Making an appointment
Generally, you do not need a referral for treatment by an osteopath, but to make sure you should check with your Dutch health insurance provider. To make an appointment online, just click on the green button on the Contact page (chose the button Appointment in The Hague or the button Appointment in Voorburg), or call 06-54317812.
First consultation (45 minutes)
In order to get a good impression of your health status and to understand your complaints, the first consultation takes 45 minutes. Follow-up consultations take 30 minutes for children or 45 minutes for adults also depending on the nature and the extensiveness of the complaints. Please bring the following to your first consultation:
- A list of any medication you use
- Reports of relevant investigations into your complaints
- (For baby’s and toddlers) please bring your delivery report
At the first consultation, after the intake, the osteopath will evaluate the different bodily systems (the spine, joints, soft tissue, organic system and nervous system), looking for any restrictions in movement, especially in relation to the complaints. These will be discussed with you and a treatment plan will be made. The first consultation also includes treatment.
Follow-up consultation (30 or 45 minutes)
A follow-up consultation (30 or 45 minutes minutes) will usually be planned 1-4 weeks after the first consultation.
In general, an osteopath uses soft manipulative movements to restore an optimal range of motion in areas related to the complaints, in order to stimulate the self healing mechanism of the body. The intervals between treatments usually last at least a week, in order to give the self healing mechanism enough time.
The follow-up consultation (30 or 45 minutes) at the start of a course of treatment usually happens within 1-4 weeks of the previous consultation. The number of treatments necessary depends on the nature and the extensiveness of the complaints.
What else can you expect?
An osteopath can give you exercises to support treatment, or advise you about posture, nutrition or relaxation.
If it seems that osteopathy cannot offer you optimal treatment, or if a hidden pathology is suspected, the osteopath will refer you to your GP or to a specialist. An osteopath may work in collaboration with other health care professionals, but (s)he never replaces a GP or a specialist!