Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy – July 2022

July 2022 Newsletter

Osteopathy for your Holiday

The practice is super busy at the moment – everyone is coming in for a pre-holiday treatment to get themselves in peak musculoskeletal health prior to jetting off for some relaxation.

This newsletter will help you look after your spine and joints so that you have a wonderful holiday!

Kind regards,

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Top Tips for a Happy, Healthy Holiday

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Lifting Suitcases

Lifting and then twisting is a common cause of back pain.  Engage your abdominal muscles prior to lifting and bend your knees and use your legs to prevent overloading your spine.

We always advise being especially careful of airport luggage conveyor belts!  Also, be careful un/loading the car and if you have a bad back we highly recommend delegating the task to someone else 🙂

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Holiday Beds & Pillows

If you have recurring neck problems then it can be a great idea to pack your pillow to take on holiday.  Changes in pillows are one of the common causes of neck pain that we see post-holiday in the practice.  If it isn’t feasible to take your own pillow, then try folding a towel into a pad underneath your hotel pillow so that it reaches your optimum height for comfort.

The change in mattress on holiday can also lead to hip, shoulder and back problems.  Every year we treat patients post-holiday who find the change of bed affects their spine.  If the bed is too hard, try sleeping on a folded duvet or ask the hotel is they provide mattress toppers.  If the mattress feels too soft then you can get an achey lower back – try doing gentle knees to chest exercises daily to reduce stiffness.

You can email info@osteopathuk.co.uk or call

Click the link for our website:  www.osteopathuk.co.uk

CONTACT US

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.

June 2022 Newsletter

Summer Sun, Fun & Outdoor Living

It’s that wonderful time of year again…. long days, warm sunshine and the outdoor joy of tennis, cricket, rowing and long walks.We encourage all our patients to make the most of the Summer – top up your Vitamin D levels and be as active as possible.  This is a great time of year to be healthy and happy.

Kind regards,

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Tips for a Healthy Summer

Top Up your Vitamin D – get outside as much as possible.  In the UK, we only absorb Vitamin D from sunlight from April through to the end of September.  Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that works with calcium and magnesium to give us healthy bones and teeth and also supports muscle function and our immune system.

Be Active – whether you run, walk or want to play tennis or cricket, the rule of thumb is do more!  This is the perfect time of year for evening walks after work, early runs or just taking the family on a great day out in the countryside.  Be creative, have fun and raise your activity levels in the summer months.

Eat Well – summer foods can be low fat and extremely healthy given the right food choices.  Try and prepare your own food for BBQs rather than buying pre-prepared foods.  That way you can create marinades with less salt and sugar in them and choose lower fat options.

Drink Plenty of Water – staying hydrated is obvious but very necessary in the summer.  Always carry a bottle of water with you, especially when you are outside.  Dehydration can lead to dry mouth, headache, dizziness, constipation and muscle cramps.

 

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How Osteopathy Can Help this Summer.

As your Osteopaths, you might think that Summer would be a quieter time in the practice but we are always super busy in Summer months. Problems can occur as activity increases – we see sprains and acute neck and back problems every Summer.  Our advice is to get in touch with us as soon as you have any injury – we can give you immediate advice and help so that any ache/pain can be helped to heal as quickly as possible.

May 2022 Newsletter

Exam Revision and Postural Tension.

It is A Level and GCSE time and increasingly, we see children and teens that experience Postural Tension from revision and sitting for exams.

As adults, we all experience Postural Tension from the repetitive nature of our jobs, computer strain and prolonged sitting.

However, it is easy to forget that our kids can have this too!  This is a stressful time for them and Osteopathy can be really helpful in easing the physical pressure of prolonged sitting and stress.

Kind regards,

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What is Postural Tension?

When an Osteopath describes someone as experiencing Postural Tension they don’t mean that the person has bad posture.  Instead, the repetitive nature of an activity (for example revising for exams) can lead to the muscles of the spine showing signs of fatigue and this is what Osteopaths term Postural Tension.

Postural Tension manifests itself as a ‘slumping’ posture with exaggerated rounding of the upper back and forward  protracted shoulders.  The neck then extends and the chin comes forwards in a classic sign of Postural Tension.

 

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How Can Osteopathy Help Postural Tension?

