Sports injuries are common causes of muscle strains and ligament sprains. Fortunately, minor injuries are within your osteopath’s remit. Many of these boil down to a repetitive strain injury- soft tissue injuries in the shoulder as a result of repeated throwing, for example. Rotator cuff tears or strains would be an example of this. Other …
Sciatica is a common cause of pain the the leg. Pain is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back into the buttock, back of the thigh, then onwards down the calf and into the foot. Symptoms do not always appear along the whole length of the nerve. Often they …
The carpal tunnel is a small space in the front of the wrist, through which nerves, vessels, and tendons run. Because the space is so small, compression of the structures inside is not uncommon, leading to pain and other symptoms into the hand. Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome There will often be a number of …
Migraines are not just bad headaches: they are diagnosed according to a strict criteria. There are a range of sub-types, including some migraines which do not come with a headache at all. Migraine Headache Symptoms Each headache will fulfil all of the following criteria: As long as there is not a better explanation for the symptoms, …
Both the public and medical profession continue to understand more about fibromyalgia as time goes on, but it is still a long way from being fully understood. The condition causes a range of symptoms, including pain, cognitive changes, fatigue, and IBS-type symptoms. Although there is no one test for it, there is a detailed diagnostic …
In some cases, joint replacements are unavoidable. For these patients, osteopathic treatment before and after can help to prepare and rehabilitate the area. In other cases, the conditions leading to the replacement may be responsive to treatment, delaying the need for surgery. Although caring for your joints may require daily exercise, and maybe even some …
The diagnosis “osteoarthritis” often feels like the end of the road for patients who receive it. In fact, it is a condition of living tissue that can still respond to treatment, exercise, and other lifestyle changes. What is Osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis, also known as “OA” or simply “arthritis”, is a condition of cartilage. It used to …
Some babies begin to show signs of favouring one side at a few weeks old. This can be subtle at first, especially when their movement is limited and muscles are still very underdeveloped. You might find that when your baby is placed in a rocker or flat on their back, that they much prefer to …
A number of aches and pains can be blamed on, or at least exacerbated, by stress. One commonly affected area is the upper back, extending to the shoulders and neck. When stress causes tension in the neck, it can also lead to cervicogenic headaches. Although we probably can’t do much to alleviate the stress itself, we can approach the …
A combination of hormonal and physical changes in pregnancy can lead to discomfort in the joints of the pelvis. There are two joints at the back, either side of the base of the spine. These are the SIJs (sacroiliac joints). Then there is a third joint at the front, with a wedge of cartilage within …