Seachange Osteopathy, East Budleigh Road, Budleigh Salterton (2025)

04/04/2025

Cranial osteopathy:

With increasing age, the body slows down, loses some of its flexibility and elasticity and does not recover as quickly as it used to. We become slower, stiffer, and more prone to illnesses and trauma. Our senses begin to let us down which means poorer sight, hearing and taste, and becoming unsteady on our feet, reducing mobility and self-confidence.

The body can be likened to a car, in that it needs regular servicing and maintenance as it gets older. A car that is not serviced regularly will use more fuel than if the engine is well lubricated and perfectly tuned, and parts start to wear. The body is the same. If there are areas of tension or strain, then the whole body has to compensate and more energy is used in simple everyday tasks. People often complain of feeling unduly tired as well as suffering from aches and pains or other symptoms.

As we accumulate strains and injuries over the years, we tend to put up with them as an inevitable part of the ageing process, but a more positive approach would be to consider these symptoms as the body telling us that it needs some help. Osteopathic treatment is aimed at improving mobility in areas of the body that are stiff, relaxing tense muscles, improving local circulation, and aims to restore the whole body to the best state of physical balance possible.

We cannot avoid ageing, but osteopathic treatment can help to relieve some of the common discomforts including:

Neck ache and back ache
Postural problems
Joint pain and stiffness including arthritis
Headache
Reducing the effects of stress
Patients often also report improvements in general health in areas such as energy levels and mood, and improvements in the functioning of some of the internal organs and systems. For specific advice ask your osteopathic practitioner.

Osteopathic Treatment

Cranial osteopathy is a very effective and gentle approach which can be applied safely in older people. Where there is a risk of osteoporosis (thinning bones) this gentle approach is excellent as it avoids the need for strong manipulation. Many people find the treatment so relaxing, they fall asleep on the treatment table!

Gentle osteopathic treatment addresses specific areas of the body as well as the whole person. It improves movement between the vertebrae, freeing the neck and the back. It improves movement of the chest improving breathing and circulation. It releases the pelvis and abdomen, improving organ function and circulation. As treatment reduces painful symptoms and improves blood and lymphatic circulation, so the body can heal faster and experience a renewed sense of wellbeing. This improvement can be maintained by good diet and a gentle regime of exercise – probably the most important thing one can do to stay healthy and happy.

18/12/2024

Do you suffer with plantar fasciitis or know anyone who suffers with this condition? Plantar fasciitis occurs when this ligament on the sole of your foot gets irritated and inflamed. It is the most common cause of heel pain, affecting more than 2 million people every year. Plantar fasciitis can be debilitating, and it can take a long time to get better and I’m here to help.

Shockwave therapy is the gold standard treatment for plantar fasciitis and I’m now using it in clinic here at Seachange, Budleigh Salterton.

Shock wave therapy is a non-invasive procedure that uses a special device to pass low-energy sound waves through the skin to the injured area. It's recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) for treating plantar fasciitis.

Please do contact me on 0771 2221333 to discuss your condition or to book an appointment.

Matthew Abbott (Registered Osteopath)

02/12/2022

Hello! The Christmas season is here and many of you will be extra busy carrying shopping, lifting the Christmas tree into the car and generally busier than ever dashing around! Do remember to look after your body particularly when you get increasingly tired and stressed.

People often ask me why their back pain started when it did when they’ve been carrying out the same tasks for many years without any previous problems. Indeed an injury can occur suddenly but in most cases of back and neck pain, that I see in clinic, this is because of a gradual accumulation of stresses upon the spine; it’s that old analogy of the ‘tap, tap,’ against the dam wall before one day the dam suddenly bursts.

Poor posture, improper lifting, and lack of regular exercise can lead, overtime, to increased strain on the spine and the supporting structures in our backs such as the muscles and ligaments - eventually leading to back and neck pain along with headaches caused by tight muscles, nerve compression and inflammation.

There are more serious signs to look out for such as unexplained weight loss, night sweats, loss of bladder or bowl function along with pain at rest that may require further investigation.

So to avoid back pain this Christmas please remember to stretch those tight muscles, lift properly by bending your knees and keeping a straight spine, sitting properly with a cushion behind your lower back and make sure the computer screen is in front of your face (not to low nor to high) and check your mattress is comfortable and even.

And most of all…remember to have some fun too!

Best wishes,

Matt Abbott.

(Registered osteopath)

17/06/2022

Seachange is proving to be a great place to work and meet so many of you from the Budleigh area - this community building brings lots of local people together and being able to work and help you with your back, neck, shoulder or other joint and muscle pains, in this beautiful seaside town, is most rewarding. Here are a few tips to help you maintain a healthy spine and stop you getting pain in the first place:

• Exercise is essential when it comes to maintaining a healthy spine and it can also aid the rehabilitation of an injured spine. Do focus on your posture, stand up tall and place a cushion behind your lower back when sitting. Try and wear comfortable, supportive shoes.

