WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?

Osteopathy was developed in the late 19 th century by a doctor who saw the body as a finely tuned, fully integrated machine, not a collection of parts and an Osteopath will consider the whole person when choosing the most appropriate treatment.

For example, the Osteopath will consider your lifestyle and occupation, ask about your medical history and diet and look at your posture as these all have an effect on your body and general well-being.

The Osteopath uses their hands, in a non-intrusive way, to diagnose and treat and is trained to use minimal force. The aim is to restore your body's own natural harmony. Firstly, by improving its structure which in turn improves how you are able to use your body. This then leads to improvements in your overall health.

Ailments such as headaches, pain with movement and digestive disorders are seen as the result of spinal mis-alignment and Osteopaths use manipulation of the muscles and joints to help the body combat illness and heal itself.

There are a wide variety of methods of treatment, all highly effective and for the most part extremely gentle.

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WHAT CAN OSTEOPATHY TREAT?

People of any age can benefit from osteopathy from newborn babies to the elderly. It is effective for those with acute musculo-skeletal disorders for example those resulting from gardening, DIY and sports injuries. It is also helpful with longer term problems such as migraines and tension headaches, the pain of osteoarthritis (general wear and tear), occupational stress, the pain caused by poor posture, repetitive strain, period pain, low back, neck and leg pain, sciatica etc.

If a person has repetitive infections, for instance glue ear in children, then there is often a musculo-skeletal origin or if their immune system is not as effective as it might be then osteopathy can help.

Osteopathy is not a cure for all ills and Osteopaths are also trained to recognise what they are unable treat and to suggest alternative practitioners.

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WHAT IS CRANIO-SACRAL OSTEOPATHY?

Cranial Osteopathy is a very gentle form of Osteopathy which works with the cranial rhythmic impulse, resulting from the rhythmic production and re-absorption of the cerebro-spinal fluid (csf) in and around the brain and spinal cord.

In short this means, the spinal cord is bathed in fluid (csf) which in turn is held in place by various membranes (dura) and it is through these that pass nerves to and from the central nervous system. As they pass through the fluid they pick up nutrients and release toxins. The body therefore needs a way to flush out these toxins and this is done via a little pump in part of the brain which flushes the csf out. The effects of this movement ripple throughout the whole body and is called the cranial rhythmic impulse

Practitioners use their hands to apply light pressure to gently manipulate the skull, base of the spine and pelvis facilitating the body's natural tendency to heal itself by balancing and releasing tissue tension.

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WHAT CAN CRANIO SACRAL OSTEOPATHY TREAT?

The subtle technique of Cranial Osteopathy is particularly suitable for the treatment of children and can prove valuable in treating childhood disease and infections, behavioural difficulties or allergies.

Newborn babies who may suffer mechanical stresses during the birth process also greatly benefit from this gentle form of Osteopathy, which can aid their subsequent development. It is also ideal for pregnant women, the elderly, or simply those people who prefer a gentler kind of treatment.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR TREATMENT

Osteopathic treatment to the whole body helps improve the flow of energy and nutrition thereby reducing the likelihood of disease. Illness does not strike out of the blue. Research indicates that it is almost always the result of a long history of tiny, seemingly insignificant occurrences. We often regard it as old age creeping up, though most people do not regard themselves as ill, or malfunctioning. Nevertheless to an Osteopath and many other medical specialists - the signs are there and can be prevented or improved to make life more comfortable.

Consider this, a car requires regular servicing if you want it to be reliable and get you to work on time each day, if you do not service it regularly it will soon let you know that it needs attention. So, why not give yourself the same treatment.

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WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?

Acupuncture is a treatment based on a centuries old system rooted in Chinese philosophy that believes that there is a universal life energy called Chi or Qi present in every living creature.

This energy is said to circulate throughout the body along specific pathways that are called meridians. As long as this energy flows freely throughout the meridians, health is maintained, but once the flow of energy is blocked, the system is disrupted and pain and illness occur.

Acupuncturists address this imbalance by inserting very fine needles in energy channels within the body to clear blockages in order to free up the Chi energy which helps the body restore its natural harmony.

We have two types of acupuncture practitioners, Oksana is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Guy practices Five Element Acupuncture. TCM works from the presenting symptoms of the body to determine the treatment and Five Element Acupuncture works from the internal elemental imbalance to determine treatment. Both styles offer an individual treatment programme. However for Five Element Acupuncture the first appointment is a consultation and physical diagnosis and will last up to 1.5 hours.

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WHAT CAN ACUPUNCTURE TREAT?

Acupuncture can be used to treat a wide range of ailments from anxiety and stress to backache and asthma to ME, as well as gynaecological and obstetrical problems like menstrual disorders, endometriosis, menopausal syndromes, labour induction etc.

The World Health Organisation www.who.int/en has made a list of disease categories for which acupuncture is able to help. This list is by no means exhaustive and includes:-

acne, addictions, after-effect of injuries, angina, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, sciatica, catarrh, circulatory disorders, cold extremities, constipation, colitis, depression, digestive disorders (acute and chronic), dizziness, vertigo, facial paralysis, fatigue, haemorrhoids, hayfever, headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, insomnia, intestinal disorders, infertility, ME, migraines, morning sickness, musculo-skeletal disorders, palpitations, rheumatic conditions, shingles, skin problems, sore throats/tonsillitis, stress, stress related conditions, tinnitus, urticaria, weight loss.

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