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› Take care of your everyday problems
Many common physical ailments can be successfully
treated using osteopathy. Osteopathic care is based
on the principle that while the body is a self-healing
organism it occasionally requires a helping hand.
Some of the everyday problems we help people with are
listed below. If your particular condition doesn't appear
on this list, just call one of our clinics. We'll let
you know if it's something we can help you with, or
refer you to a suitable specialist if it's something
we can't.
We can help you take care of:
"I had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while skiing and was recommended
to Carl. His diagnosis was confirmed by an MRI scan, and he arranged for me to see a
surgeon. Following surgery I had a period of rehabilitation under the control of Carl,
and thanks to him made a full recovery."
Anne Clark
Back pain is extremely common – six million patients
visit osteopaths each year, and back pain accounts for
over 50% of those cases. Pain exists for a reason. Your
back will tell you very quickly when things aren't right,
because the longer spinal faults go unchecked, the more
widespread the strain suffered by the skeleton as a
whole. The role of pain is to make us aware of the fault,
so we can fix the problem.
Most people will suffer with back pain at some point
in their life. It can vary from a minor niggling ache
to a severe incapacitating pain that can spread to other
areas of the body. Causes of back pain include chronic
postural problems, unsuitable seating, unsupportive
beds, inappropriate lifting, a sedentary lifestyle,
stress and anxiety, accidents, sports injuries, pregnancy,
and obesity. The cure for an aching back lies in persuading
a stiff and painful spinal joint to move, and that's
something we specialise in.
We can help you by isolating the source of
the problem, treating the pain, and giving you advice
on how to prevent the pain from recurring.
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Sciatica is pain in the leg, usually caused by back
problems, and occurs when something blocks the path
of the spinal nerve on its way out of the spinal column.
Most back pain is a simple joint problem – the
back's equivalent, you might say, of a twisted ankle
– but when the problem persists, the swollen joint
can irritate the nearby spinal nerve. Degeneration of
the inter-vertebral disc can have the same result.
Another type of leg pain is called referred pain. When
a joint becomes inflamed and painful, its nerve supply
picks up the pain messages and pain is felt in the back.
However, other tissues sharing the same nerve supply
as the inflamed joint may also feel pain. It could be
the sensation to the skin of the lower leg giving you
a vague nagging pain in the buttock, hip or leg, far
removed from the back itself. So, the back is the problem,
and the pain in the leg is the symptom.
Whatever the cause of your pain, we can bring
relief by identifying the root of the problem and treating
the source of the discomfort.
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Hip pain doesn’t always indicate a problem with
the hip itself. The body's nervous and circulatory systems
are closely linked, meaning pain in your hip or groin
may actually originate from your lower back, or even
a muscular spasm in the gluteal region. On the other
hand, there may be a problem within the hip joint itself,
such as osteoarthritis.
We can determine the source of the problem,
and treat the pain.
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Many neck problems are the result of modern life and
the continuous strain we place on our bodies. For example,
pain can be caused by repetitive movement, poor use
of the neck’s full range of motion, poor work
position, and stress. Headaches frequently accompany
neck pain, and are caused by a build-up of muscular
tension across the shoulders, which travels up into
the base of the skull. Pain in the neck and mid-back
can also result from trauma, especially car accidents,
which can lead to problems weeks, months or even years
later.
We can determine the cause of your symptoms
and suggest a course of treatment to overcome your pain.
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Not all shoulder problems arise from the shoulder itself,
particularly where there is no history of trauma to
the area. Many conditions unrelated to the shoulder
can cause referred pain in the shoulder region. For
example, neck dysfunctions, repetitive strain injury,
tennis/golfer's elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
We can determine the source of your discomfort
and create a personalised treatment plan to relieve
the symptoms.
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Headaches affect most of us at some point in our lives.
While painkillers can help to alleviate the symptoms,
they don't address the cause of the pain. You may not
have considered osteopathic treatment for recurring
headaches, but the fact is that some types of headache
respond very well, and we successfully treat many people
for headaches.
There are many reasons why people suffer with migraines and headaches, including diet, stress, and chemical imbalances. Both tension headaches and migraines
can often be alleviated by a course of treatment.
We can help you determine whether your condition
can be treated with osteopathy and, if so, devise a
treatment plan to help you.
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Muscular tension is extremely common, mainly due to
the physical and mental stresses we place on our bodies
on a daily basis. If the tension isn't addressed early
on, it can become prolonged and build up within the
body, resulting in a chronic problem that can affect
the joints. Taut muscles can pull the joints out of
alignment, which leads to abnormal joint function.
