What Does Osteopathy Feel Like? What to Expect Before, During & After Your Visit?

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If you’re new to osteopathic treatment, or new to our clinic, you may have some questions ahead of your first treatment or deciding if osteopathy is right for you. Talking about personal health information and getting hands-on treatment from a new person can be a little intimidating, and so this post aims to educate, answer questions, and ease any anxieties before you arrive in the clinic. Below you will learn what osteopathic assessment and treatment feels like, before, during and after your visit. 

Before

Your experience with osteopathy begins before you ever step foot in the clinic. You might choose to connect with a practitioner by calling or emailing us; we are always happy to chat about whether osteopathic treatment would be a good fit for you, and help to place you with one of our osteopathic manual practitioners at a time that suits your schedule. Many clients will also choose to interact with our online booking system, which is an easy and quick way to not only book an appointment, but also get information about the clinic including practitioner biographies, schedules, fees and general clinic information. Our website has lots of great information about what to wear to your appointment, where to park, and how to space appointments, but if you have questions that you can’t find answers to online, we are available to help via email or phone.

If it’s your first visit with us, you will be sent a link to our initial intake form, which we ask you to fill out before you arrive. This form is going to ask you quite a few questions, but only takes a few minutes to complete and not only saves us time in your appointment, but also helps your practitioner know if you have any medical conditions that would make osteopathic treatment inadvisable. 

Before your appointment, you can prepare by not eating a large meal right before you come, for your own comfort, and by wearing comfortable clothing that you can move in. Long pants like joggers or tights are ideal; jeans and skirts will limit movement. 

As downtown Fergus can get quite busy, we always suggest you leave a little extra time to find parking and find the clinic. 

During

During your appointment, you should always feel listened to. Practitioners work with their patient’s best interests in mind, and so if you have any medical information to share, or want to take a pause in treatment, or move into a more comfortable position, know that we want to know! Osteopathic treatment works best when you are relaxed and comfortable, and we are always working to create a safe environment that fosters trust.

Treatment will feel different for each individual, on different days, depending on how your body is feeling and what you’re dealing with. In general, osteopathic treatment should not be painful, although you may feel stretching sensations, or tender points, during assessment and treatment. Patients sometimes notice feelings of warmth or tingling as blood flow changes (this is a good thing!), and may find breathing and moving easier as the treatment progresses. You may feel relaxed and calm (falling asleep is quite common!), but sometimes osteopathic treatment can bring about an emotional release, as tissues let go and relax. If this happens for you, please know that this is very normal and something your practitioner sees all the time. The best thing to do is allow your body to experience whatever it needs to, without shame or embarrassment. 

You may also feel curious about what your practitioner is doing and why, and what they may be feeling as they assess and treat you. Please ask any questions you may have, as patient education and involvement is a key part of osteopathy.

After

Patient experiences vary widely post-treatment. How you feel depends on many factors including what health issues you’re dealing with, how much sleep you’re able to get, and food and water intake, to name a few. After your first treatment, you may feel more tired than usual; every time a change is made in the body, your body has to reorganize around that change, which takes energy. This is a normal part of treatment. On the flip side, many patients feel energized after receiving a treatment. Either way, a walk after your visit can help your body adjust to any changes and balance out energy levels. 

Some patients feel better quite quickly after osteopathic treatment, while for some the process of healing may take longer. This is very specific to the individual, but if you have questions about how your health is progressing, your practitioner will be happy to discuss. It is also very normal to feel some soreness for a day or two post-treatment as your body integrates change. In fact, osteopathic treatment continues in the body even after you leave the clinic! Over the next days or even weeks, there will be anatomical and physiologic adjustments that you may or may not consciously notice.  This is one of the reasons we suggest spacing out treatments (osteopathic or otherwise), so that we’re giving your body adequate time to change and re-pattern. As treatments progress, patients often feel that movement improves, pain decreases, and processes like sleep and digestion normalize.

Any effects from osteopathic treatment should be mild and should subside in 24-48 hours; if you experience anything that feels more intense or that concerns you, please reach out to your practitioner right away as we are here to help. 

Feeling prepared and armed with knowledge about what to expect can help make your first appointment with us more comfortable. We understand that trying something new, especially when you’re in pain or struggling with health issues, can be daunting, and all of our practitioners aim to make the process of beginning osteopathic treatment seamless and positive.

To book an appointment online, click here.

To connect with us, email us contact@bodymechanik.ca or call us at 519.594.1554. We look forward to meeting you and joining you on your health journey!