Prior to your first consultation, we encourage you to complete our new patient and consent form which is now done online. This is used to collect personal and contact information, details about your health and medical history and your presenting complaint. There is a link on our home page to access this form.

We will send you an appointment reminder the day prior to your appointment via email or text message. The email reminder will also contain a link to the new patient form. The form will take less than 5 minutes to complete.

If your presenting complaint relates to a recent injury, you will be able to complete a new injury claim form as well, which will be submitted to ACC by your Osteopath. This form will be completed electronically during your consultation or can be completed electronically following your consultation. We can email you instructions to complete the appropriate forms, and when complete, we will submit to ACC for you. No paper work at all! If you are unsure on any aspects of these forms, we can help you. We make sure that all details are true and correct with you before submitting to ACC.

As a registered ACC treatment provider, we are able to initiate and complete new ACC45 claim forms. This means that you do not need to see your GP (or any other treatment provider) prior to your appointment to complete this claim, unless of course through urgency, earlier treatment was required. if you already have an active ACC45 claim for your injury, then it is up to you to provide these details at your appointment. There will be a section on the new patient form for you to add these details.

Please note, registered Acupuncture practitioners do not have the authority to initiate ACC45 claims, so this will need to be done by your Osteopath (or completed prior to your appointment by your GP or other registered heath provider such as Physiotherapist, Nurse Practitioner or Chiropractor). Acupuncturists are registered with ACC as treatment providers, so once you have an ACC45/claim number, you will be able to receive subsidised acupuncture treatment through ACC.

Please note, there is a co-payment for ACC treatments which reduces the overall cost of the treatment, but does not cover the entire treatment cost. See our 'Fees' for more details.

During your first consultation your chosen health practitioner will ask questions about your presenting complaint(s) and associated symptoms. We may also ask further questions about previous injuries, your medical history, any medications you are taking, or other factors that may be directly or indirectly related to your problem.

OSTEOPATHY

Your osteopath will conduct a full osteopathic examination and if necessary, additional clinical tests. This may involve postural and movement assessment, orthopaedic and/or neurological tests in order to provide probable diagnosis for your problem.). To do this well, we may ask (with your permission and if comfortable to do so) to remove layers of clothing to best observe and diagnose your problem. As such, we would encourage you to wear comfortable clothing that will help facilitate this assessment (ie activewear, shorts, singlet, sports bra.

Osteopathy takes a ‘whole body’ approach to assessment and treatment, and as such we will likely look at other parts of your body, as well as the area that is troubling you. For example, if you have a sore knee, your osteopath may also look at your ankle, hip, pelvis and back. Your treatment plan will vary based on your presenting complaints, however it is common to have 2 to 4 treatment sessions where patients feel a significant improvement in their symptoms.

TCM ACUPUNCTURE

Each person who performs acupuncture has a unique style, often blending aspects of Eastern and Western approaches to medicine. To determine the type of acupuncture treatment that will help you the most, your practitioner may ask you about your symptoms, behaviors and lifestyle. He or she may also closely examine:

• The parts of your body that are painful

• The shape, coating and color of your tongue

• The color of your face

• The strength, rhythm and quality of the pulse in your wrist

An acupuncture session may take up to 1 hour, although some appointments may be shorter. A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve one or two treatments a week. The number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated and its severity. In general, it's common to receive 6 to 8 treatments.

After treatment, some people feel relaxed and others feel energized after an acupuncture treatment. But not everyone responds to acupuncture. If your symptoms don't begin to improve within a few weeks, acupuncture may not be right for you.

SPORTS & REMEDIAL MASSAGE

Your therapist will take a brief case history at your initial appointment to best determine your needs for the treatment session. From this information, a treatment plan will be discussed with you, alongside the possible massage techniques that could be utilised with the session, and future treatment sessions. Communication is an important part of the patient-practitioner relationship, and we want to you to feel heard and understood, comfortable and that you are getting the right treatment for you.

OSTEOPATHY

New patient appointments for adults will generally take between 45 mins - 1 hr, with follow-up appointments taking between 30 - 40 mins. Babies, toddlers and children will usually be shorter appointments with new patient appointments taking between 30 - 45 mins, with follow-up appointments taking 30 mins.

