FAQs

Your first appointment gives us time to understand what has brought you to GROW Clinic. We’ll talk through your current concerns, your health and medical history, and anything else that may be relevant to how you’re feeling. If you have relevant medical letters, reports, scan results or a list of medications, you’re welcome to bring them with you.

Our conversations are led by curiosity, openness and respect. Previous injuries, surgery or illness, as well as things such as bladder or bowel changes, periods, obstetric history, sleep and stress, can all provide useful context. The more we understand about you, your body and the story of the life it has lived, the more clearly we can begin to see the whole picture. You only need to share as much as you feel comfortable with. If there’s a question you don’t want to answer, just say so and we’ll move on.

Your appointment will include an assessment tailored to you. We’ll explain what we find, discuss your options and agree together what happens next. Where appropriate, and where time allows, this may include hands-on treatment, advice or exercises.

You’re always welcome to ask questions, pause or change your mind. We’ll work at a pace that feels comfortable for you.

Come in clothes you feel comfortable in and can move around in. Leggings, joggers, shorts or other gym-type clothing work really well. Jeans are less helpful simply because they can restrict your movement and make it harder for me to assess you properly.

There may be times when seeing an area of your body more clearly would be helpful. If so, I’ll explain why, and you can choose what feels comfortable for you. You don’t have to undress for an osteopathic appointment.

If you’re coming straight from work, forgot your gym kit or simply prefer to stay in what you’re wearing, don’t worry. We’ll work with you as you are.

Absolutely. You’re welcome to bring a partner, friend, family member or someone else you trust to your appointment. They can stay with you for as much or as little of the appointment as you’d like.

For babies and children, a parent or guardian will of course be part of the appointment. If you’re coming with your own baby or young child, they’re welcome too. We know childcare doesn’t always fit neatly around appointments.

If you’re having an internal pelvic floor assessment, you can also request a trained chaperone. A chaperone is different from a friend or family member who comes with you for support, as they are trained to understand the examination and act as an impartial observer. Please let us know before your appointment if you would like us to arrange one.

If you’d prefer to come alone, that’s absolutely fine too. This is your appointment, so we’ll make the space work for you.

There isn’t a set number of appointments. Everyone arrives with a different body, history and goal, and people respond differently to treatment. We’ll check in throughout your care about what you want to achieve, your experience of treatment and whether we’re moving towards the things that matter to you. This means we can adapt your appointments as we go.

Usually, those conversations help us keep your care moving in the right direction. If, by your third appointment, we’re not seeing meaningful change, we’ll talk honestly about why that might be and what should happen next. That might mean changing our approach, suggesting further investigation or discussing whether onward referral would be more appropriate.

After treatment, you may experience some temporary soreness, stiffness or tiredness, a little like after exercise. This can develop over the following 24–48 hours. Taking things a little easier, keeping gently mobile and resting if you need to can help. A cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit are entirely optional.

Sometimes emotions can come up during or after an appointment too. That’s okay. An appointment can involve talking about or paying attention to things you may not normally spend much time thinking about. If this happens, you may find it helpful simply to notice it and give yourself a little time afterwards.

If you experience symptoms that are new, significantly worse or different from what we’ve discussed, please seek appropriate medical advice. If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or you’re worried that you may need urgent medical attention, please don’t wait for your next appointment.

You don’t usually need a GP referral to see an osteopath. You can book directly with GROW Clinic.

Part of an osteopathic assessment is considering whether osteopathic care is appropriate for you. Sometimes your history or assessment may suggest that something needs further investigation or would be better looked after by another healthcare professional.

If that happens, we’ll explain what we’re thinking and why. Depending on the situation, we may suggest speaking to your GP, midwife or another member of your healthcare team, or recommend further investigation or onward referral.

Where appropriate, and with your consent, we can also write to another healthcare professional involved in your care.

GROW Clinic isn’t registered directly with private health insurance providers, so we don’t bill insurers on your behalf.

However, some private health insurance and workplace health plans allow you to claim back some or all of the cost of osteopathic care yourself. This varies between policies, so please check with your provider before booking if you’re planning to make a claim.

We can provide you with a receipt for your appointment if you need one.

Yes. You can see an osteopath at any stage of pregnancy, including during the first trimester. Michelle has additional training in pregnancy and women’s health, and your assessment and treatment will be adapted to you and the stage of your pregnancy.

Pregnancy brings a lot of change, and your appointment considers you as a whole person: your current symptoms, previous injuries or surgery, your obstetric history, how your body is adapting and what matters to you at this stage of your pregnancy.

If you have any pregnancy complications or are under additional obstetric or maternity care, please let us know. Osteopathic care sits alongside, rather than replaces, your usual maternity care. If anything in your history or assessment needs input from your midwife, GP or maternity team, we’ll discuss that with you.

You don’t need to wait until your six-week check to see an osteopath after delivery. If you feel you need some support sooner, you’re welcome to come in when you feel ready. The early days and weeks can bring enormous physical and emotional change, and your appointment will meet you where you are, with assessment and treatment adapted to your recovery and how you’re feeling on the day.

A Mummy MOT® comes a little later. The full assessment can be carried out from six weeks after a vaginal delivery and eight weeks after a caesarean delivery.

