Each persons treatment plan will vary depending on their specific complaints. Generally speaking, if you are seeking out Osteopathic care for the first time for an acute symptom (eg. I did too much gardening on the weekend and my back started hurting) I like to complete the initial assessment and treatment followed by 2 more treatments spaced 2 weeks apart.  Within those 3 appointments spaced over 6 weeks we should be able to get rid of your main concerns.

If your initial visit is due to chronic complaints (eg. I have osteoarthritis and my knees bother me) We should be able to see improvement within 3 appointments, and follow-up care every 4-6 weeks for ongoing maintenance until you reach the level of daily function you are looking for.  Once you reach that level you can book back in for treatments when you are experiencing flare ups and we can support you through that process.

In healthy individuals with a new pain symptom we expect to see significant improvement of the initial complaint over the first 3 visits.  If the pain is not decreasing, we need to reevaluate and see what we are missing.  If osteopathic care hasn’t helped by this time it is unlikely it will help.  At this time I will advise you based on your history of who I think you should follow up with next. This could be getting a referral to a specialist, or going back to your family physician for further testing.  If we are not seeing improvement, I will not recommend more treatment, but will help find the person that will be able to help you.

After your initial assessment your care plan will be discussed with you and tailored to meet your needs.  These appointments need to be realistic to fit into your life, and I am here to support you though this journey.