• Build up strength over time with exercise and always remember to stretch (flexibility is just as important as strength.)

• Reduce stress by relaxing your mind. Most people have too much ‘chatter’ going on in their heads and by focussing on a task such as gardening or helping a neighbour with their shopping is not only healthy exercise but can help you relax.

• Maintain a balanced and healthy diet avoiding too many sugary, processed foods and eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables which contain lots of vitamins and essential minerals.

• A strong core can stabilise your spine. The muscles and ligaments can weaken with age or from injury which can make movements like bending, twisting and lifting difficult. A stable spine is more flexible and engaging our core muscles is important to achieve spinal stability.

Please do get in contact if you are in pain and need some treatment or advice. I have over 20 years of experience at treating neck and back pain and feel blessed to have started work in Budleigh Salterton with all it’s nature and beauty.

Here’s to a healthy and happy summer!

Matt Abbott

Tel: 0771 2221333

18/05/2022

Lovely to be back in Budleigh for the week and looking forwards to some runs along the river Otter and a sea swim. It’s thst time of year where my body reminds me of the need to warm up before exercise - stretching the calves and hamstrings helps prevent injuries and starting off slowly is important too. Gardening, walks by the sea, cycling and enjoying the outdoors is so good for our bodies and mental health but please do remember to
Moderate the length of time you do any one thing and give your body a stretch to help prevent those aches and pains. Do come and see me at Seachange if you need any help recovering from pain.

07/03/2022

It has been a privilege to work in this beautiful town of Budleigh Salterton over last few months and meet so many of you wonderful residents! There’s a great community spirit here and the surrounding area feeds my love of nature.

As an osteopath I use a range of gentle techniques, along with acupuncture, to:

Increase the mobility of the joints
Relieve muscle tension
Reduce pain
Enhance to blood supply to the tissues
Restore the body to allow for healing to occur.

Most people I see here in Budleigh seek help with conditions thst affect their muscles, bones and joints such as osteoarthritis, lower back, shoulder and neck pain, tennis elbow and headaches caused by neck tension. I also treat unsettled babies using the very relaxing cranial treatment.

You do not need to be referred by your GP to see me for an appointment here at Seachange. Please do give me a call for any help or to book an appointment.

Best wishes,

Matthew Abbott. (Registered Osteopath)

Tel: 0771 2221333

22/01/2022

Hello! Now you can make 2022 the year to change your bad postural habits and I want to give you a few simple tips how you can achieve this and avoid the chance of developing musculoskeletal problems.

Many of my patients present to me with a 'forward head posture’ which often develops over quite a long time where, instead of the ears being positioned above the shoulders as the person is standing, their head has drifted forwards. This strains the muscles of the neck and shoulders but also adds tension down the muscular chains into the mid and low back leading to joint problems and chronic muscular discomfort.

Good posture is something that most of us have to work hard at achieving. Gravity, cold weather, low mood, sitting incorrectly and spending endless hours leaning forwards to look at our phones and computers can take its toll on our bodies. This can lead to neck pain, headaches, osteoarthritis, trapped nerves, disc problems, irritability and stress.

The good news is that no matter how old you are it is possible to change these postural habits:

First of all look at your work station or how you sit at your desk. Your computer or lap top should be set at the right height - position your screen so that the top of it is aligned with your eyebrows. If you're using a laptop, buy a bluetooth keyboard and mouse and put it onto books or a stand to enable you to have the screen positioned so that you are not looking up or down at it.

Do take regular breaks every 40 minutes if you spend long periods of time at the desk; move around and stretch your arms up above your head and have a walk around the office. Stretching is SO important - give that head a roll around on your shoulders and be kind to yourself!

Use a phone headset if you're often on the phone and do make sure you have a good chair with a lumbar support – a great investment.

It's worth getting these few points right and if you have any questions, please get in touch. As your osteopath here Seachange Budleigh Salterton I can help reduce muscle tension, chronic connective tissue shortening and joint strains that lead to your pain.

I also specialise in the treatment of sports injuries and unsettled babies using the gentle craniosacral rhythm.

For an appointment or advice please fo text or call me on: 0771 2221333.

02/12/2021

Lovely to treat two babies yesterday at Seachange - both doing well and had similar symptoms of being slightly colicky and unsettled at times. The treatment was very gentle and aims to calm their nervous system and help them relax as their little digestive tract is developing.

27/11/2021

I’m looking forwards to meeting you and helping you recover from your pain as quickly as possible. Please do give me a call on 07712221333 to discuss your condition or book an appointment.

Seachange Osteopathy

04/04/2025

18/12/2024

02/12/2022

17/06/2022

18/05/2022

07/03/2022

22/01/2022

02/12/2021

27/11/2021

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