OSTEOPATHY
Osteopathy
Osteopathy is a manual form of therapy which involves the diagnosis and treatment of structural mechanical dysfunctions of the body.Osteopathy recognises that the body is an intrinsically self-healing, self-regulating organism, but that structural imbalances can affect the body's ability to maintain good health.Osteopaths use a wide range of techniques to remove these barriers and allow your body to restore full health.
Babies and children
Helping your family from the earliest days
During labour, the baby is subjected to enormous strains and forces and she twists and turns to squeeze through the mother's relatively narrow pelvis. Most babies recover from this process perfectly easily, but some are left with a variety of strain patterns in the head, jaw, neck, back or shoulders which can leave them unsettled, making the early weeks or months of life difficult for the whole family. Osteopathy is a very gentle form of treatment which aims to remove these strain patterns and restore health and balance to your baby.As children grow they can experience aches and pains, growing pains, spinal issues and problems with posture. Osteopathy can help to alleviate these issues before they become long-term problems.
Pregnancy
Helping your body adapt to change
During pregnancy your body changes rapidly and sometimes this causes pain and discomfort. The release of a hormone called relaxin makes ligaments (the 'tightropes' of your body) softer, putting greater strain on your joints, especially those around the pelvis and lower back. As the baby grows it occupies more and more space putting specific strains on your low back, diaphragm and pelvic organs, and your centre of gravity changes such that balance is more difficult.Osteopathy can help to release and relieve some of these problems and can also ensure that your body is well prepared for the birth process.
As you get older
Helping to deal with issues of ageing
As we age our body loses muscle strength and begins to develop wear and tear in joints. This is a normal process but can begin to limit what we can do.Osteopathy can help to identify some of these issues and treatment can prevent them from becoming a problem. Think of your body a little like a car - it needs regular servicing and maintenance!
Cranial osteopathy
Gentle treatment for all ages
Cranial osteopathy is a specialism which utilises particularly gentle techniques to effect changes in the body. It often feels as though the cranial osteopath is not doing anything, but be assured this gentle approach can have widespread and quite profound effects.Cranial osteopathy can be used on all patients, but it is used particularly for babies and the elderly, where the more rigorous structural approaches might not be appropriate.
