Osteopathy Australia's information for consumers on what to expect at their first osteopathic consultation.

Your First Consultation

Australian Osteopaths are AHPRA registered, university-qualified allied health professionals who work in a variety of settings. Your osteopath is trained to understand how the parts of your body should work together and the impact if they do not.

What is osteopathic treatment?

At your first appointment and in any subsequent session(s), you may receive any of the below osteopathic treatments following the clinical assessment conducted by your osteopath.

Musculoskeletal and nervous system assessments – Your osteopath will use a range of tools to identify what might be happening in the body.
Manual therapy – A range of ‘hands-on’ techniques that may give relief from musculoskeletal pain, discomfort and may help tissues in the body.
Clinical exercise programs – Activities and movement strategies for use at home, work or in other settings. Exercise may help you return to activities you enjoy, for example after an injury or surgery.
Body function assessments - Movement, postural, positioning advice and ergonomic assessments.
Therapeutic needling techniques - Such as dry needling, trigger point therapy or acupuncture.
Patient education and advice - Lifestyle, stress management, diet or other factors that may influence your pain, injury or movement.

Would you like to listen to a patient talking about their experience of osteopathy?

Listen to George featured below, and if you have time, watch our Patient Journey Videos and hear from others who've also received osteopathic treatment.