Pregnancy remains part of your medical and physical history, however much time has passed and whatever your experience of pregnancy may have been. Too often, changes or symptoms following pregnancy are normalised or dismissed as something people should simply learn to live with. If something is affecting you now, it is still worth talking about and assessing, whether your pregnancy was weeks, months or many years ago.

If you’re unsure whether osteopathy, a Mummy MOT® or pelvic health care is the right appointment for you, just get in touch and we’ll help you choose.

Both appointments begin with a conversation about what has brought you in, what you’re experiencing and what matters to you. This might include bladder or bowel symptoms, pelvic discomfort, changes following pregnancy or surgery, sexual function, or other concerns affecting your pelvic health and recovery.

Your assessment will be shaped around you. Depending on the appointment, this may include looking at your breathing, movement, abdomen and abdominal wall, pelvis, hips and pelvic floor function.

Pelvic floor assessment can be external or internal. An internal pelvic floor assessment can form part of a pelvic health or Mummy MOT® appointment, but it isn’t necessary for everyone. If it could provide useful information, we’ll explain what it involves, why it might be helpful and give you time to decide whether it feels right for you.

You can choose not to have an internal assessment, or change your mind at any point. There is still plenty we can assess and work with externally.

If you’re worried about any part of the assessment, or you’re not sure what to expect, please get in touch. We’re always happy to have a conversation before you book.

A baby or child’s appointment begins with listening. We’ll talk about what has brought you in, their health and medical history, and anything you’ve noticed or are concerned about. Their story begins before they were born, so we’ll usually talk about pregnancy and delivery too.

Much of the assessment happens through watching, listening and gentle examination. How your child moves, plays and interacts can give us useful information, alongside a physical assessment appropriate for their age.

Treatment uses gentle osteopathic techniques and can take place in whatever way works best for your child. Babies can be held, fed or cuddled, and older children can move around, ask questions and be involved in what’s happening. We don’t need children to sit perfectly still for us to assess or treat them.

If something in their history or assessment suggests they need medical assessment, further investigation or input from another healthcare professional, we’ll explain why and discuss the next step with you.

Despite the name, cranial osteopathy isn’t just about the head. It is a gentle approach to osteopathy developed from the work of osteopath William Garner Sutherland, and considers the body as a whole, including the relationship between the cranium, spine, sacrum, membranes and fluid systems.

Cranial techniques usually involve very light touch and subtle movements. You may barely feel anything happening, although we’re still carefully assessing how your body responds beneath our hands.

Cranial osteopathy isn’t a separate treatment from osteopathy. It is one of the approaches we may draw on during an appointment, alongside other osteopathic techniques, depending on the person in front of us.

It can be used with people of all ages, including babies and children, with the approach adapted to the individual.

Not unless you want me to, and I think it’s appropriate for you. If I think a technique that may click or pop a joint could be helpful, I’ll explain what I’m suggesting and why before you decide whether you’re happy to proceed. These techniques are sometimes called joint manipulation, but they’re only one of many approaches used in osteopathy.

Osteopathy includes a wide range of techniques, from very gentle and subtle approaches through to stretching and joint movement. The click itself isn’t the aim of treatment, and a joint doesn’t need to click for a technique to be useful. The techniques we use will depend on your assessment, your health, what we’re trying to achieve and your preferences. You don’t have to have your joints clicked or manipulated to have osteopathic treatment.

If there’s a technique you particularly like, dislike or feel nervous about, tell us. We can talk about it and adapt your treatment accordingly.

Scar treatment can begin once a wound has fully closed and is healing well, but the right time will depend on the surgery or injury, how the area is healing and your individual circumstances. If you’re unsure whether your scar is ready for treatment, please get in touch before booking.

Scars don’t have to be new to be assessed. Older scars can still feel tight, sensitive, restricted or simply different from the surrounding tissues, even many years after they formed. We’ll assess the scar itself as well as how the surrounding tissues move and how the area relates to the rest of your body.

If a scar is showing signs of infection, has opened, is not healing as expected or you have other concerns about the wound, we may need to avoid treating directly over the scar while you seek appropriate medical advice. Depending on the circumstances, we may still be able to work with other areas of your body without disturbing the healing wound.

LymphaTouch® is one of the tools we may use as part of scar and surgical recovery care. It uses gentle negative pressure and mechanical vibration and may be used alongside hands-on treatment where appropriate.

Want to know more about how it works and what treatment feels like? Read our LymphaTouch® blog here.

Don’t worry if you’re not sure which appointment fits. Some concerns overlap more than one area of care, and you don’t need to work out the right appointment on your own.

Get in touch and tell us a little about what’s going on. We can help you choose the most appropriate appointment and make sure enough time is booked for what you need.

WhatsApp is usually the easiest way to reach us, particularly if you have a quick question before booking.

We know plans sometimes change. If you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment, please give us as much notice as possible. Our cancellation policy applies to appointments cancelled or changed at short notice, and full details are provided when you book.

Online booking isn’t available for appointments within the next 24 hours. If you need an appointment at short notice, please WhatsApp us. We can let you know if there is any availability.