What to Expect
First Visit with Dr. Hedd Piper BSc DC MRCC (Doctor of Chiropractic)
A full discussion of your problem will reveal what type of care is best for you. Sometimes this means referring you back to your GP for some tests. We can also arrange private MRI scans if this is necessary.
Please bring:
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A list of prescription medication you are taking
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Copies of any MRI / X-ray reports (ask at your GP reception)
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A copy of any recent blood tests (ask at your GP reception)
A thorough physical examination can reassure us that there is no underlying problem and give an idea of what treatment may be helpful for you.
There will be a brief explanation of the cause of your problem. If it seems that you are a good candidate for chiropractic treatment then this may take place at the end of this appointment (if time allows).
Allow 1h10mins (to include filling in paperwork) for this appointment £75
Course of Treatment
It is common to need a course of treatments to feel sustainable improvement. Treatments often take place three or four days apart for the first two or three weeks.
You should expect 5 treatments as a minimum to see signs of recovery.
You may also benefit from sessions of massage during this time.
You may only need a thorough examination, some advice and reassurance that your pain will settle down without the need for many visits.
Your case will be reviewed after a few sessions (usually 6) and if progress is poor then changes can be made.
Individual follow-up visits are £40.
You can pre-pay for your treatment - £190 for 5 chiropractic appointments and £360 for 10
Maintaining Improvement
You can enjoy peace of mind by having occasional check-ups to make sure your back as healthy as possible.
These check-ups may be monthly to every 6 months depending on your progress.
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What is Chiropractic?Chiropractic is a profession (rather than a treatment) which specialises in treating spinal pain. In the UK it is a tightly regulated profession and it is illegal to call yourself a chiropractor without being registered with the General Chiropractic Council. Historically, chiropractic has been closely linked to using manipulation to treat pain. The modern chiropractor will use more than just manual therapy to help you and your care should include education abut your pain and how to manage it, advice on exercise and lifestyle, nutrition, stress and sleep.
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How does manipulation help spinal pain?Your spine is made up of lots of joints. From time to time you may sprain or strain these joints which can cause pain and stiffness. Your body responds by increasing muscle tension around these joints to protect them from further strain. In the early stages there will be localised inflammation. It is suggested that manipulating the spine increases range of movement(1) and triggers a pain relieving response in your body (2) as well as providing a relaxation of the muscles supplied by the same nerves as the joints (3). Manipulation used in isolation is unlikely to solve spinal pain and it must be used as part of a comprehensive, health based approached to pain. 1. Threkeld 1992, Hearne & Rivet 2002 2. Vicenzino/Wright 2002 3. Taylor et al 1994, Murphy et al 1995
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Do I get treatment on the first visit?In most cases the first visit will be focus on gathering information through a consultation and examination. Thought will then be given to your individual case and a plan of action formulated. As soon as is possible we will book you back in for a report of findings. Here, Hedd will explain what he thinks is going on with your problem and what might be most useful for you to effectively overcome it. It's worth considering how often Hedd sees people with pain that is beyond the scope of manual therapy. To this end it is sensible to advise you not to expect 'treatment' on the first visit as until you are in the clinic we won't be able to predict the nature of your problem.
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Are there alternatives to using manipulation for spinal pain?Yes. Only around 5% of back pain is caused by something nasty or from any form of structural change to the spine. The other 95% is what is known as 'non-specific pain'. This means we can't be specific as to whether your pain is being caused by joint pain, muscle pain, tendon pain, nerve pain, inflammation or maybe a mixture of all of these. Joint pain can respond well to manipulation; muscle pain may respond to massage; tendon pain responds well to loading exercises; nerve pain may respond well to nutrition advice and nerve exercises (neurodynamics); inflammation should respond to medication. Your case will be individually assessed and the best course of action selected for you.
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How is chiropractic different to osteopathy or physiotherapy?There are historical differences, but very often there is little to choose between the professions. Chiropractors and osteopaths will have spent more time at undergraduate level focussing on the spine than physiotherapists - but many physios then go on to postgraduate studies concentrating on spinal problems. The important thing to consider is who you'd like to work with and what kind of approach you feel will suit you best.
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Do you treat babies and children?No. I've no post-graduate training in this field. I encourage anyone who is concerned about the health and development of their children to seek medical advice.
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Can you treat my knee / shoulder?These not my areas of interest or expertise. You may be better off finding a therapist with specific post-graduate training in these problems.
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Can you fix my back?There is no quick fix for back pain. It's very likely that you will find a long line of therapists claiming rapid cures for back pain. I welcome you to explore any and all of these treatments but I think it's only fair that you are aware of my more down to earth approach to helping you with pain.