MORE ABOUT OSTEOPATHY

Osteopaths are skilled in assessing the mechanics of the whole body, in particular the spine. We help people of all ages with drug free manual therapy to relieve bodily stress and tension caused by back and joint pain, muscular strains, acheing hips and knees, tendonitis, repetitive strain injuries, abdominal tension, chest tension, tight neck and shoulders, and postural fatigue all of which can lead to general ill health. We help babies and young children with bodily tension which may have been caused by birth difficulties, hearing difficulties, digestive problems and emotional stress.

What to expect

On your first visit the osteopath will take a detailed medical history from you followed by a careful examination. You may be asked to undress to your underwear, but if you are uncomfortable with this please let us know, as you can be treated wearing loose clothing.

The examination will include a postural assessment, which will involve asking you to make various movements, we might check your reflexes, and will we physically examine the area of pain or injury.

The osteopath will make a diagnosis of the cause of the symptoms using the information you provide and the clinical examination, to understand why those symptoms have developed. If there is some clinical doubt regarding your diagnosis, your Osteopath may refer you to your GP for X-rays, MRI scans, or pathology testing.

Treatment

This will vary according to the needs of the patient. Treatment methods consist of varied techniques including muscular and soft tissue relaxation, bony manipulation and articulation techniques, and very gently applied methods used by Cranial Osteopaths, depending on individual patients' problems.

You will be given an idea of how long it may take your injury to respond, and if there is any long-term weakness. Each person responds differently to treatment, so sometimes we will have more idea of this after the first treatment.

You may also be given exercises, advised to apply ice, or to rest.

Osteopaths treat the whole person, not just conditions, and in this way a wide variety of problems may be helped. Treatment is aimed at releasing strains and stresses that have often accumulated over years. When tight muscles and tissues which may have been compressing small blood vessels are released, local circulation may improve. This often results in the improvement of many different aspects of health. Sometimes only a few treatments are needed; others benefit from regular treatment, or an occasional 'service' every few months to keep body functions in working order.

"My osteopathic treatment is like an insurance policy. I put the time and money into having treatment to keep my body mobile, so by the time I reach retirement I'll still be fit enough to enjoy it."
- P.R. Professor of Law and patient aged 59

How can Osteopathy improve my quality of life?

Whilst you may visit the Osteopath for back, neck, shoulder, hip or knee pain you could find that osteopathy can improve your general health and quality of life.

Osteopaths treat each person individually, using manual therapy to make changes in the quality of muscles, body tissues and bony structures to improve the way the body works.

Like a garden, your body needs tender loving care for best performance. The blood and other circulating fluids deliver essential nutrients, water and oxygen to each cell. They also carry wastes out of the body. Tense muscles constrict circulation and this can cause the body to struggle just to carry out every day tasks.

Nerves exiting the spine from your neck to your lower back give impulses for the body to move and for the organs to perform vital tasks such as digestion, breathing and circulation. Any restrictions in your spine could affect the way your body tissues and organs work, and if unchecked, may eventually lead to disease.

Restrictions can occur over time due to postural strains, accidents, falls or a period of increased physical or mental stress. Release of these tensions can reduce pain and discomfort, improve breathing, circulation and digestion and increase energy levels.

Why not give us a call? We'd like to see you bloom!

It is not necessary to be in pain to benefit from osteopathic treatment. Osteopathy can be helpful for a number of reasons, not least of all for the well-known saying:

Back Pain

There are many different reasons why back pain occurs and if prevention and treatment are to be most effective, it is important to have a good understanding of the cause. This can often be traced back to an old accident, injury or trauma.

Back pain does not always arise immediately after an injury because the body is very good at adapting. Episodes of pain may be triggered by emotional stress, physical exertion or illness and the smallest pain can take longer to heal than expected. In treatment it is often necessary to release the retained stresses from past injuries and traumas in order to relieve the current back pain and reduce the chances of it reoccurring.

