What to Expect During Your Visit

Initial consultations are two hours long, utilizing a comprehensive Osteopathic medical approach.  The first hour is spent reviewing your medical concerns as well as taking a detailed medical history.  In order to facilitate this process, please bring important medical information with you if possible, including recent laboratory results, imaging reports (x-rays, MRIs, CT scans), and a list of your current and past medications.  Dr. Sobieck reviews past surgeries and accidents so it is often helpful to make a list of everything your body has experienced.  Dr. Sobieck also discusses your current lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise patterns, and common stressors. This is an integral step in evaluating your current health status.  Please be prepared to discuss the goals you may have for your health and well-being.  Dr. Sobieck will then perform a physical examination, which includes a full osteopathic structural examination and specialized testing for any areas of concern.

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During the second hour, Dr. Sobieck will treat you using osteopathic manipulative medicine techniques (OMT).  She works with your body using a unique combination of gentle techniques.  You will not feel pain during your treatment because Dr. Sobieck adjusts her techniques based on the feedback you and your body give her.  Most patients report feeling relaxed with significant pain relief after treatment.  Dr. Sobieck will then review her initial recommendations, including behavior modifications and lifestyle changes to help keep you pain-free between visits. You will also be given recommendations for therapeutic home exercises after your visit. This individualized exercise program focuses on exercises to help your body maintain changes created during treatment.   

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Follow-up visits usually occur 1-2 weeks after your initial consultation and are typically one and a half hours long.  This time is focused on treating any unresolved or recurrent issues and reviewing your therapeutic exercise program with you. Additional one hour follow-up visits, which focus on OMT treatments are also available as needed.

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At each visit, Dr. Sobieck reviews recommendations made on previous visits and discusses how you are doing with implementing these recommendations into your life.  It is difficult to determine how many follow-up visits you may need, but a general rule of thumb is that patients with acute issues (present for less than 6 months) usually have significant improvement of symptoms after 2-4 visits.  Chronic issues (present for more than 6 months) typically take more follow-up visits to reach the maintenance phase of treatment.  Once you reach the maintenance phase of treatment, you will most likely need tune-ups every 3-6 months in order to maintain optimal functioning of your body.