There is increased research and media coverage that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to all kinds of health problems.

As an experienced London osteopath in W1 I treat many patients whose lifestyle is having an adverse affect on their health. I was therefore interested in an article that caught my eye recently. It highlights research undertaken by two different teams of anthropologists and the conclusions they have come to with regard to the affect that our increasingly sedentary lifestyle is having on the human skeleton.

There was a time when humans were hunter-gatherers. That time has long since passed and the average person in this day and age barely has to take any physical activity to feed themselves or their families. Instead of running around and hunting all day or walking miles to the nearest shelter we are spending more time sitting down, ordering takeaways and not getting about much.

The studies by the two teams come to the conclusion that as humans turned from from being hunter gatherers and instead developed a more sedentary work style to farm and feed themselves, the human skeleton has become less exposed to stress.  They conclude that these changes in activity, rather than diet, have led to a weaker skeleton and in turn to us being more prone to osteoporosis and breaking bones.

An even more sobering thought is that the researchers warn that with the deskbound nature of peoples’ work  will lead to their bones becoming even more brittle than ever before.

The researches are turning their attention to observing how rigorous exercising affects bone density by analyzing the bones of marathon runners and athletes.

If you are suffering pain or discomfort and you would like further information on how I may help you or to book an Osteopathy appointment at one of my osteopathy clinic in London W1 please feel free to send me a message or call me on 020 8815 0979. I also, have an osteopathy clinic in North London, in East Finchley which may be more convenient for you.

 

As an experienced London Osteopath in W1 I treat many patients. There are a variety of reasons why my patients come to me but most share the same goals, to stop pain and lead a healthier and better life.

When patients first visit me one of the most common questions patients ask concerns treatment time. Such questions as “How long will it take for me to feel better?” “How many treatments do I need?” are common questions. As I treat everyone of my patients as an individual and tailor a plan to specifically suit their needs there is no ‘standard’ answer to these questions.

Everyone is different

It’s not as simple as giving a generic timeframe and session numbers to all my patients.

People are different and so are the problems they come to me with. You might have a simple issue that is relatively straightforward or you might have a complicated problem that can take a while to work out.

Short or long term!

As an experienced London osteopath in W1, resolving acute pain, wherever it is, is the relatively easy part. More difficult is understanding how the pain came about and more importantly why. While it is true to say that osteopathy can resolve pain quickly, as painkillers can often do!, unfortunately, osteopathy can be seen as a ‘quick fix’ for both acute and chronic pain.

I believe that unless at least an understanding of why the pain started; there can be an increased probability of pain returning. In my experience of treating many patients often there is a history of physical and/or emotional patterns that are underlying many acute problems. Often the patient is not aware of these and how these patterns are affecting them.

I will always endeavour to resolve my patient’s pain as fast as I can based on their needs. For one patient, the answer to their problem may be simple and require no further exploration of the underlying cause, whilst for another patient further exploration may be required.

How many treatments?

Of central importance to me as an osteopath when trying to resolve a patient’s pain both short AND long term is respecting that the patient is not just a physical entity but an integration of interwoven strands of differing qualities.

Therefore, a patient may have 2 -3 treatments or however many treatments that may be needed to resolve underlying patterns that may be the cause of their problem.

If you are suffering pain or discomfort and you would like further information on how I may help you or to book an Osteopathy appointment at one of my osteopathy clinic in London W1 please feel free to send me a message or call me on 020 8815 0979. I also, have an osteopathy clinic in North London, in East Finchley which may be more convenient for you.

If you have not visited an Osteopath you may be slightly nervous as to what lies before you. That is why I want to put you at ease regarding your first visit to either of my London Osteopathy clinics at Muswell Hill or Soho and what you can expect.

Whilst every treatment and every therapy I offer is different and tailored to your individual needs,  there are some general practices that apply to the approach of the consultation and treatment you will receive.

Your Initial Consultation

Your initial consultation will usually last for approximately 45 minutes. This can vary depending on your problem of course.

What happens during the initial consultation?

Whether it’s your first time visiting an osteopath in London or just the first time you’re visiting me, the first thing I do is to learn about you. This includes finding out about details of your medical history, lifestyle and, if relevant, diet. It is important that I also understand what you hope to achieve.

After learning about you I will conduct a clinical examination. In order to allow me to examine your spinal and joint mobility properly it may be necessary for you to undress to your underwear.

The whole purpose of the process above is so I can get a clear understanding of you and your medical condition and reach a ‘working diagnosis’ and determine the appropriate treatment for your individual needs.

Once these procedures are complete, I provide you with a treatment protocol informing you of the type of treatment I would recommend and how many treatments are required. If Osteopathy is the appropriate treatment for you, I will explain the diagnosis to you and, where possible, the underlying causative factors for your condition.

After the consultation you will receive a short treatment if appropriate. You will also provide you with advice on exercises, hydrotherapy and ‘what to do and what to avoid’.

