The Heath Osteopathic Practice (2026)

21/11/2025

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome can give you symptoms such as pain, tingling, numbness and burning in your thumb and fingers. You may feel weakness in your hand and be dropping things more than usual. There may be muscle atrophy, or reduced muscle bulk, in the muscle at the base of the thumb.

The Carpel tunnel is a structure in your wrist made up of bone and ligament which encloses muscle tendons for the thumb and fingers, apart from the little finger, and the Median nerve. If there is swelling in the Median Nerve, there will be compression, leading to the above symptoms.

There may be inflammation of the Median Nerve due to overuse. This may occur in people who are using computers for long periods of time, and exaccerbated if they are hunching forward. There may be compression of other nerves further up the arm causing problems elsewhere.

About a third of pregnant women will get Carpel tunnel Syndrome due to fluid retention in their wrists. This is most common in the third trimester.

It is often useful to apply icepacks to the wrist to try to reduce the swelling for 10-15 minutes several times a day. Some people have found it is helpful to soak their wrists in warm water before stretching the wrists. It may help to wear a brace at night to prevent the wrist flexing during the night which causes the compression. You may also want to wear it when at work. When you take it off remember to stretch the wrists to prevent stiffness. It may help to use wrist supports, if you are not wearing a brace, when using the computer and to take regular breaks and to stretch the wrists forward and backwards.

An Osteopath can diagnose the problem by examining the wrist, as well as other structures such as the the arm, shoulder, neck and back which may be contributing towards the problem. They can suggest stretches and postural changes to try to alleviate the symptoms. They can give treatment to reduce restrictions and tightness. You may be prescribed corticosteroids by your doctor. As a very last resort if none of that works, you may consider surgery to release the ligament around the carpel tunnel.

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19/11/2025

Frozen Shoulder or Adhesive Capsulitis is a painful, disabling condition. There are no clinical causes or findings on X Rays. It has 3 stages:
Frozen Shoulder

Frozen (painful) stage, which can last 2-9 months. There is a gradual increase in severe pain which is worse at night.

Freezing (restricted) stage, which can last 4-12 months. There is a gradual reduction in the range of movement of the shoulder and stiffness whilst the pain starts to subside.

Thawing Stage which can last 5-26 months. The range of movement starts to increase but may be less than before.
Primary idiopathic frozen shoulder is often associated with other diseases and conditions such as Diabetes Mellitis, Thyroid diseases and Parkinsons. Secondary frozen shoulder can occur after shoulder injury such as fracture during which the shoulder has been immobilised, but also after rotator cuff tendon tear, subacromial impingement, biceps tenosynovitis and calcific tendonitis. It may appear without any other associated symptoms or conditions.

An osteopath can diagnose the problem and advise on appropriate treatment and exercises for the affected and related areas of the body.
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17/11/2025

Hip Osteoarthritis
The hip joint is between that of the head of the femur (thigh bone) and the acetabulum in the pelvis. There is cartilage covering these two surfaces to allow a greater range of smooth movement. The hip joint is surrounded by ligaments and muscles to provide stability and strength.

During the aging process the joint surfaces become worn and bony spurs appear. The head of the femur can lose its rounded shape and become flattened. The acetabulum’s surface becomes less smooth and tears can appear in the cartilage.

Patterns of movement become restricted the greatest being abduction (lifting the leg outwards), flexion (lifting the knee up toward the hip) and internal rotation (bringing knee up towards opposite hip).

Pain is typically felt first in the groin or in the outer hip and down into the knee but can refer into the buttock.

Pain is commonly felt first at the end of the day after a lot of use and later on morning stiffness develops. It then becomes painful getting up from sitting, bending to put on socks and climbing stairs. The pain is largely due to the ligaments tightening around the hip capsule.

Doing exercises to strengthen and stretch muscles around the hip joint may delay the necessity of having hip replacement surgery. It may also aid in the recovery post-operatively leading to better outcomes and less time spent in hospital. Studies have shown that those with other health problems, who are expected to have a delayed recovery, tend to benefit more from functional exercises, before, as well as after the hip operation. Your osteopath can help with diagnosis, treatment and the prescription of exercises.

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15/11/2025

Axial Spondyloathritis (Axial SpA), is a chronic inflammatory arthritis involving the spine and sacro-iliac joints. Diagnosis can be difficult. Early treatment usually has a better outcome.

Axial SpA is often associated with other musculoskeletal features including; arthritis of peripheral joints , Achilles Tendinitis and Plantar Fasciitis, inflammation of entire fingers(Dactylitis) and inflammation of the eyes (uveitis), psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Collitis.

