Jo Day

Principal Osteopath, women’s health specialist osteopath, pelvic health, prolapse, PGP and postnatal care, pilates & rehabilitation

I am a fully qualified Osteopath of Masters Level, Postgraduate trained in Women’s Health from The Molinari Institute, NASM qualified exercise and rehabilitation trainer, Advanced Pilates practitioner, as well as founder and director of Herts Osteopathy Limited.

My focus is on women and women’s health. I have specialist post graduate training in Women’s Health, and therefore I spend a lot of time working with women through their pregnancy and postnatal journey. I see women with urinary dysfunction and pelvic floor issues, and prolapse, can do full pelvic floor assessment and treatment to include scar tissue release (episiotomy/tears/birth strains), internal myofascial release, and work with the pelvic organs internally as well as externally. This is fantastic for pelvic pain, urinary dysfunction and leaking, prolapse, and general postpartum checks. As well as pain from endometriosis and many more issues. 

I spend time with women through their lifespan helping them to put all of the pieces together to help really understand what is going on with them. Often i see women who have been to see many different healthcare providers but with no answers. I can really help to join the dots together and help get women back on the path to health, and to truly understand their bodies. It is my true passion. 

My specialism is in pregnancy and postnatal health and rehabilitation. I am qualified and highly experienced in antenatal and postnatal Osteopathy and can help with numerous pregnancy related issues including SPD and PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain). I am extremely passionate about helping women get out of pain, particularly throughout the pregnancy and postnatal period.

I am qualified in post natal exercise and rehabilitation, and offer a specialised programme to bring back function postnatally, and to improve posture, abdominal tone and function. I will helpdiagnose any issues with healing, assess diastasis recti, and help to regain strength and tension postnatally. So book in for a postnatal assessment and treatment and we can cover these issues with advice on the best way forwards.

NEW PATIENTS

I am now only taking on new patients within the women’s health remit, so this includes infertility/fertility, pre-conception, pelvic pain, pregnancy, post pregnancy, mums and all issues falling into the women’s health area. Many things women feel they have to live with, but they really don’t have to. I am so passionate about helping women find an answer to their problems. Taking a full body approach to get to the root cause of pain and dysfunction.

I have written many blogs on women’s health issues, pelvic floor, pregnancy, postnatal, and much more. There are some here in the blogs section of the website, but the full extensive range of all of my blogs and videos can be found on the Herts Osteopathy IG and FB pages.

I am a member of the General Osteopathic Council and the Institute of Osteopathy

Hayley Robinson

Senior Associate Osteopath with a PGP *pelvic girdle pain*,  Pregnancy and Postnatal specialism.

Hayley also has a sports and rehabilitation focus. 

I qualified with an integrated Masters of Osteopathy at the British School of Osteopathy. I am fully registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and a member of the Institute of Osteopathy. I have been qualified 10 years, and have lots of experience treating ladies pre- and postnatally. I have been here at Herts Osteopathy for over 8 years and I am extremely passionate about getting to the root cause of my patients’ issues in order to take the pain away and keep it away.

I love treating women through pregnancy and postnatally,and looking at each patient individually, to delve deep into their underlying causes of PGP/Pain/issues in order to truly understand them and their bodies, which is the most effective way to get them out of pain, and back to enjoying life! 

Prior to my osteopathy degree I studied and gained a diploma in sport and exercise science and this includes sports biomechanics, rehabilitation and nutrition, so I take an exercise and rehab approach to care.

I have a qualification in kinesiology and sports taping and use this alongside my osteopathic and sports and exercise science knowledge to provide an all-round holistic treatment approach.

Alongside osteopathy, I am a qualified pilates matwork instructor with the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute, which has a sports rehabilitation based approach. This works very effectively alongside osteopathic treatment.

Rupal Pankhania

Associate Osteopath focusing on getting to the root cause of your pain

-Also special interest in Pregnancy and Postnatal osteopathy and pelvic floor.

I graduated from the British School of Osteopathy around 15 years ago. Following graduation I worked in the NHS which I really enjoyed and gained a vast experience and knowledge from. This then led me into private practice, and then into starting my own clinic before I joined Jo here at Herts Osteopathy..

