Scroll down to find out Who and What Osteopathy can help

Osteopathy is a system of health care that looks at the body's structural systems, andthe way that they relate to the rest of the body. It uses many of the conventional means of diagnosis and aims to restore normal function, thereby allowing the body to work in a more balanced way. Osteopaths use their hands to investigate the underlying cause of pain and carry out treatment with variety of manipulative techniques, which may include muscle and connective tissue stretching, and rhythmic joint movement to improve the range of motion. Gentle release techniques are also used especially when treating children and babies. For more details see ...http://www.cranial.org.uk Osteopathy can help relieve chronic or minor problems, provide one-off relief from pain and dysfunction or contribute to the management of long term complaints.

Back and Joint Pain: Back and neck problems account for over half of the cases seen by osteopaths. Many of these are the result of mechanical or functional disturbances of the spine, (postural strains, joint derangements and spinal disc injuries) but we also treat all sorts of problems relating to other joints from the shoulder to the big toe. There are however some disease states that can give rise to back ache or other pains and osteopaths are skilled in diagnosing conditions that may require further investigation or other medical treatment.

Babies and Children: The small amount of movement that exists in an infant's head allows the head to adapt to the forces of labour, but when birth is complicated, these forces can lead to slight distortions that can result in subtle changes in function, giving feeding difficulties, colic and sleep patterns disorders. The gentle application of osteo- pathic treatment can often bring significant benefits. Osteopathy can help with a range of childhood problems such as recurrent infections of the ear (Glue ear), constipation, asthma and postural problems.

Older People: Age is no barrier to osteopathy, and painkillers are not the only solution for the aches and pains associ- ated with ageing. Osteopathy can be particularly effective in the treatment of arthritis, aiming to reduce the inflammation and stiffness in the less acute stages of the disease.

Work-related Problems: Work, whether at a computer terminal or in heavy industry can give rise to disorders of muscle, tendons or joints, particularly in the back, hands and arms, from poor posture or bad lifting techniques. Osteopaths can treat many conditions related to the workplace as well as giving remedial advice on correct posture and pre- ventative exercises.

Pregnancy: Osteopathy in pregnancy is a wonderfully gentle way of helping the body adapt to the changes that are taking place. Advice from the osteopath can help you adapt your posture and learn how to use your body during the pregnancy. Osteopaths can also help to ease other side effects of pregnancy such as heartburn, constipation and pain in the leg, groin or buttock, (sciatica).

Sports Injuries: Whether you are an enthusiastic amateur or an elite professional the osteopath can help with treament and prevention of many of the common sporting injuries, giving general fitness advice and sport-specific advice as well.