It affects 0.5% of the population. The main presenting symptom is back pain and stiffness and buttock pain. Sufferers may complain of fatigue, low spirits and functional impairment affecting work and leisure pursuits.

Inflammatory back pain is chronic back pain beginning under the age of 45 years and lasting at least 3 months with at least 4 of the following features:
Age of onset less than 40,
Gradual onset,
Improvement with exercise,
No improvement with rest,
Night pain which improves with moving

Regular exercise and stretching can help to maintain flexibility and posture and with pain management . Those with spinal fusion should not be manipulated in case of spinal fracture. Smoking reduces the effectiveness of the treatment.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories can help and biological disease-modifying ant-rheumatic drugs can be prescribed by rheumatologists.

An osteopath can give gentle treatment, exercises and advice.

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10/11/2025

Tension type headaches are the most common type of headaches. They usually feel like a tight band around the head and are common in the afternoon. They may be caused by stress, posture and dehydration. They may be accompanied by restriction in the neck movements and tightness and tenderness of neck muscles. The pain is concentrated in the neck and base of the skull but may refer to the forehead, temples, the top of the head and around the eyes and ears.

Tension headaches may be helped by correcting postural muscle imbalances through ergonomic advice and osteopathic treatment. Trigger point therapy and self-stretching and strengthening exercise can be useful.

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01/11/2025

Gluteal tendinopathy can give pain in the buttock muscles, or around the hip and outer, upper leg.

The gluteal muscles, of which there are three, form the main bulk of the buttocks, although there are other muscles beneath them. They allow you to get up from sitting or lying down, extending the leg backwards and rotating the hip, lifting the leg outwards and stabilizing the pelvis.

The site of the pain is the outside of the hip and can refer down the outer thigh to the knee. There can be buttock and groin pain.

It is common in women over 50, with over 23% having this condition. This may be due to reduced collagen during the menopause which weakens the tendons. It is often caused by increased compression on the tendon and increased load which, weakened tendons, are unable to withstand. Common triggers are:

Rigid foot, which changes the gait pattern

Increase in exercise, walking distances or speed

Starting hill walking

Weight gain

Fall onto one side, or increased lying on one side

Recovery from illness or injury

Some medications or unmanaged diabetes

The gluteal muscles may need to be strengthened carefully and monitored. Cold packs may help.

This pain can be confused with that of sacro-iliac pain, piriformis syndrome, disc prolapse, hip osteoathritis and bursitis. An Osteopath can help to diagnose the problem, help you to manage the symptoms, give you treatment and exercises, and reduce your pain.

Book online at https://heathpractice.com

30/10/2025

Exercise

Exercise is important for everyone, regardless of age, health or fitness. It’s important to do a variety of types of exercise as they provide different functions. Exercise can also help your mental health as it produces endorphins which make you feel happier and joining classes or gyms can help reduce feelings of isolation. It may help you to lose weight when combined with eating a healthier diet.

Balance is important and improving it will help to prevent falls by strengthening one's core muscles. Dancing, pilates, yoga and tai chi can help.

Flexibility can be improved with stretches and yoga. Stretching muscles can help them to become healthier and function more effectively.

Strengthening muscles and joints can be helped with weight training, martial arts, pilates, walking, climbing and running. It can help to reduce the likelihood of getting osteoporosis and help to reduce postural strain.

Aerobic exercise or endurance training can help to strengthen the heart and reduce your blood pressure through swimming, running, cycling and exercise classes.

You can do exercises at home, walking instead of using transport or using escalators and lifts. Even housework and shopping are a form of exercise.

If you have aches and pains and are not sure if you should exercise, see an osteopath who can reduce your pain and stiffness and advise about what sort of activity would be helpful. They can prescribe exercises for you.

Book online at https://heathpractice.com

29/10/2025

Osteopathy Check ups and MOTs
Many people are working sitting down all day behind a computer. They develop strains and tensions especially in their neck, shoulders and upper back and may be experiencing headaches and tingling in their fingers. I suggest taking regular breaks, stretching and going for a walk. However, the pain may still be there. Some people are working long hours 10-12 hours a day so its not surprising that their body is complaining.

Rather than waiting until you are in agony, it may help to schedule into your busy life, a regular osteopathy treatment, once every 2 months or once a month or even once a week. You will feel the benefit and be able to carry on with your lives and prevent a build up of tension and pain. You may decide to have a 6 monthly check up, like you do at the dentist, or an MOT once a year like you do for your car.It will be time and money well spent.

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13/10/2025

Sciatica is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve causing pain down the back of the leg. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve made up of 5 different nerve fibres which come from the lumbar spine and sacrum in the low back. The sciatic nerve travels out through the back of the pelvis and down the back of the leg to the heel and sole of the foot. It branches off into smaller nerve fibres on its journey.