Patients with CFS/ME

In you are suffering with CFS/ME, the initial consultation follows a different format to that described above. You will be informed of this prior to your first appointment and will be sent information setting out the appropriate procedure.

If you are suffering pain or discomfort and you would like further information on how I may help you or to book an Osteopathy appointment at one of my osteopathy clinics in London please feel free to send me a message or call me on 020 8815 0979.

Poor posture affects our physical appearance and can make someone look older and heavier than they really are. However, over time poor posture can have a significant impact on our physical health affecting the spine, shoulders, hips and knees.

Unfortunately, as an experienced Osteopath in London I often treat patients whose problems can be related to their poor posture. Their symptoms include: back and joint pain, reduced flexibility and muscle disorders.

The good news is that you can improve your posture by undertaking some simple exercises.

Three common postural problems I see as an experienced London Osteopath are:

  1.  Head Forward
  2. Shoulders Rounded
  3. Shoulders Elevated

If you find that you are often in one of these positions then here are some exercises that you want to follow to correct your posture.

1.  Head Forward

To correct this posture you need to loosen the muscles on the back of your neck. Simply slowly move your head forward and tuck your chin into your chest and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times a day.

2.  Shoulders Rounded

This is otherwise known as slouching.  To correct this you need to strength your trapezius which is the large muscle across your shoulders and back. Lie face down on the floor with your arms at a 90 degree angle in a high five position. Keeping your arms in this position, raise them from the floor by pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then lower your arms. Repeat 10 times and do a set 3 times a day.

3. Shoulders Elevated

This posture is very common and to correct it you need to strengthen the muscle under your chest. To do this sit upright in a chair. Place your palms facing down next to your hips and keep your arms locked straight so as not to move them. Press down on your palms until your bottom is raised off the chair and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times and do a set 3 times a day.

If you are suffering pain or discomfort and you would like further information on how I as an experienced London Osteopath may help you or to book an Osteopathy appointment at one of my osteopathy clinics in London please feel free to send me a message or call me on 020 8815 0979.

Note: if you haven’t exercised for some time and you have health concerns, you may want to talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise routine. Id you experience any pain or discomfort during exercise then stop and seek medical advice.

Sometimes it is all too easy to fall into the trap of accepting our fate. Sometimes we think that we have no choice but to accept a situation. This is often the case with physical problems; we can think that our problems are genetic. We can think there is nothing we can do and we might as well accept our fate. This is wrong.

As a leading London Osteopath and someone who helps his patients beyond pain and discomfort I can tell you that we don’t have to accept our physical problems, we don’t have to accept our genes as fate. We have the power to influence our genes for the better. We can change our dietary and physical habits for the better and in turn influence how our genes are expressed.

Being a London Osteopath doesn’t limit me to just my immediate field, I also take a great interest in general well being as this helps me provide a better service. I can help you improve your physical health, your emotional well being and your life style habits and in doing so, possibly, help influence how your genes are expressed.

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As Deam Ornish shares in this video, your genes are not your fate

For further reading, see Bruce Lipton’s book ‘The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles’.

Through the research of Dr Lipton and other leading-edge scientists, stunning new discoveries have been made about the interaction between your mind and body and the processes by which cells receive information. It shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology, that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our thoughts. Using simple language, illustrations, humour, and everyday examples, he demonstrates how the new science of Epigenetics is revolutionising our understanding of the link between mind and matter and the profound effects it has on our personal lives and the collective life of our species.

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If you are suffering pain or discomfort and you would like further information on how I may help you or to book an Osteopathy appointment at one of my osteopathy clinics in London please feel free to send me a message or call me on 020 8815 0979.

For most of us modern life means a lot of sitting. It’s hard to escape sitting for long periods of time, Modern life is full of opportunities to sit for long periods, from slouching on the sofa watching TV to sitting in our cars and sitting at an office desk all day long, more and more of our time is spent sitting.

Unfortunately, humans aren’t designed to sit for such long periods of time and there are major problems with doing so. Being a leading Osteopath in London I come across patients who have the problems as a result of sitting for too long all the time.

What impact does sitting have on your body?

First off there are basic bodily function issues. When we sit for too long our calorie burning rate can drop to 1 calorie per minute. After even longer of sitting there is also a decrease in blood flow.

Sitting for many hours a day significantly drops the level of insulin in your body which in good time will increase the risk of ‘Type 2 diabetes.

After 2 weeks of sitting for more than 6 hours a day we see an increase in LDL cholesterol (aka the bad stuff) resulting in an increase of the likelihood of weight gain.

Not to mention it becomes harder for your body to break down fat not just because the body’s enzymes are less effective but also because your body is doing less due to weakened muscles.

It can make you less happy as movement sends good feeling hormones to the brain. In short too much sitting affects the quality of your life and the health of your body.

See a great video explaining the perils of sitting

If you are suffering pain or discomfort and you would like further information on how I as an experienced Osteopath in London may help you or to book an Osteopathy appointment at one of my osteopathy clinics in London please feel free to send me a message or call me on 020 8815 0979.