FAQ

 

Do you only treat back pain, neck pain and other related disorders such as sciatica?
No, whilst to some extent we specialise in treating back and neck related problems we treat musculoskeletal disorders throughout the whole body, from head to toe. We use techniques that work directly on the muscles, joints and ligaments affected.
 
Why are you called “Spine Plus”?
We are called spine plus because we feel we offer some unique approaches when it comes to manual therapy for spine, which we believe is a real “plus”.  “Plus”, as well as treating spine related problems we also treat problems throughout the rest of the body.
 
Why should I choose Spine Plus?
We aim to provide an unbeatable service, especially when it comes to the expertise and skill of our therapists. Our senior management team have worked with and continue to work in closes contact  with a number of highly respected healthcare professionals including GPs, surgeons, radiologists, physiotherapists, osteopaths, personal trainers, pilates instructors and others. This gives them a broad approach which filters down to the individual therapists that work for Spine Plus. All our therapists undergo our rigorous recruitment process and we only select the best. All our therapists partake in on-going in house training in order to update their knowledge base and refine and hone their “hands on” skills. We also offer some fairly unique approaches to physical therapy. For example all osteopaths are trained in additional therapeutic techniques such as medical acupuncture and electrotherapy. And our massage therapists learn to use forms of advanced massage that are not used by most massage therapists.   
 
Do I need to be referred by my doctor or specialist?
If you are paying for treatment yourself it is not necessary to be referred by your Doctor, although we do welcome contact with your GP or specialist. If your treatment is to be funded by a third party such as a medical insurance company e.g. BUPA or AXA-PPP you will probably need to be referred by your Doctor or specialist first, it depends on the particular funding body’s policy so you should check with them.
 
Will my medical insurance pay for my treatment?
At present all our Osteopaths are registered with most major insurance companies, including AXA-PPP, (for BUPA see below) . However it is important to check with your insurer before commencement of treatment as funding limits vary, in most cases you will also need to be referred by your GP or specialist and provide us with an authorisation number.  Depending on your policy you may also have to may an excess e.g. the first £100 etc.
 
Are your practitioners registered with BUPA?
At present only Mr Robert Shanks, Osteopath, is registered with BUPA
 
What will happen at my first appointment?
Your first appointment will always begin with a chat about why you have come to see us. This will include you answering questions about your past medical history. The therapist will usually then look at your posture whilst you are standing or sitting, they may also ask you to perform some basic movements such as bending. This may will be followed by clinical tests such as testing your reflexes, feeling muscle tone and passive joint motion. If after your assessment  it is obvious that we cannot help to you then the  therapist will suggest an alternative course of action such as writing a letter to your GP or referring you to another specialist. If further tests are necessary, such as an MRI scan, we may be able to refer you and will discuss this with you. If treatment with us is appropriate this will usually be started during your first appointment, we may also offer self help advice.
 
What should I wear?
As part of the assessment you may be asked to undress down to your underwear. If you are uncomfortable with this you are welcome to change into shorts (if you are a gentlemen)  or shorts and a sports bra / vest (if you are a lady). If you are uncomfortable with removing any items of clothing we will totally respect your wishes and do the best we can but this may compromise the quality of our assessment and treatment.
 
How many appointments am I likely to need?
This varies with each individual case. The practitioner will be able to give you an idea of the likely number of sessions at your first appointment or after they have seen your response to the first treatment (i.e. at the second session). As a guide, our average number of treatments for  a non-chronic relatively uncomplicated problems is 3-5 sessions. However, some problems such as simple acute back pain can be resolved with just 1 to 2 treatments.  More chronic, long term problems will obviously require more treatment and may benefit from ongoing infrequent maintenance treatment (once every month or two) in to keep symptoms at bay. It may also be valuable to have a check up once in a while to try and spot problems before they escalate.
 
Will I be treated in a private treatment room?
Yes. We have individual treatment rooms to ensure privacy and confidentiality. All our rooms are well-equipped, well-maintained and comfortable.
 
Do you offer some sort of check up service for people even if they are not in any pain?
Absolutely, prevention is better than cure ! Our clinicians will be happy to check for “dormant muscular trigger points”, stiff spinal segments, faulty lifting technique and other predisposing factors such postural imbalances that could cause problems later down the line. For sports enthusiasts this approach may even help improve sporting performance. We have also used this approach to work with several companies to improve sickness absence by helping to reduce the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders at work amongst their staff.
How can I give positive/negative feedback ?

We greatly value any feedback our patients give us, both positive and negative. This is invaluable in ensuring the quality of the service we offer. You are welcome to give feedback verbally to any of our practitioners, even if it is about a different member of our staff. If you would like to leave something in writing you may write to us at our head office address shown on our contact page, or you can email us at management@spineplus.co.uk. If you make a formal complaint you will receive a reply from a member of our senior management team detailing any further actions we will be taking.