Osteopathy for Postural Tension aims to help the spine curve correctly, the muscles to respond without fatigue to holding us upright and to improve overall function throughout each vertebra of the spine.

Osteopathic massage of the muscles and joint articulation and manipulation are all key to helping the spinal muscles and spine to be restored to proper alignment and function.

For children and teens, some Osteopath techniques may be adapted to take into account the growing spine and muscular changes that occur at this age.

March 2022 Newsletter

What to do if you Twist Your Ankle.

Many of us will experience the pain of a sprained ankle. Instant swelling, pain, bruising and difficulties walking.

It can take weeks to heal and for 20% of cases, there will be chronic ligament damage of the ankle.  Weakening of these ligaments means that you are more likely to twist your ankle again, causing further damage.

As your Osteopaths, we can give you advice on how to rehabilitate your damaged ankle and how to help prevent further episodes.

Kind regards,

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Acute Ankle Sprain

When you first sprain your ankle, it is important to Rest, Ice, and Elevate the foot. Swelling occurs immediately and there will be bruising so it is important to react promptly.

Avoid weight bearing and rest.  It is unusual for the ligaments of the ankle to fully tear, but if you feel a ‘pop’ sensation when you twist the ankle, it is likely that there has been significant ligament damage.

Should the pain be severe, there is a possibility that you may have fractured your ankle and it is important that you get an x-ray.

 

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What is Chronic Ankle Instability?

When you sprain your ankle and there is significant ligament damage, it can lead to chronic ankle instability.

This is where you lose the outer stability of the ankle and it is easy to roll your foot inwards.  This instability means that you are more likely to re-sprain your ankle.

People with chronic instability of the ankle often complain of ‘twisting’ their ankle when walking on uneven surfaces or playing sports.  There can be tenderness on the outside of the ankle and recurring swelling or puffiness to the ankle.

February 2022 Newsletter

What to do if you Suffer from Neck Pain.

We have all heard of a ‘cricked’ neck which can be acutely painful, but there are other more chronic types of Neck Pain and stiffness.

Osteopathy can be hugely beneficial in helping to ease Neck Pain.  Your Osteopath will carefully differentially diagnose the cause of the pain first because it is important to take the right treatment approach when dealing with Neck problems.

Kind regards,

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What is Acute Neck Pain?

Acute Neck Pain comes on suddenly.  It is possible to sleep awkwardly and wake up with a really painful neck.  This is your classic ‘Cricked’ neck.  When this occurs, there is restricted head movement and you may have to hold your head to one side to alleviate the pain.

Other Acute Neck injuries can occur with poor posture such as turning your head to look in a certain position for a long time or after sitting in a draught.

With Acute Neck Pain there is a lot of muscle spasm which means it can be extremely painful.  The pain may also spread to the head, shoulders or even down into the arms.

Having some medication to alleviate the pain is the first step and then your Osteopath will do a careful case history and assessment to ascertain which structures are involved and will then formulate a treatment plan to help you.

If you have had any trauma prior to the injury such as a road traffic accident, fall or blow to the head, then it is imperative that you go to A&E to ensure that you haven’t injured the spine.

 

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What is Chronic Neck Injury?

Chronic Neck problems often have an insidious onset.  Chronic pain is generally described as pain that has lasted longer than 3 months.

Chronic Neck Pain can have differing characteristics – it can be dull, achey or occasionally sharp and sometimes has radiations of pain down the spine or into one or both arms.  There can also be associated headaches, jaw pain, general malaise and it is common to feel unhappy/depressed.

When trying to find the cause of the pain, your Osteopath will have to take a detailed case history including your previous medical history and then get you to do a series of active and passive movements of your head and spine.

Chronic Neck Pain can be as a result of an Acute Injury such as Whiplash becoming longer term.  However, it can also be a sign of degenerative changes with age such as osteoarthritis of the spine, spondylosis or cervical spine degenerative disc disease.

The good news is, once your Osteopath has made a differential diagnosis, they can help formulate an effective treatment plan and give you advice and encouragement on how to manage your problem for the long-term.

Pain management is key to recovery and your Osteopath will help advise and direct you in the correct direction for this, be it for Prescription medication or with self-help advice.

