Sciatica is a collection of symptoms that occur when the sciatic nerve is irritated. The sciatic nerve is a thick nerve that runs down the back of the leg. It starts in the lower back, where a number of nerves leave the spinal cord and join to form the sciatic nerve. After running down the …
The joints of the pelvis may be those that undergo the most dramatic changes in pregnancy. They certainly do during labour. By the third trimester, most pregnancies will have caused some pain in the lower back or pelvic joints, but sometimes this is more severe. The Anatomy of the Pelvis The pelvis is made of …
Diastasis Recti is the separation of the abdominal muscles in pregnancy or obesity. The body needs these muscles to separate in pregnancy, but often their failure to come back together goes unnoticed. It is important to recognise that this is not the same as a muscle tear, and is not considered traumatic. The separation is …
Pregnancy can come with an array of uncomfortable symptoms. Most minor aches and pains will resolve at birth, but our aim is to make them manageable in the meantime. Lower Back Pain One of the most common complaints during pregnancy is lower back pain. From the beginning of the first trimester, hormones are already circulating …
If you’re suffering from osteoarthritis in your hip or knee, your osteopath can help. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the “wear and tear” form of arthritis. Sometimes we talk about “wear, tear, and repair” to reference the body’s ability to heal from arthritis to some extent. A diagnosis of OA does not mean you’re stuck getting worse …
The body expresses stress and tension through tight muscles and defensive postures. Like other muscular or postural issues, your osteopath can help. Stressed Shoulders The raised shoulders of someone under tension have more effects than just local discomfort. Beneath the larger tight muscles are smaller ones involved in breathing. These are less efficient at assisting …
Migraine is a condition with three sub-types: Without aura With aura Chronic There can be a lot of variation between the three, but typically they will all involve headaches. These may come with nausea, or sensitivity to light or sound. Headaches themselves are typically only on one side, and may be throbbing. For patients who …
Headaches caused by something going on in the neck are called Cervicogenic Headaches (CGH). Your osteopath can identify the cause and treat it to resolve your pain. CGHs are often confused with tension type headaches (TTH), but the causes for the latter are unknown. CGHs can be explained by a problem in the neck, such …
Chronic pain is defined in the broadest sense as “pain that persists or recurs for over 3 months”. More specific definitions break it down into primary and secondary categories. Primary Chronic Pain Classification as “Primary” and “Secondary” refers to the cause of the pain. Primary Chronic Pain is defined as “disability or emotional distress and …
Back pain can be debilitating, and understanding the cause of our pain is a well documented way to reduce it. Osteopaths are qualified to treat what is known as “non specific lower back pain”. This covers most causes of discomfort that are not due to disease or serious injury such as fracture. But of course, …