Due to my experience I see a variety of patients and now like to specialise in acute and chronic pain, and MSK injuries. I like treating back pain and associated conditions, neck pain and headaches, and have had lots of brilliant results with acupuncture alongside osteopathic treatment. I also have a keen interest in treating patients with respiratory difficulties, notably asthmatics. Alongside effective treatment techniques, I like to show them how to breathe effectively and use the abdominal muscles correctly.

More recently i have taken a deeper focus on pregnancy and postnatal, as well as pelvic floor issues and dysfunction, and myofascial release to help improve pelvic floor function. This has been under mentoring and training with Jo particularly in pelvic floor issues.

I have a hands-on approach to treatment, using traditional structural methods but have found additionally using kinesiology taping can be really effective in a speedy recovery. I really enjoy seeing a wide variety of patients, and love looking at all the different ways I can help them in day to day activities to get back to health. I myself love going to the gym, and understand the importance of exercise and movement in long term pain prevention.

I am registered with the General Osteopathic Council, and a member of the Institute of Osteopathy, and to ensure I treat patients with up to date knowledge of current developments in Osteopathy and Medicine I regularly attend courses and seminars.

When there is a disruption in our health and lifestyle it causes an imbalance which can lead to pain, and I believe I can help by treating and advising patients to restore this with a holistic approach and giving advice to prevent it returning long term.

Steve Bell

Associate Osteopath, cranial osteopath, paediatrics and Women’s Health. Additional specialisms in  visceral osteopathy and kinesiology hormone testing and treatment.

I qualified as an Osteopath in 2007 and since then have completed two separate 2-year postgraduate qualifications. The first was with the OCC (Osteopathic Centre for children) and I treat newborns all the way through childhood and teens; and the second was the Women’s Health in Osteopathy qualification which focuses specifically on women at different stages of their life: pre-conception, pregnancy, postnatal and beyond. For a number of years I have been running Mum and Baby clinics, and clinics for children with autism and ADHD with wonderful results.

I use kinesiology testing alongside osteopathy to look at hormone balance which is really popular with women pre conception, and also postnatally. 

I use a variety of techniques within my treatment to include cranial, visceral, structural and acupuncture including auricular acupuncture to help a variety of conditions. Often I will use a combination approach depending on the needs of the individual.

I enjoy treating mums and babies together, I also support children at different stages of their lives with issues they may be having, as cranial osteopathy can be a useful tool. 

I also love treating the older patients, in their senior years, and have spent a lot of time learning specifically about this age group and what they need from us as osteopaths. 

Claire Dean

Associate Osteopath and Soft Tissue Therapist, sports osteopath and biomechanics and injury specialist

I qualified as an osteopath with a Masters of Osteopathy from Swansea University, with a first class honours, with both clinic and sports team experience in soft tissue and injury rehab.

I have gained lots of experience with different types of patients through working in three different clinics. Throughout my clinical experience, one thing remained the same, for each patient I focussed on getting to the cause of the patient’s complaint and then we worked together to find the best way to manage it and return the individual to their optimal state.

I have found particular interest in treating sporting injuries through my clinical placements but also my soft tissue work alongside a local rugby team in Swansea. I love working with teenagers to help them with sports injuries, and rehab programmes.

Soft tissue therapy is an excellent tool to help individuals recover, maintain muscle health and aid performance. Not only this, soft tissue treatments can help with stress relief and postural demands during work. I really enjoyed educating and empowering clients and patients on what is happening within their body and why, and when injured managing their progression back to health, and more importantly back to the activities they love. I am also qualified in sports and kinesiology taping which I often incorporate into my appointments.

Not only do I enjoy treating sports injuries, I researched neck pain and whiplash associated disorder during my studies. This area interested me following a whiplash injury I experienced through playing rugby and was treated osteopathically for. I have found individuals can benefit greatly from with both soft tissue and osteopathic treatment.

I have always been fascinated by the human body which led me to this career path. So to now be able to identify areas of dysfunction that can cause or contribute to an individual’s pain and then utilise skills and techniques to better this for an individual is a dream job. I love helping as many people out of pain as I can and giving them the tools and understanding of their bodies to remain pain free.

I am registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and a member of the Institute of Osteopathy.

