Although osteopaths treat many conditions, most people think of us as ‘back specialists’. Back pain is what many osteopaths treat a lot of the time. Osteopathic treatment does not target symptoms only, but treats the parts of the body that have caused the symptoms. Osteopaths have a holistic approach and believe that your whole body will work well if your body is in good structural balance. Imagine, for example, a car that has one of its front wheels not quite pointing straight. It may run well for a while, but after a few thousand miles, the tyre will wear out. You can apply this example to the human body, which is why it is so important to keep the body in good balance. We use a wide range of techniques, including manuel techniques, cranial techniques (sometimes referred to as 'cranial osteopathy') and joint mobilizations. This breadth of approach allows me to focus on every patient’s precise needs. Osteopaths assess and treat people of any age from the elderly to the newborn and from pregnant women to sports people.

Your medical history

Before I start to treat you, we will make a full medical assessment. I take time to listen to you and ask questions to make sure I understand your medical history and your day-to-day routine. We’ll ask you about things like diet, exercise and what is happening in your life, as these may give clues to help our diagnosis. I usually look at your posture and how you move your body. I might also assess what happens when I move it for you and see what hurts, where and when.

Using touch, I may also find the areas which are sensitive or tight and this helps us to identify what’s going on. When we have done this, I can diagnose your condition. It might sometimes feel that osteopathy is not appropriate for you and refer you to your GP or another specialist such as an orthopedic surgeon.

Osteopaths use a wide range of gentle manipulations, depending on your age, fitness and diagnosis. Treatment is different for every patient but may include techniques such as different types of soft tissue mobilization and joint articulation to release tension, stretch muscles, help relieve pain and mobilize your joints.

Sometimes, when we move joints you may hear a ‘click’. This is just like the click people get when they crack their knuckles. We may discuss exercises that you can do to improve your posture and movement in your workplace and everyday life.

The most common conditions that I treat are:

- back and neck pain

- shoulder and arm problems

- pelvis, hip and leg problems

- sports and other injuries