Osteopathy – helping your aches and pains

If you are in pain or have ongoing aches, you may be investigating various kinds of treatment. Osteopathy considers and treats your body as a whole rather than simply the area where you feel pain or discomfort.

The Institute of Osteopathy says: “Osteopathy is a method of assessing, treating and preventing a wide range of health problems. Osteopaths use a combination of movement, stretching, targeted deep tissue massage and manipulation of a person’s muscles and joints to improve function, relieve pain and aid recovery.

Osteopathy is a gentle and effective hands-on approach to healthcare, based on the principle that the way your body moves influences how it functions.  Osteopaths are highly competent healthcare professionals, recognised by the NHS as fully qualified to diagnose and treat independently.”

Osteopathy was founded in the 1870s and is one of the few complementary therapies which is recognised by – and treated within – private health insurance plans.

How does Osteopathy work?

By looking at your body as a whole, I can help your bones, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue to work together smoothly. Your treatment will involve a combination of physical manipulation (although not “cracking”), stretching and massage; and also cranial osteopathy. These techniques improve the blood supply to the injured parts, which helps the body to heal.

Osteopathy is very much about improving the connections between different parts of the body, and helping them work together in an integrated way, rather than in a seemingly disjointed way. For example, quite a few patients who have pulled their lower back (maybe through heaving the turkey out of the oven, or raking leaves in the garden) will have a stiff section of their spine a little way above where the pain is.

Because this stiff section does not move enough, the nearest joints may get overstrained because they have had to move more than they should; this is why I need to treat areas of the back not necessarily close to the injury in order to help the patient’s body achieve a better balance.

I can also advise on the use of hot or cold, rest or exercise, changes to the posture, and can, if necessary, give an off-work certificate.

The ‘Your Body In Harmony’ Approach

I, (read about me), always seek to find the right combination of treatments and exercises for you as an individual. My professional expertise extends beyond Osteopathy as I also have a wide and detailed knowledge of various complementary therapies and approaches. My truly holistic and unique approach has worked wonders for my clients over many years.