Maria Hookway

Associate Osteopath, cranial osteopath and paediatrics, specialist in PGP *pelvic girdle pain* pregnancy, and postnatal. 

My passion is the treatment of mothers and babies. During pregnancy I generally treat low back pain, sciatica, headaches and nausea and support weak bladder, pelvic pain and how the entire body adapts to pregnancy, helping towards a more optimal position for birth. 

For new mums I treat postnatal pelvic girdle dysfunction and other complaints such as mastitis. I love treating mums with their babies in the same session. I provide a lovely longer treatment which is for Mum and baby and means both can be seen together. This is a really positive treatment from both mum and baby’s perspective.

With the compression and tension associated with birth, newborns especially benefit from and respond to osteopathy which supports them in their early growth and development.

I offer full neurological screening and general check-ups and advice as well as seeing many infant conditions such as tongue tie, head shape changes and tummy issues. I really love treating babies, they respond so fast to the very gentle treatment, and often only need a couple of sessions. I also like doing a baby check and treatment, shortly after birth, to help promote positive early days/weeks/years. 

I have experience treating adults and the elderly with common musculoskeletal complaints, such as back pain, hip and shoulder pain, neck pain and migraines. I like to help you to understand your ailments in order to promote sustainable rehabilitation. Cranial and visceral osteopathy can be a more gentle osteopathic approach for those who would prefer this.

I have a patient-centred approach with a focus on compassion and empathy and a range of techniques such as cranial sacral, soft tissue, structural, blading, cupping, taping and modern acupuncture.

Julie Compton

Associate Osteopath, Paediatric cranial osteopath and Sports massage therapist

In addition – Special interest in Pregnancy, Postnatal and Pelvic floor

I graduated with a Masters of Osteopathy from the UCO (Formerly British School of Osteopathy). I love treating a wide range of patients with musculoskeletal issues involving upper/lower back pain, acute back pain, neck and shoulder pain and headaches. The variety of every day I really enjoy. I also have a special interest in treating pregnant and postnatal women, as well as pelvic floor issues. This is an area of Osteopathy close to my heart having had positive experiences during my own pregnancies, so I am enjoying this side of Osteopathy, and have worked with Jo to increase my pelvic floor and depth of experience in postnatal care.

I am keen to help people understand what’s happening to them and by working together to devise a plan that works for them. By spending time understanding your specific issues and why they have arisen, I feel that we can both work together to get you out of pain for longer.

I am also halfway through completion of my paediatric post graduate training in cranial osteopathy for babies and children with the OCC. This is such an amazing opportunity, and I love working with and treating babies. I have now been treating babies through the OCC clinic for the last year, and here at Herts Osteopathy since the beginning of this year. I really love this part of my work.

I also have a Sports Massage qualification and a British Medical Acupuncture qualification which I feel will help me provide a patient centred approach to your treatment needs. I really enjoy massage appointments, and also using massage and acupuncture within my Osteopathy treatments where it is needed, to help people with the best possible outcomes.

I offer both massage and osteopathy appointments, as well as a longer Osteopathy and massage combo appointment which I feel works really well.

I am also a registered member of the General Osteopathic Council and the Institute of Osteopathy.

Joanna Michaelides

Pilates teacher

Joanna began practising Pilates with Jo Day & Herts Osteopathy 8 years ago.  Loving how Pilates made her body feel, she left a desk job behind and decided to make teaching Pilates her new career.

Joanna received her mat training from Polestar Pilates, the gold standard in Pilates teacher training, which has equipped her with the practical skills needed to become a Pilates teacher of the highest calibre. The training is long and thorough, and is known in the industry for its excellence.

Knowing how much Pilates can improve the mind, body and soul of those who do it,  Joanna wants to share her passion for the discipline with others.  Joanna’s classes focus on developing good technique and strengthening the body from the inside out.

Joanna is loved by all of her clients, she makes her classes fun and enjoys the challenge of working with males and females of all ages, knowing the unique benefits to everyone. She is available here at Herts Osteopathy for private pilates tuition (individual or bring a friend), to focus on your individual needs, and also group classes which include a seniors class, an evening class for length and strength, and a morning ladies class. All available to book online.