Colne Osteopathy

13/12/2025

General stiffness in the back that responds poorly to decent manual work/ massage or exercise, can (in my opinion) be a sort of referred stiffness from the lungs and stomach and other organs.

That opinion took me literally 1000' of patient encounters to start to consider.

If you are suffering from an unusual stiffness in your back my suggestion is don't just think of a mechanical reason but consider a little stomach/liver/gut cleanse or purge.

Avoid completely sugar and high carbs. Try a mini parasite cleanse there are many products on the market.

12/12/2025

Further to a recent comment on a post (thanks Chris) I think it's worth clarifying.

Sometimes either from a Muscle and joint perspective (MSK) or Nutritional support perspective the temptation is to go directly with high concentration or intensity with an intervention.

In the past I have had patients insist they wanted a really intense treatment (against my recommended but not red flagged). I warned one patient that I could in all likelihood give them a day of shoulder movement beyond what would be wise as the delayed soreness/pain would be very intense. The patient insisted it was imperative they use their shoulder that night..Two days later that patient cancelled follow up stating it was too painful...

Something similar can happen even with the mighty vitamin C. One patient tried a single vitamin C capsule and had a very strong reaction lasting three days! I have been researching through books/case studies/ scientific papers vitamin C (ascorbic acid and whole vitamin C) for many years and have never heard of that reaction. So even with caution there can be outliers of extreme response that are frankly unpredictable.

This is why Chiropractic, Osteopaths, Physios sometimes take a few treatments not one heroic effort its too risky to over egg the pudding so to speak, and even then on second and third treatment after high caution reaction can still occur.

I hope that helps

10/12/2025

***ALERT***

There are in fact MANY causal factors to "FLU" symptoms.

If you get them:

Reduce or eliminate refined sugar!!!
Consume fibre like apple skin (pectin)
Support Liver function with things like dandelion tea
Did I mention REDUCE REFINED SUGAR!!!
If you want a sugar hit organic local honey.
Home made pasture beef stock for you soups. If need be buy the soup then add your own stock.


Rest if you can

10/12/2025

Further to my post yesterday I would like to mention my own little anecdote of a patient who reported a collision she was in whilst driving.

I did not see the police report but the impact speed was reported as close to 50mph. That kind of collision speed is enough to basically cut a main artery in the abdomen called the aorta, leading to death at the scene...

My biggest concern clinically was of a delayed spleen/kidney/liver/meningeal/subarachnoid etc. rupture that might be missed.

I therefore suggested an immediate increased intake of ascorbic acid (Vit C)

Anecdotally, the patient reported a significant change / improvement within 48hours. I have never heard of such a change elsewhere though have several hypotheses of improvements to the basic protocol used at that time.

Various metabolism changes not just impact traumas can influence the whole body's adaptation to challenge/stress which is more than impact or immune , hormonal acid/base amino acid elimination pathway. This does include neuroanatomy and behaviour..but I am getting close to being too technical again...:)

So yes, there are extremely important reasons why I advocate ascorbic acid and whole complex vitamin C. It's a shake of the head and a rye smile from me for those who dismiss the idea as they just wont have read the university based peer reviewed papers on the matter.

This practitioner has not met another with the same narrative so I don't expect it makes much sense to most who get given strength exercises for ...well almost anything - it seems.

09/12/2025

Many years ago I listened to a top sports massage therapist and keen marathon runner tell of his story after what appeared to be a severe achilles injury almost certainly a significant partial rupture.

Years later I spoke with a Canadian professor investigating the use of very high dose vitamins in the acute post injury phase (48hrs) of Road Traffic accidents.

There is Zero doubt in my mind that an immediate (with 24 hours or even sooner) Nutritional/ Osteopathic treatment is strongly indicated after severe soft tissue trauma.

For the Medically qualified this does NOT mean an inane and simplistic joint click when neurological signs are present ! It means that impact forces can play havoc with fascial tone autonomics lymphatics veinous flow and more (cytokines/epithelial/mitochondrial disruption).

There are some pretty tricky things to look for but in this world of what appears to be sub clinical spleen issues and non alcoholic fatty liver disease, this is not an indulgence but a very sound precaution.

