In a conversation with my Mum the other day, she told me how much she’s looking forward to a big hug at the end of the Covid-19 outbreak. This got me thinking: why do we rely on touch so much as humans? What have we really been missing out on during this lockdown period where touch has been broadly banned? Continue reading
Anything that we do all day every day will have an effect on our bodies. This is true whether you sit at a desk all day or spend hours doing a hobby that you enjoy (after years as an osteopath, I can guess pretty accurately which instruments patients play without them telling me!)
The most important thing that you can do to minimise the physical effects of long hours spent at a desk, Continue reading
If you are working from home, it is important to make sure that your workstation is suited to you. If you don’t have a home office and you’re having to get a bit creative with where you are able to work, these are the main things that you want to consider:
There are still multiple theories to explain what causes the pop/click that you sometimes hear when an osteopath, chiropractor or physiotherapist uses a joint manipulation (or, “HVLA”) technique. However, one thing I can confidently tell you is that we’re not “cracking bones” like a lot of my patients seem to think when I first meet them!
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the division of the nervous system that supplies the internal organs, including the blood vessels, stomach, intestine, liver, kidneys, bladder, genitals, lungs, pupils, heart, and sweat, salivary, and digestive glands. The ANS is responsible to changes that happen within the body without voluntary control (in other words, “autonomously“). Continue reading
Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of very fine needles through the skin and briefly leaving them in position. The number of needles varies depending on the treatment but may be only two or three. Treatment depends on an assessment of your individual condition so the number and placement of needles will differ from person to person.
The Perrin Technique™ is based on Dr Perrin’s theory that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalopathy (CFS/ME) results from dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system, secondary to a combination of stress factors and poor lymphatic drainage. The stress factors can be physical (through postural problems or injury), emotional (work, family), environmental (exposure to toxins), or an overloaded immune system from fighting an allergy or an infection.
It is common practice to stretch before exercise but recent research has cast doubts on the effectiveness of stretching. Specifically, the usefulness of stretching in reducing the risk of injury, improving performance and preventing sore muscles.
However, there’s no evidence to suggest that stretching does you any harm either or makes it more likely that you will injure yourself.
What’s the point of stretching? Continue reading
Avoiding taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) because of their potential side effects? Try these natural alternatives to help your system to combat inflammation.
The founder of osteopathy, Andrew Taylor Still, described the body as having its “own medicine chest”. Each person has their own built-in healing mechanisms, which osteopaths believe can be stimulated and supported by removing restrictive barriers. Once the barriers are removed, the body is usually able to resolve all but the most serious conditions.
Some people also find it helpful to take herbal remedies to support their body’s innate healing qualities. Herbal remedies can be preferable to NSAIDs for some people Continue reading
Patient’s are often confused when Doctors prescribe antidepressants to relieve their pain. I have had conversations with patients who are concerned they have been “fobbed off”, or feel their GP is implying their pain is not “real”.
Pain coming from damaged nerves is referred to as Neuropathic pain. This type of pain is usually described as “shooting”, “burning” or “stabbing” pain. The most common types of neuropathic pain are diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia or post-stroke pain. The pain generated by these conditions is different from the pain signals received from damaged tissue (e.g. a fall, a cut or an arthritic joint) Continue reading