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Here are just a few examples of the many treatments I have provided as a Sussex and Surrey osteopath:
A painter & decorator’s persistent elbow pain
Mr F, a painter & decorator booked in to see me complaining predominantly of long-standing elbow pain but also wrist, shoulder and neck discomfort which were all aggravated by his manual job.
After an examination, it was clear to see that these were all linked so I sought to correct the underlying problems. After just one treatment Mr F stated he had felt great improvement over the week and that the stretches, postural advice and practical tips given after the session were very helpful.
Mr F is now a great advocate of osteopathy and an excellent source of referrals for me as he has experienced the benefits first hand. He now opts to have monthly maintenance treatments to keep everything in check, so as to keep him going for longer before he retires and only wishes he found osteopathy sooner, rather than suffer for years.
Knee pain during training for the London Marathon
Mr. S came to the clinic complaining of knee pain after a progressive injury he sustained through running which he had obtained in preparation for the London Marathon. He was concerned because this pain was not disappearing and he needed to start increasing his running distance.
After thorough questioning and examination, I discovered many potential causes which were likely to have been leading to this problem.
Through treatment of not only the knee but correcting underlying postural problems in the back and pelvis, followed by advice on footwear, running surface, pre and post run stretches and exercises to do at home, Mr. S’s knee pain radically reduced after the first two treatments, allowing him to increase his training demands and reach optimal levels of fitness in good time for the marathon.
Severe back pain after heavy lifting
Mr. A, a landscape gardener, was moving house and had thus been lifting heavy furniture all day. The next morning he woke with incredible upper back and neck pain and was unable to go to work. On first coming to see me, the pain was so acute that only a very gentle and conservative treatment could be given because the area was highly sensitive, and even lying in various positions on the treatment table was painful in itself. I gave some post treatment advice on how to handle the acute pain and saw him a few days later after it had diminished slightly.
My first objective was to get Mr. A’s pain down to a more manageable level which he accomplished after this next treatment though a combination of soft tissue release on the tightened muscles in spasm and putting gentle movements through the joints of the spine and neck to help keep them mobile, reducing any restrictions.
Mr. A was soon able to return to work and after a few more treatments he found himself to be pain free with improved joint mechanics and better postural awareness to help prevent any similar re-occurrences in future.
Longstanding foot pain
Mrs. C presented with longstanding lateral foot pain and clawing of the toes which had been gradually developing to the point where it was now causing discomfort that could no longer be tolerated.
Upon assessment I observed that her centre of gravity was not central due to a few postural issues which were corrected over the course of a few treatments. With a more neutral alignment of the spine and pelvis achieved as well as helping Mrs. C maintain a more balanced weight bearing posture, less stresses and strains were being put through certain joints and structures.
This combined with some direct manipulation to a couple of troublesome joints and tissues helped eradicate Mrs. C’s foot pain and greatly assisted in reducing the clawing of her toes to make weight bearing and walking long distances doable once again.
RSI and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Mrs. W, an office worker who is predominantly on the computer all day suffered with Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. She was told by the doctor that an operation was needed to relieve the discomfort in her wrist but being not overly keen on this idea she decided to seek out osteopathic treatment. On presenting her case, I believed that surgery was not entirely necessary.
Investigation had shown that Mrs. W’s ergonomics at work were poor and this was one of the main predisposing factors to her problem. With the combination of her slouched posture, rounded shoulders and badly positioned office and computer equipment, these were creating early signs of the development of problems elsewhere such as discomfort in her shoulders, back and neck too.
I tackled this by providing a few holistic treatments including direct and indirect techniques to the associated wrist, arm and shoulder whilst also offering advice on how she could alter her work ergonomics and posture. Following the treatments Mrs. W was amazed by the results, delighted with the drastic improvement and she felt surgery was definitely no longer necessary.