PK OSTEOPATHY

01/01/2026

🌺 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 🌺

Reviewing 2025, I would like to say thank you to everyone who entrusted me with their health. All I can ever promise is to give you my best and that’s why I continue to study far beyond what is required for my registration as an osteopath.

Thank you also to everyone who attended my talks and courses. Your feedback has been wonderful, and it means so much to know that the work I do is making a difference 🌺

Looking ahead to 2026, I hope to help even more babies start life at their very best. Did you know that osteopathy may help babies too? Musculoskeletal issues in babies can sometimes present as:
🔸 a preference for turning their head to one side leading to a flattening at the back of their head
🔸 breastfeeding difficulties which may be caused by tension around their jaw, neck, shoulders, or upper back
🔸 challenges with developmental milestones, such as a delay, reaching them too early or uneven movement
All these may be helped with gentle osteopathic treatment.

Thank you again for your trust and support 🌺

The picture below was definitely not taken today 🙃

24/12/2025

Wishing everyone a restful festive season 🌺

23/12/2025

The last update on my continuous professional development before wrapping up 2025 and taking some time off for a well deserved rest 🌺

15/12/2025

📣 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧?📣

I have been delivering my community talks on female health since 2023.

I organised them in Harray, Stromness, Kirkwall & St. Margaret's Hope. I also collaborated with Home-Start Orkney, Roosa and Development Trusts of Rousay, Shapinsay & Hoy.

As I am planning 2026, could you please help me with the following:
- Is there still interest in these talks?
- Which locations?
- Same topics?
- Any other topics that you'd like to see covered?

Thank you for your feedback 🌺

15/12/2025

🎯 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 🎯

FutureFit MOT launching in January 2026 with Mary at REACH Rehabilitation Physiotherapy.

All details below.

🎉FutureFit MOT – January Launch 📆 now taking bookings.

Start the new year by investing in you 🌟

The FutureFit MOT is a 90 minute, one‑to‑one health and movement assessment designed especially for adults 65+.

💡 Introductory price: £125 for January only.

You’ll walk away with:

• A clear picture of your current fitness and independence
• Tailored advice you can act on immediately
• A personalised written report comparing your results to others your age, with practical recommendations for everyday life
• The reassurance of knowing you’re on the right track

Check in. Tune Up. Get FutureFit 💪

📍 Available locally in Orkney
📅 January bookings now open — spaces limited
💻Email to book: info@reachrehabphysio.co.uk

Because your future self will thank you ❤️

10/11/2025

📨📨📨 I just returned from a fantastic 4-day course working with the thorax, thoracic inlet and anterior neck structures, also including the collar bones, ribs and muscles associated with breathing, as well as all the organs inside the ribcage and ligaments that can get tight as a result of injuries, surgeries, illnesses or just normal life.

The Barral Institute UK is an organisation with high quality courses for manual therapist, and I love the fact that they bring together all kinds of practitioners leading to great little collaborations amongst osteopaths, chiropractors, physiotherapist and other manual therapists.

I met a fantastic practitioner Elodie Gauthier who is based in Glasgow. Elodie is a physiotherapist specialising in performing arts medicine, amongst others she is working with BAPAM - British Association for performing arts medicine - the medical charity for the performing arts.

We have Holly Elliot at Helping Hands Health with background in dance here in Orkney, and for those involved in performing arts based in Glasgow needing a little bit of assistance, I recommend looking Elodie up:
https://www.bapam.org.uk/practitioner-search/elodie-gauthier/ 🌺

04/11/2025

🌺𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵🌺

A lot of updates are happening in female health (although research is still hugely behind!).

I find it vital for my practice to stay up to date with the latest information - I really enjoy autumn from educational point of view as the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) are delivering some fantastic events. Osteopaths are recognised as Allied Health Professionals in England (sadly, not in Scotland), so I am able to attend and I make sure I take that opportunity.

Here is a little summary of what I attended so far this autumn. Please note that this does not qualify me to make any diagnoses, this is only for educational purposes, and to be able to signpost my patients to the right care & resources, as well as to refer appropriately.

Topics covered:
Chronic pelvic pain - RCOG
Female sexual function/ dysfunction and pelvic floor - RCOG
Post-reproductive health - RCOG
Latest advances in reproductive health - RCOG
Reproductive Endocrinology - RCOG
Urogenital atrophy - EACCME®
and other events by ISSVD on vulvar health 🌺

30/10/2025

📯📯𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦' 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 📯📯

Please note that I will be accepting new patients again as of December 2025.

You will be put on my waiting list until a new place becomes available. This is for two reasons:
✅ to ensure continuity of care for my existing patients - a new patient can only be booked when someone else is discharged
✅ to ensure continuity of care for you - so I can make sure that I offer you follow-up appointments in line with our treatment plan agreement

The approximate wait time may be about 2 weeks.