Possible causes

Intervertebral disc herniation or prolapse (slipped disc)

When the disc protrudes out between the levels in the spine it may press onto the sciatic nerve so disrupting the nerve signals down the leg causing pins and needles and numbness. This can also cause pain. There can be sciatic pain even with mild disc irritation where there is no impingement on the nerve but merely the nerve has become irritated or inflamed. This can result in a loss of reflexes in the knee and ankle, weakness in the leg and in some cases an inability to move the foot in certain positions eg foot drop.

Osteopathic treatment can involve manipulation and mobilisation. It can also involve deep tissue work or massage to release the muscle spasm. Advice is given as to how to reduce pressure on the discs and how to relieve the pain by performing tasks in a certain way. Back exercises are given to strengthen the back and help prevent recurrence of the condition.

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06/10/2025

Low back pain is a very common condition and increasing in cases and intensity, worldwide. It is increasing partly as a result of ageing populations, an increase in obesity and reduced activity. The situation was worsened during the COVID pandemic due to lockdowns, increasing inactivity and a move to working from home with resulting poor work environments, and inadequate desks and chairs. It is most common in working populations leading to absenteeism, decreased productivity and increased early retirement. There are also effects on mental health with chronic low back pain linked to increased depression. Depression is linked to increasing disability and poor recovery from low back pain.

There are many possible causes for it. It may be due to strains or wear and tear to joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves or discs. It may have occured suddenly because of a recent incident or gradually because of overuse. There may be an inflammatory or auto-immune cause and it may be due to a genetic predisposition. It may be a referral of pain from other structures in the body.

An Osteopath will take your medical history and details of the when, why and how the back pain occured and will reach a diagnosis. If they decide that its safe to treat, then they will use a variety of techniques. They may give exercises and other self-help advice. They will be on the look out for more serious causes and may refer you on.

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01/10/2025

Postural Strain
Many of us sit at computers for long stretches every day at work and recently more so at home. Many of us are sitting in cramped conditions with unsuitable chairs and desks or tables, or sitting on the sofa with our laptop. It is difficult to think about your posture when you are concentrating on your work or we may not know what the best posture is or how to improve it. Poor posture and lack of exercise can lead to aches and pains in our necks, shoulders, jaws and backs and to headaches. If you are sitting in one position for a long time it can lead to a disruption in the flow of blood to the muscles leading to tightness, painful trigger points and general discomfort.

Osteopathy can help by relieving tension and reducing pain in the muscles by using a combination of massage, muscle stretching and muscle energy techniques. There may be restrictions in joint movements in the spine and in other joints which can be reduced by mobilisation and manipulation.

Osteopaths can also give advice about improving posture at work, home and in the car and moderating your work environment to reduce postural strain. They can also offer advice regarding what type of exercise would help and how to modify them if they may be contributing to the problem. Taping can help by improving our proprioception so that we can feel what a good posture feels like.

Book online at https://heathpractice.com

30/09/2025

Exercise

Exercise is important for everyone, regardless of age, health or fitness. It’s important to do a variety of types of exercise as they provide different functions. Exercise can also help your mental health as it produces endorphins which make you feel happier and joining classes or gyms can help reduce feelings of isolation. It may help you to lose weight when combined with eating a healthier diet.

Balance is important and improving it will help to prevent falls by strengthening one's core muscles. Dancing, pilates, yoga and tai chi can help.

Flexibility can be improved with stretches and yoga. Stretching muscles can help them to become healthier and function more effectively.

Strengthening muscles and joints can be helped with weight training, martial arts, pilates, walking, climbing and running. It can help to reduce the likelihood of getting osteoporosis and help to reduce postural strain.

Aerobic exercise or endurance training can help to strengthen the heart and reduce your blood pressure through swimming, running, cycling and exercise classes.

You can do exercises at home, walking instead of using transport or using escalators and lifts. Even housework and shopping are a form of exercise.

If you have aches and pains and are not sure if you should exercise, see an osteopath who can reduce your pain and stiffness and advise about what sort of activity would be helpful. They can prescribe exercises for you.

Book online at https://heathpractice.com

Monday	09:00 - 20:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 20:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 20:00
Thursday	09:00 - 20:00
Friday	09:00 - 17:00

The Heath Osteopathic Practice

21/11/2025

19/11/2025

17/11/2025

15/11/2025

10/11/2025

01/11/2025

30/10/2025

29/10/2025

13/10/2025

06/10/2025

01/10/2025

30/09/2025

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