I regularly help people with a variety of conditions and symptoms affecting the musculo-skeletal system (muscles-skeleton). This includes joint or muscular problems anywhere in the body, such as the neck or back, shoulders or hips, knees or ankles/feet. Treatment can also help with things like chronic pain, sports injuries, sciatica and headaches, and the effects of scoliosis and arthritis.
It is suitable for most people, including the elderly, pregnant women, athletes, people who do a lot of manual work, and office workers who sit a lot.
Treatment often includes different approaches and techniques, including hands-on methods and strategies using specific movement patterns. Exactly what is done depends entirely on the individual and what is most appropriate and effective at that time. Treatment is as holistic as possible, meaning that it addresses the whole person in the context of their circumstances.
The focus is on getting you better quicker and helping you to become pain free without relying on endless treatment. Patient independence is extremely important for lasting results.
After treatment you should expect to feel informed about your body, understand the likely cause(s) of your problem(s), as well as what you can do you to alleviate your symptoms and avoid recurring issues. This is in addition to feeling relief from the symptoms you are seeking help with, wherever possible – response to treatment depends on each individual situation.
We’re constantly building and adding to our physical ‘autobiographies’; every body tells a story about how it got to where it is today… My goal is to provide real tangible change you can feel and results you can sustain into your future.
When you visit for the first time we’ll discuss the history of your current problem and any previous symptoms that you may or may not feel are related, as well as your medical, injury and movement history. We’ll also discuss your goals for the future and do an assessment. All of this initial information enables us to decide if you’re in the right place for the best help, or if you need to be referred for different investigations or other specialist help.
Assessment involves evaluating movement in different ways and might include how you walk, rotate, bend or squat. The current state of your joints and soft tissue will be palpated (felt/assessed by hand) to get as much information as possible. It depends on what you’re comfortable with and how much pain or discomfort you feel, we will always stay within ranges of movement that are pain free and that you can control.
Appointments usually last around an hour. The aim of any appointment is to make sure treatment is effective and economical, looking for good results fast.
Some people respond to treatment quickly, for others it takes longer, and it may be beneficial to have a some consecutive treatments with regular re-evaluation of progress to ensure you are moving in the right direction and getting the expected results.
Osteopathy is statutorily regulated, so practitioners cannot call themselves an osteopath unless they have complete the 4-year training degree. When we first meet, I’ll take a detailed case history to understand what is appropriate for you according to your medical history, any medication, trauma or injuries you’ve sustained. I am trained to diagnose and identify ‘red flags’ which indicate if you need other investigations, or review by your GP or a different specialist. I’ll never do anything you’re uncomfortable with and will explain what we’re doing, every step of the way.
You don’t need to be referred by your GP to see an osteopath because we are primary healthcare practitioners. However, if you have private health insurance, you may need to see your GP first (please contact me to find out if we work with your provider). If you are not sure if osteopathy is appropriate for you or if you have any questions at all, please contact me and I’ll point you in the right direction, whether that is with me or someone else.
Osteopaths are trained in a variety of methods to address problems with muscles, ligaments, fascia, joints in all areas of the body. Joint manipulation, which can make a popping or cracking sound, may be a small part of this. It can be effective for short-term pain relief but there are other ways to get similar results, and it’s not a method I use as standard. To effectively treat a long-term issue other techniques are invariably needed to address whole body movement patterns as well as specific problem areas.
It is recommend that you bring stretchy clothing, such as a vest/sports bra and leggings or/shorts. It’s much easier to provide effective treatment if movement is easy to analyse and joints and soft tissues are easy to assess by palpation (hands-on methods). Jeans and clothes made of non-stretchy material can hinder progress so what you wear is important. Bare feet are helpful as with any issue I’ll assess the whole body, including feet.