🌺 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩. 🌺

𝕆𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕣𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕪 𝕡𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕤:
Holly - osteopath at Helping Hands Osteopathy
https://www.helpinghandshealth.co.uk/
Teenie - sports therapy at KC Therapies
https://www.facebook.com/KcTherapies
Mary - neuro physio at REACH Rehabilitation Physiotherapy
https://www.reachrehabphysio.co.uk
Bel - acupuncture at 5 Element Acupuncture
https://www.facebook.com/westoxfordacupuncture
Graeme - chiro at North Isles Chiropractic Clinic
https://www.facebook.com/ggscott27
Kevin - massage at Sinclair Massage
Karoline - human & animal physio at Physio Phix
https://www.physiophix.co.uk/
Gemma - podiatrist at Walkabout Podiatry
Paula Hemsley - physio at Orkney Physiotherapy
http://orkneyphysiotherapy.com
Payal Gupta - physio at Orkney Therapy Services
https://www.orkneytherapyservices.co.uk

13/10/2025

🌺 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗲𝘀🌺

As a registered osteopath, I am required to complete 30 hours of CPD (continuous professional development) annually. As I love the work that I do, I often complete this requirement every 2 months, this enables me to grow as a practitioner.

I recently attended a 2-day course in Edinburgh on primitive reflexes in Osteopathy - on how it presents when they are suppressed, retained or reignited in babies, children, and adults and how to potentially help with osteopathy.

I was introduced to Retained Primitive Reflexes (RPR) and sensory-motor integration issues as an undergraduate student 13 years ago during an evening lecture by Bob Allen from Access Potential.

I used to refer patients to Bob and observed during some of their appointments. Since then I completed other courses on PRP in osteopathy but it was this course that answered a lot of my questions. I will take some time over the next few months to integrate the newly gained knowledge and skills into my practice.

To find out more about RPR and how that might be affecting you or your child, visit Rob's website:
https://www.accesspotential.net

RPRs are not (yet) well recognised, and there are other approaches around the world you might have heard of:
INPP - The Institute For Neuro-Physiological Psychology
MNRI® Method - The Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration
RMTi - Rhythmic Movement Training International

I would like to thank the family who lent me their doll for the training weekend - she was perfect - popular with the tutor and I think she really enjoyed her travels with me...she was also a great conversation starter 🌺

06/10/2025

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 talk this time on 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 - I hope the winds will be kind during my crossing 🌺
Please see details for booking your place.

Another opportunity to hear from Petra about womens pelvic health! As it’s over lunch time, we are going to have some soup and nice bread available for anyone who’d like some! This event is subsidised…

03/10/2025

🌺 𝗣𝗘𝗟𝗩𝗜𝗖 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗡 🌺

I knew that I wanted to work with women and children already when I was half way through my osteopathy degree - this meant completing my final 2 years of osteopathy, and then 2 more two-year post-graduate diplomas to achieve my goals (one in paediatric osteopathy and one in women’s health osteopathy)…and I did that…although my learning journey didn’t stop there.

There are many fantastic charities proving support to women, yet I am afraid many do not survive long-term due to funding issues.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 was established in 2002 supporting women with pelvic girdle pain (PGP). PGP is pain experienced during pregnancy around the pelvic area. Sadly women still nowadays are told that pain in pregnancy is normal - it really isn’t and it can be helped, or at least supported so that the pregnant person isn’t suffering and is coping instead.

I provide my patients with a link to my article that I wrote on PGP:
https://pkosteopathy.weebly.com/pelvic-girdle-pain.html

As well as The Pelvic Partnership's website:
https://pelvicpartnership.org.uk/

The Pelvic Partnership recently announced that this year has been the most difficult for them financially. I made a donation towards their cause and I am writing this post, hoping to spread the word - could you also contribute to help other women in the future?...because every little helps 🌺

Thank you 🌺

The Pelvic Partnership is a national charity offering support and information about pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP).

22/09/2025

🌺 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗣 🌺

One of my favourite training organisations, 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢, held an online course on infant sleep which I attended.

The course consisted of 14 high-quality lectures delivered by specialists from around the world. Despite their different backgrounds, they all agreed on several key points:

❤️‍🩹new mothers continue to be poorly supported

😞 expectations around how babies should sleep at night are heavily influenced by the Industrial Revolution, shaped more by convenience than the biological clock. These ideas became prescriptive over time, giving rise to myths and misinformation about infant sleep.

😔 these unrealistic societal expectations can be incredibly damaging to new mothers, who may wrongly believe that something is wrong with their baby, or that they are failing as parents.

I might share a summary of the course in the future, but for now, if you’re expecting a baby👼, or know someone who is 🤰, I recommend downloading and completing a 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣:https://www.tommys.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/Wellbeing%20plan%202024.pdf

Ideally completed in the third trimester, a wellbeing plan helps a new mum explore what services are available and encourages early conversations with friends and family to establish a support network.

It might sound simple, but when you're sleep deprived and overwhelmed by guilt, it can be hard to think clearly or ask for help. Having a plan in place beforehand makes all the difference and requires very little effort when the time comes. 🌺

My personal highlight was the number of specialists in their fields who appreciated the need for bodywork (that's what I do) for all babies and new moms 💞