Q: Do I need a referral from my GP before I have treatment?
A: No, you can book an appointment directly with us without consulting your GP. It is sometimes necessary for us to contact your Doctor, for instance if we think further investigations are needed, but this will only be done with your full consent.
Q: Is my treatment covered by my health insurance?
A: Yes, probably. It is worth telephoning your health insurer first to check your own policy but all good insurers recognise osteopathy. AXA PPP, BUPA, Norwich Union, Standard Life and WPA will provide you with an authorisation number that will allow us to directly invoice them. Others might require you to pay us first and then claim back your fees.
Q: What is the difference between osteopathy and physiotherapy?
A: Osteopathy is a ‘hands on’ form of treatment where techniques are used to encourage movement back in to stiff joints, restore normal muscle tone, and treat the cause of the injury, not just the symptoms. This means that the whole body is assessed and treatment may involve areas that are remote to the site of your pain. In treating the ‘whole person’ we often find that we can resolve persistant and recurrent problems. Physiotherapy, in my experience, may involve some direct treatment to the area of symptoms, such as electrotherapy, but usually remedial exercises are taught.
Q: What is the difference between osteopathy and chiropractic?
A: This is a harder one to answer! I have never experienced a chiropractic treatment so I am basing this answer on feedback from our patients that have. There are many techniques that we share but the main difference reported is that osteopaths spend more time using soft tissue and joint stretching techniques. As a result we allow more time per treatment session.
Q: Is osteopathy available on the NHS?
A: Yes and no! Around the country some osteopaths work at GP practices or at musculo-skeletal departments in hospitals but unfortunately in Leeds and Bradford there are no NHS contracted osteopaths to my knowledge.
Q: I don’t live in Guiseley – can I still have treatment? A: Yes. We have patients from a wide catchment area consulting us for treatment, including Menston, Otley, Ilkley, Baildon, Shipley, Rawdon, Horsforth, Cookridge, Bradford, Leeds.If you have any questions you would like answered please email me at: info@guiseleyosteopaths.co.uk
