What to expect
If you’ve not seen an osteopath before (or even if you have), you might not be sure what to expect, or whether I can even help. Here’s exactly what happens at your first appointment with me: a comprehensive assessment, an honest explanation of the problem, and a clear plan from the start.
Your History and Assessment
We’ll start with an in-depth conversation so I can understand you fully, the pain or problem you’re experiencing, how it’s affecting you and what it’s stopping you from doing. Getting this right, rather than just filling a form in, really matters for the rest of the appointment and our sessions together.
I’ll then carry out a thorough assessment, including your posture, how you move and any specific tests that need to be done to build an accurate picture of what’s going on.
We’ll then discuss exactly what I think is happening and why, in plain language that makes sense to you. I’ll be honest with you about what I think the cause is, including when there may be genuine uncertainty. I’m not here to give you overconfident answers that sound smart. Just straight up honesty about the situation and how we plan to deal with it.
A Plan Built Around Your Goals
Once we understand your problem, I’ll set out a plan of action around what you want to get back to, not just firefighting the pain session to session.
Whatever your goal, the plan will fit that: returning to a particular sport, getting through a workday without pain being the focus, or something else entirely.
You’ll leave the appointment knowing what is going on, what the plan is and roughly how long I think it might take. There’s no over or under promising here. If it’s a quicker recovery, I’ll tell you. If it’s likely going to be a longer timeframe, I’ll be up front about that.
Treatment and What It Involves
Treatment usually begins at the first appointment. I want to start you on the road to recovery as soon as possible. The treatment itself depends on the problem, what the examination shows and what you’re comfortable with. The aim is to improve your quality of movement and help with your pain. Hands-on work can include osteopathic articulation techniques, soft tissue massage, stretching and mobilisation, dry needling / medical acupuncture and joint manipulation.
Joint manipulation techniques, which can produce a clicking or popping sound, are only ever used if I think it’s likely to help. I’ll explain what’s involved and ensure you’re comfortable with it before we proceed. Any technique I use is never compulsory. If you’d rather we didn’t do a particular technique or type of treatment, that is fully respected and I’ll use other approaches.
It’s common to feel some soreness in the first 24 to 48 hours after treatment, especially after a first session. This is a normal response, usually settles quickly, and doesn’t mean that anything has gone wrong. If you have any concerns, you’re more than welcome to contact me for advice.
While there are no miracles with treatment, if it’s making a difference, it will usually become apparent after a few sessions. If treatment isn’t helping, I’ll change the approach, or if I feel another path or practitioner would serve you better, I’ll tell you and refer you. I won’t keep you coming back for treatment that isn’t benefiting you.
After Your Appointment and Going Forward
What happens between appointments is just as important as what we do in the treatment room. Where appropriate, I’ll give you advice and practical things to do at home to help continue your recovery. This might be a few lifestyle tweaks, stretches, or some specific exercises. I want you to be an active part of your own recovery rather than solely relying on me.
After the original problem has settled, many people are happy and able to get back to their lives. For others, especially those with something that’s been going on a long time, or who are putting their body under a lot of demand from a sport or a physical job, some periodic ongoing care is genuinely helpful in keeping them on top of things and doing what they want to do. Occasional ongoing treatment is never compulsory and I’ll be honest with you about which of those options best applies to you. If I think this would help, I’ll tell you why. If I don’t think it’s necessary, I’ll tell you that too. The choice is always yours.
Align Healthcare, 149 Town Street, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 5BL
Free on-street parking available.
The Wetherby Clinic, Equinox 3, Audby Lane, Wetherby, LS22 7RD
Free on-site parking available.
Both clinics are accessible by car. Align Healthcare is also accessible by train (Horsforth station).
To book with me directly, you can visit my booking page.
To book at either Align Healthcare in Horsforth, or The Wetherby Clinic, choose your preferred location below and select David Graham as your practitioner.
Align Healthcare (Horsforth) – Book here.
The Wetherby Clinic – Book here.
If you have a question before booking, use the contact form and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours on weekdays.
First appointments are around 45 minutes (30 minutes at Wetherby). That time is used for the full history, physical examination, diagnosis, and initial treatment.
Return appointments are approximately 30 minutes.
I recommend wearing comfortable clothing you can move freely in. A vest or sports bra and shorts, joggers or leggings are ideal. This allows for the most thorough examination without being impractical and is most suitable for treatment too.
You won’t need to fully undress. If your problem is in the lower back or hips, loose trousers or leggings are fine. If it’s your shoulder or neck, a vest, loose t-shirt or sports bra is enough.
You don’t need to bring anything specific to the appointment with you. The first appointment is designed to be a thorough information-gathering process.
If you have any relevant scan results or imaging reports (X-ray, MRI), bring them or have them available to reference as they can add useful context to the assessment. They are not essential and can always be looked at further down the line.
If you take regular medication, it’s helpful to know what it is and what it’s for as some medications might change how we approach treatment.
New patient appointments start from £65, depending on the clinic you book with. Return appointments from £59. Full pricing is on the Fees page.
Payment is taken at the clinic at the time of your appointment. Card payments are preferred, but you can also pay in cash.
Private health insurance is not currently accepted with me directly or at Align Healthcare. WPA is accepted at The Wetherby Clinic. If your private health insurance allows you to claim back costs of osteopathic treatment through them, then I can provide you with a receipt.
My own cancellation policy if booking directly with me is 24 hours notice to avoid a charge. Any cancellation within 24 hours will incur a 50% fee.
Cancellation at both Align Healthcare and The Wetherby Clinic is 24 hours notice to avoid a charge. Any cancellation within 24 hours will incur the full appointment fee.
To cancel or rearrange, contact me directly if you booked with me. If you booked with Align Healthcare or The Wetherby Clinic, please contact that clinic directly.
There is no need to have a GP referral to book an osteopathy appointment. Osteopaths are primary contact practitioners, so you can book directly without seeing your GP first.
Not sure if I can help with your problem?
Take a look at my What I Treat page. It covers the problems I see most often in clinic, so you can check if yours is one of them. If it’s not, don’t worry, get in touch and I can advise you on whether I can help.
Ready to get back to it?
You know what to expect now. So whenever you’re ready, book a first appointment and we’ll get started.