Face-to-face appointments

Ultimately, Amersham Osteopathic Clinic is doing all that is reasonable to minimise risk while remaining open. However, we cannot eliminate all risk, primarily as COVID-19 can be spread by those showing no symptoms.

What you can do:

• Please arrive shortly before the time of your appointment to support social distancing for those who are vulnerable.
• Please try not to be late as I need extra time between patients for additional hygiene procedures. 
• Unless you need a chaperone, please do not bring anyone with you.
• Please do wear a face-covering unless you are exempt from doing so. Children do not need to wear a face covering unless they would prefer to do so.

What I am doing

Additional Precautions and Infection Control Measures

I have updated infection control measures 

• To offer an extra level of protection, I have 15 minute gaps between every other patient to allow extra time for sanitising and disinfecting of equipment and fixture and aeration.
• I am wearing PPE for your protection including a face mask, I use disposable gloves as appropriate.
• My sink is available for your use as required for you to wash hands / face, there is fresh paper towel for you to dry hands / face. Hand Sanitiser is available.
• The treatment couch has a wipe clean sheet which is sprayed and wiped down with medical-grade sanitiser between appointments as is your chair and my desk.
• Children’s soft toy have been removed;  plastic toys and wooden puzzles are wiped clean, but I encourage you to please bring your own toys to minimise the cleaning burden.

Payment

Contactless payment /  card payment is preferred, cash is accepted. Other payment methods can be arranged.

Practitioner Health

I have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. At this moment, I am not exhibiting any symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection. If  my routine lateral flow / PCR test is positive, your face-to-face appointment will be cancelled with as much notice as possible, and all patients who have attended the clinic in the previous 5 days will be contacted.

When not to attend

I cannot see you in person if

• you have been told to self-isolate
• you test positive for Covid

If you develop a fever, new cough shortness of breath, loss of sense of smell or taste, vomiting, diarrhoea or any other Covid-19 variant symptoms, please do a lateral flow test before your appointment and cancel if positive. Under this circumstance, there will be no late cancellation fee for not attending for this reason, but I would be grateful for as much notice as possible.

I am offering video / telehealth consultations only for those who are clinically vulnerable / high risk / do not need a face to face appointment at this time.

Please call the clinic or email me via this website to get any advice, or if you have any questions.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update May 2022

I am seeing patients for face to face appointments.

Treating in person is a joint decision based on my professional clinical judgement and you, the patient, as well as updated guidance regarding osteopathic practice it as it changes

I have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Using established and updated measures and precautions, I consider there is a low-risk of transmission within the clinic of the virus SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19.  However, it is essential to understand that attending a face to face, with hands-on treatment is not a completely risk-free situation.

Government guidance allows us to continue to see people in person; I offer telehealth / video appointment service (via Skype / FaceTime / WhatsApp) for those who are high risk / clinically vulnerable if needed.

High-Risk Groups

Although the advice to shield has ended, clinically extremely vulnerable people should continue to take extra precautions to protect themselves. If you have any concerns, please do call to discuss.

Hygiene Policy and Infection Control

Our health and safety  is my priority;  this is how I am responding:

I have updated infection control measures alongside my normal clinic hygiene procedures. 

I have 15-minute gaps every other appointment to clean and aerate my treatment room and reception area.

My sink is available as required for you to wash hands / face, there is fresh paper towel for you to dry hands / face. Hand sanitiser is available to use.

Additional Precautions and Infection Control Measures

I am wearing PPE for your protection including a face mask, and use disposable gloves as appropriate.

My treatment couch has a wipe clean sheet which is sprayed and wiped down with medical-grade sanitiser between appointments as is the patient chair and desk.

To offer an extra level of protection, the gap between patients allows time for sanitising / disinfecting of equipment and fixtures, aeration, changing PPE as well as supporting distancing

Children’s soft toy have been removed; plastic toys and wooden puzzles are washed or wiped clean after use, but I encourage you to bring your own toys to minimise the cleaning burden.

Contactless / card payment is preferred, cash is accepted, other payment methods can be discussed.

Video / Telehealth appointments

Video appointments (via Skype / FaceTime / Zoom / WhatsApp and other platforms if necessary) or telephone consultations are available for those who need exercises checked and modified / want home care advice or are at high risk and want some osteopathic support, help dealing with stress or advice regarding getting moving again at this time but are unable to attend the clinic.

To arrange this, please call on 01494 434 651 or fill in this contact link .

A 2017 systematic review found evidence supporting effectiveness of osteopathic treatment in decreasing pain intensity and frequency, as well as reducing future pain episodes in adults with headache. The study was reviewing the efficacy, effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of osteopathy in patients with primary headaches

Cerritelli F, Lacorte E, Ruffini N, Vanacore N. Osteopathy for primary headache patients: a systematic review. J Pain Res. 2017;10:601–611. Published 2017 Mar 14. doi:10.2147/JPR.S130501 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5359118/

A new systematic review suggests that a gentle cranial osteopathic technique seems to give functional benefit for some patients.  One study they cited investigated its influence on sleep, another showed reduced pain levels in patients with tension type headaches and other studies suggested it may help relax patients.

A Żurowska, R Malak, et al “Compression of the Fourth Ventricle Using a Craniosacral Osteopathic Technique: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2017, Article ID 2974962, 8 pages, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/2974962.

Osteopathy compared to standard care had a better effect at lower cost for low back pain and was seen to be cost effective for neck pain in a trial investigating the health and economic consequences of osteopathic care for low back pain and neck pain compared to standard care

Osteopathic care for low back pain and neck pain: A cost-utility analysis. N.Verhaegheab, J.Schepersac, P.van Dund, L.Annemansa. Complementary Therapies in Medicine
Volume 40, October 2018, Pages 207-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.06.001