YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
First, we work out what is going on.
If you are coming to see me because something hurts, the first priority is not to get you onto the treatment table as quickly as possible.
It is to understand the problem.
Your first appointment gives us time to talk through what has been happening, examine the area properly and decide whether chiropractic care is appropriate. I will explain what I find, what I think may be contributing to your symptoms and what I recommend doing next.
If treatment is appropriate and you are happy to proceed, it will usually begin at that first appointment.
A proper assessment. A clear explanation. A sensible next step.
[Book your first appointment]
Initial consultation — £70
TheBodyWork Chiropractic · Underground Gym · Tunbridge Wells
WHAT TO EXPECT
We talk. I assess. We make a plan.
Your first appointment has three main parts.
01 — We talk
We start with the story of the problem.
I will want to understand where you are experiencing symptoms, when they began, what makes them better or worse and how they are affecting your life.
I will also ask about relevant previous injuries, your general health, medication, work, exercise and other factors that may help make sense of what is happening. Some of those questions may initially seem broader than the place that hurts, but your wider health can affect both how we understand the problem and what is appropriate to examine or treat.
This is also your opportunity to tell me what you are hoping to achieve.
Getting out of pain may be the immediate priority. But perhaps you also want to sleep comfortably, sit through a working day, get back to the gym, walk the dog, run again or simply stop worrying about whether normal movement is going to make things worse.
I want to know what better would actually mean for you.
That gives us something meaningful to work towards — and a way of judging whether treatment is actually helping.
02 — I assess
Next, with your agreement, I examine the problem.
Exactly what that involves depends on why you have come in. I may look at how you stand or move, examine the spine or other joints, assess movement and function, palpate relevant areas and carry out appropriate orthopaedic, neurological or other clinical tests.
The purpose is not to perform every test available. It is to gather the information needed to make sensible clinical decisions.
If anything in your history or examination suggests that chiropractic care may not be appropriate — or that further medical assessment or investigation should come first — I will explain that.
Assessment is partly about deciding what to treat. It is also about knowing when not to treat.
03 — We make a plan
Once I have taken your history and examined you, I will explain what I have found.
Where possible, I will give you a working diagnosis or explain what I think is most likely to be contributing to the problem. Sometimes there is reasonable certainty; sometimes there is more than one possibility. If there is uncertainty, I will tell you rather than pretend there is a level of certainty that does not exist.
We then discuss what I recommend.
That includes what treatment might involve, what we are trying to achieve, relevant benefits and risks, other reasonable options, and what may happen without treatment. We will also agree how we will judge progress and when it makes sense to review the plan.
You can ask questions, raise concerns or tell me if there is a technique you would rather not have.
Then we decide what happens next.
You should leave understanding what I think is happening, what I recommend and why.
TREATMENT
Will I be treated at the first appointment?
Usually, yes — where it is appropriate to do so.
I do not routinely make people return for a separate appointment simply to hear what I found.
If I have enough information to make a reasonable clinical decision, chiropractic treatment is appropriate, I have explained what I recommend and you are happy to proceed, treatment will usually begin during your first appointment.
There are circumstances in which I will not treat immediately. I may want further information or investigation, another healthcare professional may be better placed to help, or you may simply want time to consider the options before deciding.
All of those are legitimate outcomes of a first appointment.
The objective of the consultation is not to justify treatment. It is to decide what makes sense.
[How I approach chiropractic treatment →]
YOUR CHOICE
You remain in control of what happens.
I will explain what I am proposing before I examine or treat you and obtain your consent.
If you do not understand something, ask. If you are uncomfortable with a particular technique, tell me. You can decline a technique, ask me to stop or change your mind.
Consent is an ongoing conversation, not a formality.
Professional standards: GCC Code of Professional Practice
BEFORE YOU COME
Very little preparation is needed.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothing that you can move in is ideal.
Depending on what needs examining, I may occasionally need you to adjust or remove an item of clothing. If so, I will explain why and ask your permission first. You will have privacy to change and a gown will be available.
What should I bring?
If you take regular medication, have relevant medical information or already have reports from scans or previous investigations, bring them if you think they may be useful.
You do not need to arrange an X-ray or scan before coming.
And don’t worry about knowing the correct medical terminology. Tell me what has been happening in your own words.
It is my job to ask the useful questions.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. If you would feel more comfortable having a partner, relative or friend with you, you are welcome to bring them.
If you would like a chaperone, please let me know when booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS?
The plan depends on how you respond.
If treatment is appropriate, we will agree what we are trying to change and how we will judge progress.
I do not prescribe a standard number of appointments before I have assessed you and seen how you respond.
If you are improving, the plan should reflect that. If progress is not what we expected, we reconsider what we are doing rather than simply repeating it.
The plan follows your progress — not the other way around.
[Read about ongoing and maintenance care →]
COMMON QUESTIONS
A few things people often want to know before they come.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book directly.
If I think your problem requires medical assessment or input from another healthcare professional, I will explain that.
Do I have to have my neck adjusted?
No.
No particular technique is compulsory. If you do not want your neck manipulated — or do not want any other particular technique — tell me.
Will I need an X-ray?
Usually not.
Imaging is useful where there is a clinical reason for it, not as a routine prerequisite for chiropractic treatment.
Do I have to sign up for a course of treatment?
No.
I will recommend what I think is appropriate and explain why, but you are not required to buy a package or commit to a predetermined course of appointments.
What if chiropractic isn’t appropriate for me?
I will tell you.
Depending on what I find, that may mean speaking to your GP, seeking further investigation or seeing another healthcare professional.
FEES
Clear from the outset.
Initial consultation — £70
Your first appointment includes your consultation and clinical assessment, explanation of what I find and what I recommend, and treatment where appropriate.
Follow-up appointment — £55
Follow-up care is based on what we have agreed, how you have responded and what is useful at that stage.
There is no requirement to purchase a treatment package or pay for a predetermined programme of care.
[View fees →]
THE CLINIC
Private, straightforward and easy to find.
TheBodyWork Chiropractic is based in a private treatment room inside Underground Gym in Tunbridge Wells.
You do not need to be a member of the gym to see me.
TheBodyWork Chiropractic
Underground Gym
Tunbridge Wells
Address: [insert full verified address]
Parking: [insert verified parking information]
On arrival: [insert exactly where the patient should go / what they should do]
Accessibility: [insert verified accessibility information]
[Get directions →]
[Contact the clinic →]
READY TO BOOK?
Come with the problem. We’ll work out the next step together.
You do not need to know whether chiropractic is definitely the answer before you book.
That is part of what the first appointment is for.
We will talk through what has been happening, examine the problem and decide what makes sense from there. If chiropractic care is appropriate and you are happy to proceed, treatment will usually begin at that appointment.
[Book your first appointment]
Initial consultation — £70
Online booking available