In my 25 years in practice as an Osteopath, I have successfully treated almost all joints, muscles and ligaments of the body.
I approach each acute, chronic and arthritic condition in a bespoke manner. Every treatment is tailor-made to the unique nature of you as a person, with your lifestyle and work conditions and the individual complaint itself. I take a thorough case history, and I am regarded within the Osteopathy industry as a top-rated diagnostician.
For most patients, lower back pain comes from three distinct, but often interlinked origins. Hereditary (runs in families), Posture (sitting down for a living) and Age ( wear and tear, and Osteoarthritis).
As a lower back pain sufferer myself, my unique focus is on how the whole lower back mechanics works as a functional unit. I always check how the lower back moves in combination with the hips and pelvis. For most pain and stiffness in the lower back tend to be interlinked with lack of movement and stiffness in these areas. I have found high levels of success and a far better long-term prognosis when treating the body as a whole.
Our use of technology and especially looking down at laptop screens and mobile phones has undoubtedly led to a huge increase in neck pain. Sleeping posture ( especially sleeping face down) is also a key additional consideration, especially as we get older.
I tend to focus on re-establishing movement of the whole of the upper third of the body, from the neck into the upper back (thoracic area) . Work station suggestions are always gone through, and sleeping posture too.
When the pain shoots along your sciatic nerve, through your buttock area and down the leg it tend to be much more painful than typical mechanical back pain as the nerve itself is directly aggravated.
The pain typically is one sided and can be caused by a joint problem, a muscle spasm and occasionally and injury to the disc.
I focus on being really clear as to the nature of which tissue is causing the injury , rather than assuming that sciatica is caused by disc bulges , which is what a google search tends to suggest ( as a worst case scenario). Treatment can then be focused on quickly getting this area out of pain.
Osteopathy is a great support during pregnancy in terms of releasing tight muscles and keeping your posture as good as possible.
Most women suffer from some back pain during pregnancy due to the extra weight putting pressure on back muscles. With the hormone Relaxin softening all the ligaments in the body ready for birth this puts extra strain on the muscles in the back which are already coping with the increase in your bump at the front.
I focus on providing practical support and direct treatment and postural advice. Diagnosis is key here screening for Pubic symphysis Disorder and other significant problems before starting treatment.
Most people who present at the clinic with arthritis suffer from Osteoarthritis ( wear and tear in the joints), rather than Rheumatoid Arthritis ( a more painful systemic condition which tends to have warm red, swollen fingers and joints
Osteoarthritis is basically a wear-and-tear condition due to us living longer lives. Osteopathy is a great way of supporting this condition as it encourages pain-free movement.
I focus on encouraging non-weight-bearing exercise, dietary changes, and use of dry needling, which has been proven to be successful at reducing arthritic pain.
Shoulder pain is one of the most varied conditions osteopaths treat , ranging from Frozen Shoulder, Tendon injuries from the rotator cuff muscles to more serious tears in tendons from sports injuries and long term use.
The range of problems we treat makes shoulders an area where I have undergone extensive extra training with specific techniques for Frozen shoulder and Rotator cuff recovery.
I focus on initial pain relief so the patient can start to use the joint again as quickly as possible. In order to achieve this I spend a long term in the initial assessment making sure that all the contributing factors including the neck, back and elbow posture are considered as marginal gains in these areas can help massively in terms of getting the patient moving again.
Tennis Elbow is typically an overuse injury combined with poor technique and an extended posture in the elbow. Whilst the majority of Tennis Elbow complaints come from the sport itself, it can also occur with overuse of a mouse ( typically in hypermobile patients).
The treatment includes relieving the muscles around the injury and getting the inflammation down on the sensitive trigger points of the tissues around the elbow, which are often tender to touch.
Plantar Fasciitis is a term used to describe inflammation of the tissue under the foot and is typically felt on the base of the heel towards the inside. Plantar fasciitis is typically worse first thing in the morning, and the more you walk, the more it hurts. It tends to occur in older rather than younger patients and is often associated with other foot issues, such as a collapsed arch
I focus on treating the area itself and any of the contributing factors, which can often include tight calf muscles, and mobilising the individual joints of the foot to improve the foot posture and biomechanics.
Other conditions I treat often include
Migraines and Headaches, Whiplash, Hip and Knee Pain, and Fibromyalgia