TCM ACUPUNCTURE

New patient appointments will generally take 1 hour, with follow-up appointments taking between 45 mins and 1 hour 30 mins depending on the complexity of your presenting complaint. Your Acupuncturist will discuss your treatment plan with you during your initial consultation so you have an indication of the required treatment duration at your follow-up appointment.

SPORTS & REMEDIAL MASSAGE THERAPY

New patient appointments for massage are 1 hour, and any follow up appointments vary from 45 mins, 1 hour and 1 hour 30 mins.

OSTEOPATHY

Osteopathy is a form of manual therapy, so hands-on treatment may include:

• soft tissue massage

• stretching/muscle energy techniques

• repetitive joint articulation movements

• joint mobilisation and/or manipulation

• other gentle techniques including balanced ligamentous tension and positional release.

Most osteopathic treatment is gentle and should not cause undue discomfort. We also offer other adjunct therapies such as trigger point dry needling/acupuncture or Radial Pressure Wave therapy which may be used in conjunction with or separate to hands-on treatment.

TCM ACUPUNCTURE

During an acupuncture treatment, your acupuncturist inserts very thin needles into specific spots on your body. Insertion of the needles usually causes little discomfort.

Acupuncture points are situated in all areas of the body. Sometimes the appropriate points are far removed from the area of your pain. Your acupuncture practitioner will tell you the general site of the planned treatment and whether you need to remove any clothing. A gown, towel or sheet will be provided. You lie on a padded table for the treatment, which involves:

• Needle insertion. Acupuncture needles are inserted to various depths at strategic points on your body. The needles are very thin, so insertion usually causes little discomfort. People often don't feel them inserted at all. A typical treatment uses 5 to 20 needles. You may feel a mild aching sensation when a needle reaches the correct depth.

• Needle manipulation. Your practitioner may gently move or twirl the needles after placement or apply heat or mild electrical pulses to the needles.

• Needle removal. In most cases, the needles remain in place for 10 to 15 minutes while you lie still and relax. There is usually no discomfort when the needles are removed.

Other treatment techniques may include cupping, electro-acupuncture, Gua Sha (Chinese massage), chiropractic, fire needle, scalp acupuncture, ear acupuncture, Chinese medicine directional penetration therapy, and bloodletting.

SPORTS & REMEDIAL MASSAGE THERAPY

Examples of the types of treatment techniques used may include:

• Effleurage (stroking)

• Petrissage (kneading)

• Compression

• Friction

• Tapotement (rhythmic striking)

• Vibration

• Gliding

• Stretching

• Percussion

• Trigger points

• Cupping

For all our modalities available, we aim to provide an individualised treatment and management plan that is best suited for you and will give you the best opportunity to recover fully. Your practitioner may also provide education and advice to help you manage your condition following and between treatments. This may include giving you exercises to do at home or work.

Individual responses following treatment depend on a number of variables. Certainly the type of treatment (Osteopathy, TCM Acupuncture, Radial Pressure Wave therapy and Sports & Remedial Massage) will have an influence on how you feel. However, most people feel leaving more mobile, more energised and with less pain. For some individuals, after treatment you may feel tired and need to rest. It is best to avoid strenuous exercise or heavy work following your session. Light exercise or activity is usually well tolerated. Some people experience mild soreness for a day or two after treatment, similar to that felt after mild exercise. If this soreness persists or increases significantly, please do not hesitate to call to discuss your concerns.

For all the modalities offered at Mike McLeod Osteopathy, we would generally expect to see changes in your symptoms after 1 - 2 treatment sessions; however, some long-term or chronic conditions may require a longer course or more frequent treatment. Usually patients see significant improvements with between 2 - 4 treatment sessions. If you are not seeing improvements as we would expect, we may need to refer you for further assessment (ie GP or specialist referral, diagnostic ultrasound, X-ray, MRI/CT/DEXA scan) and will initiate the appropriate referral for you. On rare occasions, if we can’t diagnose your complaint, or if there are red flags related to your presentation, we may initiate an immediate referral.

Ultimately, we are here to help you get the answers you are seeking.