The most common contributors to back pain are:

OCCUPATIONAL STRAIN caused by habitual bad posture due to poor seating at computers, which places strains on the spine, leading to back pain. With osteopathic treatment and improved seating the ingrained spinal stresses can be released.

LIFTING STRAINS caused by lifting heavy or awkward weights including babies; children; and shopping. If the spine is already under stress from another cause, it may only take a small lifting strain to cause problems, usually occurring at the weakest point of the spine.

CAR ACCIDENTS can cause many problems including back pain, even if the car is travelling at very slow speeds. When sudden deceleration happens the body can be thrown around violently in many different directions. Osteopaths are often able to feel components of the directional stresses locked in the body tissues after a whiplash accident. The whole body is affected, not just the neck and unless these strains are treated they may cause further complications.

FALLS can cause the spine to be jerked and twisted and parts can become impacted or compressed. Sit-down falls like falling on ice or a slippery surface are particularly damaging because in addition to the direct impact on the base of the spine, the impact of the head onto the top of the spine causes strain at the top of the neck. Headaches and neck problems are very common after this type of injury.

DIRECT INJURIES like kicks and blows to the spine can create a local area of disruption of the normal spine mechanics. Problems may gradually develop over a period of time, even if the back seemed uninjured at the time.

BLOWS TO THE HEAD can disrupt the normal minute movements of the bones of the skull, a situation that has far reaching effects on the rest of the body. Posture may be modified as the spine adapts to the injury, which can cause areas of strain.

CHILDBIRTH STRAINS caused during childbirth when the mother's pelvis can become distorted as the baby's head descends. In many cases the distortion corrects itself, but if severe it can remain for many years and disrupt spinal and pelvic mechanics.

It is preferable to consult an Osteopath before back pain becomes too severe. Most back pain is easier to treat in its early stages and it is may help to minimise structural damage or wear and that can be caused by uneven pain-avoiding postures which can aggravate the weak areas of the spine.

"If you work at a computer you will definitely benefit from Osteopathy"
- A.J Social Services administrator and patient, age 32

How can Osteopathy help with Stress, Fatigue and Gradual Bodily Change?

The challenges and demands of modern life can accumulate as stress and strains in the body. This is often exacerbated by occupational postures, repetitively using and shortening certain muscle groups, conversely, not using other muscles, which become weak.

There are many different reasons for our aches and pains. Sometimes they can be traced back to an accident or trauma that may have occurred some time ago. Pain does not always arise immediately. However the disruption of normal function causes strains to build up over time and we start to get arthritic aches and pains often seemingly for no reason. Although we know that we should be doing something to help ourselves, over time we can lose awareness of our body's state in our effort to keep up with the increasing pace of life.

Some join the gym, often to find they ache afterwards, or maybe incur injuries in their enthusiasm to get fit. Some find that the ageing process affects the ability to perform activities that once were easy, and lose physical confidence.

Heart disease & lung problems may be aggravated by tension in the chest. Chest muscles tighten when we are worried or under stress, reducing chest expansion during breathing and constricting the heart and lungs.* Gentle osteopathic treatment aims to release this tension and encourage and help towards improved breathing.

Falls are more likely as we get older. With increasing age, the body tissues lose some of their flexibility and elasticity and do not recover as quickly from trauma. This imparts lasting strains in the body, which can not only aggravate existing problems, but also predispose to other illnesses. Osteopathy can be effective at releasing the residual strains and tensions from past incidents, which allows the body to function more efficiently.

Poor circulation especially in the legs may be related to lack of mobility or heart and lung disease*. The thoracic diaphragm is a large drum skin-like muscle beneath the heart and lungs and above the abdomen. As you breath, the rhythmic movement of the diaphragm 'massages' the heart, lungs and abdomen. The diaphragm's function is associated with breathing and drainage of the legs. Treatment can improve mobility, lymphatic drainage and local circulation.

*If you have poor circulation, breathing problems or chest pain we recommend you consult your GP.