Chronic Neck Pain can be complex, so it might need a multi-faceted approach and should you need MRI scans or onward referral, your Osteopath will work closely with you throughout this journey.

November 2021 Newsletter

How to Keep Healthy this Winter

As we approach our second pandemic winter, the message from healthcare experts is all about the need to find a balance between social well-being and the potential exposure to illnesses from that increased social interaction.

Staying healthy this winter is challenging and a balanced approach to lifestyle and self-awareness are key to being well.

Keep your body in shape through exercise, nutrition and have regular Osteopathic treatment to promote self-healing and prevent injury.

In this newsletter we focus on how you can eat well to promote better Winter Health.

Kind regards,

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How to Eat for Well-Being and Health

Eating well in winter is very important for our overall health.  For optimum well-being we need to eat a diet that is rich in Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamins C, D and K.

Foods rich in Calcium: dairy is the obvious go-to for Calcium but if you are dairy-intolerant choose alternatives that are fortified with Calcium.  Foods rich in Calcium are beans/lentils, dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach.  You can also add a Calcium top-up to your morning cereal by sprinkling on some sesame or poppy seeds.  Eating a handful of almonds will also give you a quick Calcium boost.
Benefits of Calcium:  bone health, heart health, muscle health

Foods rich in Magnesium: pumpkin seeds are a super source of Magnesium as are bananas.  Again, your dark green leafy vegetables are a great way to ingest magnesium – grab some spinach and kale at your next grocery shop.  Add in an avocado for a light Magnesium-based lunch.  Fantastic news is that dark chocolate is a great source of Magnesium.  Make sure it is 70-90% cocoa solids and enjoy a healthy treat.
Benefits of Magnesium:  bone health, muscle health, anti-inflammatory benefits, nervous system health so can help with depression and migraines, gives energy and so great for fatigue

Foods rich in Vitamin C:  citrus fruits are the most obvious but again Vitamin C comes in kale, broccoli and brussel sprouts.  Kiwi fruit pack a super Vitamin C punch.  Grab a yellow pepper when you are shopping next – it has double the vitamin C content of its green counterpart.
Benefits of Vitamin C:  growth and repair of all tissues so it is vital for immune system health, helps the absorption of iron so helps with overall health and prevents anaemia, antioxidant helping memory and cognitive function

Foods rich in Vitamin D:  oily fish such as mackerel, sardines or salmon can be a good source of Vitamin D.  Choose fortified cereals that will help provide extra Vitamin D in your diet.  Egg yolks and mushrooms can also be of benefit but mainly we need sunlight to absorb Vitamin D.  During winter months in the UK it is recommended that you supplement your diet with Vitamin D.  Speak with your Osteopath for advice on what your personal optimum dosage should be.
Benefits of Vitamin D:  bone health, muscle health, heart health, immune system health, nervous system health.  Can help with depression by regulating mood

Foods rich in Vitamin K:  more kale, dark greens, spinach, broccoli and brussel sprouts.  Interestingly, beef liver is a good source of Vitamin K as is chicken and pork chops.  You can also get a lesser amount of Vitamin K from prunes, kiwi and avocados.
Benefits of Vitamin K:  regulates blood calcium levels so very important in overall health, helps blood clotting and wound healing

If you are feeling run down, tired or generally suffering from winter blues, it may be worth supplementing your diet with additional vitamins and minerals.

Your medical history may affect which supplements are more relevant to you, so please speak with your Osteopath for the optimum balance.

 

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Winter Hydration is Key

Last but by no means least, remember to keep hydrated.  With cold winter weather outside and central heating inside it is easy to not feel thirsty and dehydrate easily.

Aim for room temperature or warmer drinks so that your body doesn’t expend too much energy warming them up after drinking.

Set a water/fluid intake goal each day.  Ideally, that would be approximately 2 litres per day for women and 3 litres per day for men.

Choose drinks that are flavoursome so that it is easier to drink more.  Try all the amazing teas that are easily available nowadays or just add a dash of lime or lemon to a cup of hot water.

It has been recommended by professionals that tea & coffee are still better than less overall fluid intake.  However, where possible, do try decaffeinated versions for better hydration.

October 2021 Newsletter

How Can Osteopathy Help Children?

This is a great question and the answer is:

“by helping ease tensions of growth spurts at all ages, from newborn and childhood through to teenage years and the 18 year old adult”.

