If you go on to Google right now and do a search for the therapy you’re after and your area you will find a lot of practitioners or clinics to choose from.
This could be how you got here. If we type in to Google for example “Osteopath North Finchley” we get at least 10 different osteopaths coming up in the results. The same will be if you searched for massage, acupuncture, podiatry, nutritionist and so on.
So naturally it can be confusing who you should choose.
This is why I have put together this article to help you choose for yourself.
Websites
The first place people often start from these days is online. If I was searching for someone I would start with a Google search. The first thing I want to know is; “how close is the clinic to me?” Or “how easy is it to get to?”. Google maps is usually a good place to start as it can plan my route from where I would be coming from.
The next thing I would be looking at is the website itself and whether it is still stuck in the early 2000’s or whether it is a modern design, informative and answers my questions.
Lastly I would like to be able to see pictures inside the clinic to get an idea of how it looks and feels, whether it looks tidy and clean and also whether or not it seems welcoming to me.
Do They Have Good Reviews?
Find Out More About Them
So let’s now assume I’ve narrowed my search down to a few clinics/practitioners, my next step would be to find out more about the practitioners asking these three questions;
- Will that practitioner communicate on my level?
- Will they understand my problem?
- Do they have good reviews?
Now this might seem a bit over the top at first but if you have a health problem and you’re considering paying someone to help, you want to make sure you’re going to be in good hands.
Will The Practitioner Communicate On My Level?
For me this is an important factor. I want to be able to feel comfortable in a practitioners presence and be able to relax. That way my body will be able to be more receptive to treatment.
Now for me I would want a practitioner who I can have a good conversation with as though we are on the same level.
Have you ever been to see someone who talks to you like you aren’t worth their time? Or they talk to you with over complicated language just to appear smarter? It doesn’t matter how good they are on paper, if someone treats me like that they aren’t getting my business.
Will The Practitioner Understand My Problem?
For the most part injuries are injuries. They body still heals them in the same way regardless if you fell over dancing or were knocked down playing rugby. What is different though is the HOW. How did the injury occur?
If you partake in a particular sport or activity then it would be ideal if your practitioner had an understanding of that activity. For example I used to work in a Mixed Martial Arts gym and I used to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), therefore I had an understanding of what was involved. Then when any BJJ players came to see me I understood the mechanism of how their injuries occurred so I could relate to them better.
Does The Practitioner (Or Clinic) Have Good Reviews?
Someone could have the best resume on paper but I would want to know what people say about them. So I would look for reviews that people have posted up online.
To me, the more reviews the better as it shows consistency and it suggests that each reviewer has had a good experience. Of course though there may be people out there who have had a bad experience but not made a review, so it should be taken with a small pinch of salt. But on the whole you can get a good idea based on reading through many reviews.
Speak To The Practitioner or Clinic
You can do all the research you want online but at the end of the day only you will know if that practitioner or clinic resonates with you by speaking with them.
If at this point you are still unsure who you should go and see then speaking with the practitioner is the best next step. Give them a call and see what they are like over the phone and perhaps ask them a few questions about your current problem. They may not be able to tell you much as they will most likely need to do a proper examination first but at least you can get an idea of how they speak to you.
Do Qualifications Or Year Of Graduation Matter?
When you start looking around for a practitioner it is inevitable that you’ll come across a clinic or practitioner that says something like “established in 1989” or “20 years of experience”. You will also see on most practitioners a list of qualifications.
In my opinion these are not the most important things to look at. A new graduate, although lacking in experience, will have great up to date knowledge, whereas an old practitioner may have forgotten much of their academic knowledge but will have good experience instead.
Experience is great; I feel more confident now as a practitioner than I did when I graduated, but as I mentioned earlier your relationship between you and your practitioner is more important because if you can feel at ease with them, their treatment will be much more effective.
Can We Help You Further?
Hopefully this article was helpful to you but if you have any further questions or would like to speak to us then that’s no problem at all. Just send us an email to info@precisionwellbeing.co.uk, call us on 0203 356 7060, or fill out the form below and we will get in touch as soon as possible.