We specialise in reducing the tension using
soft tissue massage, manipulation and gentle stretching,
before addressing the cause of the tension itself.
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Work, whether at a computer terminal or in heavy industry,
can cause disorders of muscles, tendons and joints,
particularly in the back, hands and arms. Symptoms vary
from mild aches and pains to severe pain and disability.
• Caused by manual handling and lifting:
– Muscle and tendon injuries
– Intervertebral disc lesions
(‘slipped disc’)
– Sciatica
• Caused by forceful or repetitive movements:
– Carpal tunnel syndrome
– Tenosynovitis
– Peritendonitis
– Epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
– Mouse wrist
• Caused by poor posture or repetitive movements:
– Low back pain
– Neck and shoulder pain
– Computer hump
– Repetitive strain injuries
We successfully treat many work-related conditions
and can provide advice and preventative exercise to
avoid problems reoccurring in the future.
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All of us beyond our twenties experience degenerative
changes of our joints because of the limited way we
use our bodies. This degeneration speeds up the ageing
of our joints, and older joints are less tolerant of
knocks and bangs. Arthritis is not a disease, but simply
wear and tear: it only begins to cause pain once it
has become more advanced.
Degeneration of the joints happens when the flow of
fluid into the joint slows down – cartilage becomes
brittle, ligaments, tendons and muscles dry out and
lose their elasticity, and the joints lose their 'give
and take'. If this process continues unchecked, the
cartilage can become chipped and irregular, weight-bearing through the joint becomes uneven, abnormal bony
outgrowths begin to form around the edges of the joint,
and the joint swells.
The pain is caused by mechanical and chemical irritation
of all the tissues of the joint. Mechanical irritation
arises when the joint's soft tissues are stretched,
often by excess fluid trapped in the joint. Chemical
irritation is caused by the effect of 'inflammatory
products' produced by the unhappy tissues.
The good news is that we can control the pain by performing
simple movements to pump away the excess fluid and free
up the stiff, tired joints. This rejuvenates old soft
tissues that are binding up a joint too tightly: it
is even possible for such movement to stimulate new
cartilage growth.
At the same time we stretch and release the gristly
old soft tissues that surround the joint – which
become thicker and stiffer with lack of activity as
time goes by – helping to ease pain and rejuvenate
the joint itself.
We are in the business of making old joints
'younger'. Our skill lies in using therapeutic movement
to bring joints on at the right rate, rather than pushing
the debilitated joint too hard too soon.
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Sports injuries are one of our specialities. They tend
to arise either from a specific trauma, such as a bad
tackle or a collision, or when an increase in functional
demand is placed upon a fatigued joint or soft tissue
that isn't functioning properly. This can cause muscle/pelvic
imbalances, poor posture and altered spinal mechanics
that can lead to any of the following:
• Shoulder impingement syndrome
• Tennis or golfer’s elbow
• Ligament sprains/muscle strains
• Cartilage tears
• Patella or Achilles tendonitis
If you've suffered a sporting injury, we can
help to speed up your recovery time using various techniques
including ultrasound, electrotherapy and medical acupuncture.
We can also recommend a rehabilitation programme to
reduce the risk of problems in the future.
Many sports people who visit our clinics, from
amateurs to top professionals, have found that our osteopathic
care has led to a significant improvement in their performance
and a reduction in the occurrence of injury.
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A woman’s body undergoes more changes during
pregnancy than at any other time in her life. Hormonal
changes cause the ligaments to soften, the spinal curves
change and posture is altered. Circulatory problems
can occur, such as swelling of the legs and varicose
veins. All of these problems can be helped by our osteopathic
treatment – in fact, pregnancy is a good time
to undergo treatment since the body is changing so much
and so quickly.
We can gently and simply ease any restrictions
or strains as the ligaments are softer than usual, and
treatment is completely safe. We also recommend coming
to us for a thorough check-up if you've suffered from
back problems in the past and are considering becoming
pregnant.
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Asthma usually starts in childhood but may not appear
until middle age when it is known as ‘late-onset
asthma’. It is associated with wheezing and breathlessness,
due to narrowing of the airways.
Aggravating factors include allergy to inhaled pollens,
pollutants, or foods; respiratory infections; emotional
upsets or stress; and physical exercise.
Many asthma patients find help from the osteopathic
care we provide. We can treat the muscles associated
with breathing, which, in asthmatics, are in a prolonged
state of increased tone. During treatment, the function
of the spine and ribs is addressed, and specific techniques
that can improve neurological and respiratory balance
may also be used. Furthermore, we can offer advice on
lifestyle, diet and stress management, all of which
can be helpful to asthmatics.
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