Osteopaths are trained to differentially diagnose the cause of any tensions or issues and devise a safe, gentle way to restore and maintain your child’s health and well-being.

Children will experience the dynamic changes of growth and development in different ways…. Some will experience and demonstrate discomfort, aches & pains or show signs of not being their normal self. Other children will seemingly sail through childhood and then suddenly in teenage years start showing signs of discomfort.

Any sign of musculoskeletal discomfort should not be dismissed. Osteopathy can help diagnose any issues and help your child on to the road to recovery. Our Osteopaths will also give lots of advice and explanation so that your child can learn the tools of self-care and this can be a wonderful building block for adulthood.

Kind regards,

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Young Babies

With babies, intra-uterine position, labour and newborn growth spurts may cause muscular tensions. As your baby develops you may notice that your baby turns their head one way when sleeping, favouring one side, or they may experience difficulties with digestion.

Our specialist Cranial Osteopaths can use very gentle techniques to balance the body and release physical tension and treatment will encourage function and movement. Cranial Osteopathy will therefore ease tension and soothe and relax your baby’s body.

All our paediatric Cranial Osteopaths have done further post-graduate training in Cranial Osteopathy.

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Young Children

School-age children are busy people! They are extremely active and yet their body is developing on every level. Hormones, skeleton and muscles are changing constantly and this can be a demanding time on a young child.

Your child may complain of muscle cramps in their legs, aches and pains, headaches or go through stages of clumsiness as they have their growth spurts. Osteopathy can differentially diagnose if there is musculoskeletal strain from growth spurts and Osteopathic treatment can restore and maintain healthy muscle growth and balance of tissue function.

If your child is sporty and very active, you might find that they occasionally complain of achey knees, ankles or feet. Osteopathy can be really useful at this time to diagnose the problem and also help your child learn to notice when a growth spurt is happening and how to manage any future problems.

This skill of self-care can be taken into adulthood and help them form a healthy approach to life.

All our Osteopaths are skilled in treating children and diagnosing the cause of any issues. They will always advise when it is appropriate to see a GP and advise on the best care for a particular problem.

 

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Teenagers

Teens go through a lot… massive growth spurts with associated hormone changes, stress of exams and social life development.

It is a huge time of change and it is hardly surprising that your teen may complain of back pain, headaches, postural issues and sports injuries. We see a lot of teens within our practice and it is great to help ease the musculoskeletal issues that may have a negative impact on them during this time of change.

Our Osteopaths are good communicators and will help your teen express the problem that they are experiencing. Again, differentially diagnosing the cause will enable the Osteopath to help your teenager understand their problem and work towards health, well-being and an adult approach to self-care.

August 2021 Newsletter

Healthy Feet

We can easily take our feet for granted until that day comes when suddenly, something hurts and you find you cannot walk without pain.

Foot pain can be extremely debilitating and demoralising.

At the practice we see a variety of problems affecting mobility.  Achilles tendonitis, Plantar Fasciitis, Sprained Ankles, Arch problems and Arthritis are just a few.

We hope to give you some top tips on how to help your feet stay healthy.

Kind regards,

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Happy Feet

Each foot contains 26 bones and numerous tendons, ligaments and small muscles called lumbricals which all work together to give us mobility, shock absorption and the ability to cope with uneven ground.

Looking after your feet is vital for good health and well-being.

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How to Look After Your Feet

1.  Keep your Feet Clean and Moisturised.
Check your feet regularly and ensure that they are in good health.  Use moisturiser to help prevent dry, cracked heels and treat any underlying skin problems such as Athlete’s foot or fungal infection.  Ensure your toenails are cared for to prevent infection from occurring.

2.  Wear the Correct Shoes for the Occasion.
If you are active and on your feet all day, purchase shoes that are cushioned with good arch support.  Trainers should be replaced regularly to ensure that your feet get the maximum shock absorption and support when doing sport.

3.  Use Insoles when Required.
If you have been prescribed orthotics for a foot problem, wear them in your shoes all the time.  See a podiatrist if advised to by your Osteopath or if you have chronic foot pain.