I hope that helps.

05/12/2025

At the practice I regularly see patients who present with shoulder pain. Patients frequently assert they have hurt their shoulder and only their shoulder.

But I am a clinician and it is my job and ethical obligation ( I contend) to advise patients of things like a co morbidity of spleen or liver that I promise you can be part of a slow resolving shoulder blade and even neck pain.

Lacerated spleen and/or liver after traumatic injury is not minor. This stuff can arguably contribute to a sequence of events leading to a septic reaction.

These co factors are not on your health hack video nor on your rather basic youtube video for shoulder. ( I looked at 5 youtube videos for shoulder none mentioned lacerated spleen)

For the academics among you.

02/12/2025

Here is a short video about one of my favourite pieces of equipment. There are caveats so always check with MSK qualified provider.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/h2g9jMjfpwQ?feature=share

24/11/2025

As a practitioner of both Manual and Nutrition I am sometimes surprised by the view taken by some patients.

(This post does not relate to any individual patient).

In the world to day we have a significant challenge to our immune systems not least by black mould. In the last few years two children have died as a result of Black mould, Laws have passed regarding black mould...and yet in my experience most people remain dismissive and blasé about the potential risks.

Mycobacterium is a serious factor in respiratory health it can present like an ordinary cold, muscle ache of the whole back top of the shoulders, back of the head ..and much more.

One of the most sensible things people can do is up their vitamin C in take. This is not a simplistic statement folks. For those brave enough, please read the abstract below:

Abstract:
Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for humans, with pleiotropic functions related to
its ability to donate electrons. It is a potent antioxidant and a cofactor for a family of biosynthetic
and gene regulatory enzymes. Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting various
cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system.

Full paper available on request it was published in 2017...

19/11/2025

OK Let's try this....

A quick note on why you should think about hair mineral analysis as part of your wider health/well being check.

19/11/2025

Good morning,

Today I have been reflecting on the true 3D anatomy and physiology of pain.

There are quite a few accepted methods/protocols many of which can be found on well produced youtube videos. My issue with these procedure lead methods is that I don't see that all of the important structures are tested or properly addressed.

For example, right now in this era of "Long COVID" (more accurately considered as SARS2) there are a lot of people coming with either upper shoulder or loin pain. Either left or right sided.

Most patients are coming to the practice asserting they have a trapped nerve, which I rarely find clinical indication for (about 20% of the time nerve symptoms are present). When I palpate PRIMARY lymph areas I find tight restrictions that anatomically influence the area of pain, but these areas are not well known.

The same is true for the lower back which I promise you has very close association with gut/kidney and pelvic content. This can be quite surprising discovery for patients.

I do my very best to explain these links and work with an embedded policy of continual verbal consent but I remind my patients and prospective patients that I work the on the :

Front
Back
Left side
Right side
Pelvis all quadrants ( with specific consent). Techniques are TEXT BOOK.

I conduct an analysis with treatment so it's not a procedure so much as a dynamic treatment and assessment.

This approach lends its self far better to candid patients who actually work with me and COMMUNICATE with me during and even after treatment because it's very subtle.

Patients who keep quiet and just "put up" with techniques they may not really like are best suited to other less hands on methods. As this attitude to a hands on treatment is in my opinion not the best approach for a patient.

The best treatment will ALWAYS be one where the patient is willing to convey how they feel mentally and physically and emotionally DURING a treatment.

(OK this is grumbling a bit. However, sometimes the impression is that patients just wont communicate clearly when practitioners spend many hours trying to convey risk and method.)

I hope that helps.

18/11/2025

Good Morning,

This morning I am reflecting on what are my current favourite herbal teas. Many of the herbs these are made from have the word officinalis in their botanical name because of a medicinal status. ...

That is worth thinking about.

This morning I am mostly thinking about Nettle tea which has been described by two or three patients as " a game changer" in their well being.

Personally, I find it very refreshing and add a squeeze of lemon or combine it with Lemon Myrtle and whole cloves (6)

I only have one or two cups a day though.

I hope that helps

14/11/2025

MAGNESIUM OIL folks put it on your aching muscles. It helps a LOT of people.