercise program or ergonomic advice will be advised. In complex cases, additional assessment may be required, leaving little time for treatment in the first visit, such as an x-ray if you were to attend after an acute trauma. Proper identification of the cause of the symptom or dysfunction is of higher priority than initiating treatment and this decision will be made on a case-by-case basis by your Osteopath.
You should bring any relevant imaging reports (X-ray, Ultra-Sound, MRI, CT-Scan etc.). If you don't currently have a copy of previous test results, it's a good idea to start keeping a medical file of your own for future visits.
You should bring comfortable clothing to allow access to the area being treated. If you wear orthotic inserts in your shoes you should bring them with you.
It is understandable to feel uncomfortable or anxious in talking to a new person about sensitive personal information. In a first session, your psychologist will talk with you to gain a full picture of your current concerns and circumstances, and any related factors and history. The psychologist will also explain how they work and establish some guidelines for the sessions together (such as frequency of sessions, fees, confidentiality etc). There will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have for the psychologist.
It is natural to be concerned about your confidentiality when you are sharing intimate details about yourself with a psychologist. Information obtained from you during sessions is confidential and cannot be disclosed without your consent. There are some legal limitations to confidentiality which your psychologist will discuss with you in the first session. Your psychologist will ask you to sign a consent form if there is a need to discuss information about you with another person (such as a GP, lawyer or third party billing source).
This depends on the individual’s needs and the presenting issue. Most clients require between 6 to 12 sessions. This matter will be discussed with your psychologist after the first session.
Many clients have issues that have existed for many years and have deeper origins, and sessions may be needed over a longer period of time. Some clients are interested in doing deeper and longer term insight-oriented psychotherapy in order to understand themselves and their issues in more depth. These clients usually have a deep interest in their own personal development and this can lead to significant and lasting change. Depth psychotherapy generally involves therapy occurring over many months or longer.
The Medicare rebate is obtainable to clients who are referred by their GP, psychiatrist or pediatrician with a Mental Health Treatment Plan. The Medicare rebate makes accessing a psychologist more affordable by offering a considerable rebate to clients for 10 sessions per calendar year. Please call the clinic to find out about how much rebate you will receive depending on which practititoner you see.