4.  Wear the Correct Shoe Size.
You may find that when purchasing trainers, you need a half or full size bigger shoe than your normal shoe size.  This gives your toes room to flex and will also enable your feet to swell with heat during activity.  You may find that as an adult your foot size changes, for instance after pregnancy it is common for this to occur.

 

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Good Foot Health will help your Whole Body

If you do suffer from Foot Pain, do remember to ask our Osteopaths to have a look.  We treat many problems with feet and will be able to give you good advice and will know when you should be referred to a podiatrist for Specialist intervention.

As Osteopaths we can treat foot problems with various techniques and will also give you self-help tools to manage long-term foot pain.

July 2021 Newsletter

Osteopathy for Better Health

Having been an Osteopath for 22 years (oh my goodness, how long?!?), I am still learning and being amazed at what Osteopathy can help achieve towards better health.

This newsletter will focus on Osteopathy and some of its principles.  I am lucky to be part of an amazing team of Osteopaths and we are all on the journey with you, our patients, on the road towards wellbeing and good health.

Kind regards,

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How can Osteopathy Help me?

Osteopathy as a medicine, is for everyone, not just people with back pain.  At Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy, we are a family-based Osteopathic practice, able to treat young babies through the generations to the elderly and infirm.

The goal of Osteopathy is to be as holistic as possible and every patient is treated as unique.

With every single patient, our Osteopaths try and get an overview of their patient’s health with a detailed medical case history and then use that knowledge and their training to differentially diagnose.

One of the greatest skills an Osteopath has, is their adaptability in being able to treat every patient in the right way for them as an individual.

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How does Osteopathy work?

As Osteopaths we try to enable our patient’s own physical innate self-healing to activate.  Every living organism is capable of self-repair, growth, change and has a dynamic healing ability.  Osteopathy is all about harnessing that and we do this by:

–  Encouraging Blood Flow.  A good nutritional blood supply into an injured area will promote healing.  Good vascular supply also helps the body clear up any byproducts caused by inflammation and helps cellular synthesis.

–  Helping Compensatory Areas.  With any pain in the body, we rely on other parts of the body to do more to compensate.  Osteopaths will work to help these compensatory areas function better so that the injured area  has more capacity to heal.

–  Reducing pain.  Pain can be very debilitating mentally as well as physically.  As Osteopaths, our primary job is helping a patient to manage pain.  This may be in the form of advice on getting the correct pain medication, prescribing self-help exercises and also giving individually tailored Osteopathic treatment.

 

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The Journey to Wellbeing

Osteopathy is all about the holism of Health.

We initially help with Acute Pain Relief and then aim to Restore Health.
Then the goal of Osteopathy is to help you Maintain Wellness  with a Proactive Care plan.

It is our privilege to work with patients on this journey together and the reward of seeing a patient return to wellbeing is just wonderful.

March 2021 Newsletter

Spring is Here

Finally, Spring has sprung and the sun is shining. With this seasonal change, we start to demand more from our bodies…. gardening, walking and generally being more active.

Now is the time to eat well as we are still a bit depleted in energy from the winter months. Try and balance increase in activity with a good night’s sleep to help the body transition into Spring.

If you are starting to exercise more, ensure that you pace yourself and don’t go too hard on yourself. We often see injuries in the clinic at this time of year purely from patients over-doing it.

In the meantime, with lockdown easing, enjoy your golf, tennis and outdoor sports!

Kind regards,

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How to Increase your Exercise and Avoid Injury

– Plan Ahead. Create a timetable and plan your exercise. Try to incorporate rest times so that your body can recover between exercise.

– Keep it Varied. Try to add different types of exercise and activity so that you use your body in different ways. This means repetitive strain of muscles is much less likely to occur.

– Try Interval Training. Interval training means bursts of activity interspersed with rest periods. For example, run/walk. This is a great way to build fitness and the rest period really reduces likelihood of injury.

– Eat well. Greater demands on the body mean you must make sure your body has good nutrition to work with. Don’t forget to hydrate too. Muscles can cramp easily if we are dehydrated. Make sure you have foods that are rich in magnesium to help maximise muscle function….

– Always Stretch. After any exercise it is good to stretch out those used muscles.

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Wishing you All a Happy Easter.

The practice is closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

However, we are open on Saturday 3rd April so please call now if you wish to book an appointment 02089776396