Jo Pic 2

15 hours ago

Here we are DAY 3 of our #easterweekendwisdom

My FAVOURITE TOPIC..
*** #SPD & #PELVIC PAIN ***

Yes #OSTEOPATHYWORKS for #pelvicpain and here is how:
Osteopaths assess how you move and how these forces are absorbed by the pelvis and the associated muscles. Often the pelvic joints have to take the hit if your foot and ankle are not playing ball, but also if the lumbar spine is restricted. We will assess the foot, knee, hip, pelvis, spine... We will see where the restrictions and dysfunctions are, and use hands on treatment to help improve the loading through the pelvis, and release the myofascial strains causing pain. You don't have to live with pelvic pain and SPD.

So let's think about #PREGNANCY first.. We have huge hormonal & mechanical changes which affect how our pelvis takes and absorbs load. The weight increasing at the front with an ever increasing #bump, and our body has to adjust to this. But what if your body has been adjusting and compensating for something else for a long time (like an ankle sprain, old running injury, or whiplash injury or fall)?.. Then it's probably on the brink of its ability to compensate without dysfunction setting in. We cannot continue to compensate for an old injury, as well as the pregnancy, something has to give, and often this is the pelvis.

The hormonal changes of pregnancy also mean that we are less stable in the pelvis, so this means we have to work harder when we are on one leg, and this is when the majority of pelvic pain & #SPD comes on (walking, trying to go upstairs, turning over in bed). So we address the forces, improve the load and the mechanics through the pelvis, often also use taping and exercises to help. We also have an SPD helpsheet on our website with loads of advice.

Postnatally a pelvic issue can be exacerbated by the mechanism of birth, or if a csection is needed. As we try to heal, if the underlying cause of the pain has not been addressed, then it will stick around. So do pop in to have a #postnatal assessment and treatment even if you are not in pain, and this will ensure you can heal effectively and reduce problems in subsequent pregnancies too! #sciatica #osteopathy
#BLOG ON OUR WEBSITE NOW! ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

I hope you enjoyed our #easterweekendwisdom yesterday.
Today: DAY 2 We talk "TIGHT ILIOTIBIAL BANDS (ITB)"
And the fact that it's not really "a thing"..

The ITB is not a muscle so it can't respond to stretching. It is a strip of fascia (connective tissue) connecting the hip and the knee. It has the ability to adapt, respond and feedback information to the brain and spinal cord, but it can't be stretched.

So why is your ITB getting peed off?? We have to look upstream and downstream.
There are a number of mechanical patterns which would predispose the ITB to overworking, or becoming inflamed and strained. Often there is a battle between the forces trying to pull the knee inwards, and those trying to stabilise and pull the knee outwards. The ITB often gets caught up with this.

As with any knee pain, we look at the foot, how you load through foot and ankle, how this transfers to the knee.
Sometimes it can be just because of your trainers. Too much support pushes you onto the outside of your foot, and not enough pushes you too far onto the inside of your foot. Neither is good! The hip and knee get caught up trying to stabilise this with every step. Which when running, is huge repetitive strain!

We also assess the pelvis which is always a big player in biomechanical issues. With ITB pain we often find the pelvis drops or tilts when on one leg, which often forces the knee inwards. So if you think about this when you are running, you are on one leg A LOT OF THE TIME! So the pelvic stabilisers aren't working correctly. But it's not just a question of strengthening glutes and it's all fixed... Sorry, never that easy... If the loading at the foot is not addressed you can be doing glute exercises until the cows come home, they'll never be able to work! So they may be part of rehab, but not straight away.

#OSTEOPATHYWORKS
We commonly treat running/sports injuries. We do a full assessment, use hands on treatment to remove restrictions and myofascial strains, taping to help gait retraining, exercises and stretches needed, and specific rehab to get you back to running and training pain free. And often only 1 or 2 sessions needed!
#kneepain #running #itb #osteopathy ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAYS 🐰🐇🐣
So as a little Easter treat I am answering your questions about 5 hot topics. One each day!!!! I am helping you all to understand how Osteopathy helps! #osteopathyworks

Today is DAY 1: HEADACHES

Yes we treat headaches! Drug free headache relief. We have so many people who have come to see us for headaches and have come away feeling so much better. We have a number of important mechanical factors which influence headaches.

Jaw problems (TMJ disorder)
Neck pain and restrictions (cervical)
Upper back and ribs
Breathing mechanics
And a few more....
We will assess all of the factors above and work on releasing joint restrictions and myofascia tensions, get you breathing better, using the diaphragm and ribs properly. It can also be a very relaxing treatment, as often we hold so much tension in the muscles and fascia of the neck, face and cranium and by allowing this to relax you can have an almost immediate relief in many cases.

Don't let your headaches get you down. There are so many mechanisms which may be causing your headaches that we can help with. We are also highly trained medically to be able to make a clinical decision to refer on to other health professionals, and possibly to your GP, a neurologist or ENT if we feel that the headache has other causes out of our skill set. So we will always do a full evaluation and assessment to ensure we have the correct diagnosis for treatment to be effective.

Please pop any questions you may have for us down in the comments regarding headaches and Osteopathy and we will endeavour to help. Or email us.

#headaches
#headacherelief
#nomedication
#tmd
#tmj
#osteopathy

Enjoy your #easterholidays

More tomorrow with our
#easterweekendwisdom ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago

#PelvicOrganProlapse?⁣
Beautiful visual here thank you so much to @mypelvicfloormuscles #Repost (@get_repost)

Here @HO we work with women throughout their pregnancy, postnatal, beyond, and right into the menopause, we see a huge range of pelvic floor issues which (mostly) all have the capacity to improve with the right osteopathy treatment and the correct exercise.

Mechanically there are a number of issues we need to address before we are able to get the pelvic floor muscles to work properly.
1. BREATHING : We look at how the ribs, thoracic spine (upper back) and diaphragm mobility are affecting breathing mechanics, these can cause you to breathe into the wrong place, causing incorrect pressure through the pelvic floor and abdomen.
2. PELVIS? We assess your biomechanics from the foot to the pelvis, and the neck to the pelvis, to ensure it is in a place where it is ready and able to load and transfer force correctly.
3. PELVIC FLOOR?
We will help you to activate your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles correctly, using your breath, and allowing your body to completely let go, and also control the amount of tension through the muscles.
As with all muscles your pelvic floor need to be able to fully relax at times, and work harder at other times. The synchronisation between your abdominal muscles, diaphragm and pelvic floor is hugely important! We need to get it just right. So many women have problems with overactive pelvic floor rather than underactive. Weakness can be tight and overactive, it doesn't just have to mean long!

Pelvic floor muscle training (#PFMT) is the #1 recommended intervention for pelvic organ prolapse!⁣ Let's do this! Address the whole picture. It's not just about #kegals
Get the body working right first, then get training!

As part of the #mummastrongUK programme in collaboration with Herts Osteopathy we use specific resources, guidance & exercises at different stages of your life starting through pregnancy with MUMMA2B, or postnatal mums through MUMMAHEAL, MUMMARESTORE & MUMMASTRONG. These specific programmes and packages are coming later this year (yippee super exciting!!!) #watchthisspace
#osteopathyworks ... See MoreSee Less