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.

 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitisor ‘ME’, is a chronic illness. For those with CFS, the impact on their lives can be devastating. Previously healthy and active individuals affected by CFS find themselves unable to perform the most basic of activities.

CFS causes persistent exhaustion. Other symptoms can include depression, sleep disorder, headaches, sensitivity to sound and light, a sore throat and back, neck and muscle pain.

As a London Osteopath I am also qualified in the Perrin Technique. The Perrin Technique is a practice that works towards diagnosing and treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It was developed by Raymond Perrin and is based on the validated scientific research that CFS/ME that is caused by a reversal of lymphatic drainage, especially from the brain, causing a build of toxins.

The Perrin Technique opens up the flow of lymphatic fluids in the body and rids it of poisonous elements allowing it to function properly.

Diagnosing & treating CFS/ME with the Perrin Technique

To diagnose CFS/ME, I check for a specific set of physical symptoms by carrying out a physical examination of the patient. Taking this information in combination with information that the patient provides about their medical history and lifestyle I am able to provide a diagnosis based on the principles of the Perrin Technique. The consultation and examination takes around 90 minutes.

The Perrin Technique, like Osteopathy, involves hands-on treatment. This will include lymphatic drainage and physical manipulation to stimulate the movement of lymphatic fluids around the brain, body and the spine. Not only does the treatment work towards detoxifying the body, it also allows it to flow and function naturally to prevent the future build-up of unhealthy is materials.

To complement the hands-on treatment, patients are provided with self-massage techniques and appropriate exercises. During the consultation supplementation is also recommended.

With careful treatment Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients can start to re-gain their lives and don’t need to be bedridden. However, it is important that they learn to pace themselves and finding the right balance of treatment to help support them.

You can read more about my thoughts on pacing oneself in an interview I gave to the Ham& High newspaper on how to beat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with a sense of balance and stability.

As well as being a qualified Osteopath in London I am qualified in various therapies that I use with the Perrin Technique to help patients such as life-coaching and nutrition.

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

 

I often find as an experienced osteopath in London that many of my patients are surprised to find out that driving is a contributory factor to their back pain.

Many of us will be travelling over the Christmas period to visit family and friends and I thought it would be a good time to remind drivers of a few simple tips to help keep their back safe this Christmas.

After all, prevention is better than cure!

  • Adjust your seat:  The seat should be reasonably upright and positioned so that when you are holding the steering wheel your arms should be bent at the elbow. Check your posture from time to time to make sure you are not hunching forward over the steering wheel.
  • Adjust your headrest: The centre of the headrest rest should be level with your eyes.
  • Relax: Driving, especially in traffic, can be stressful so when you are stationary do some shoulder shrugs and breathing to relax. While breathing in lift your shoulders towards your ears and breathe out when lowering them back down.

If you are suffering back pain or discomfort and 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.

As an experienced osteopath in London, I treat patients every day who are in pain and whose lives are affected by pain and I take a keen interest in research, trials and developments on this topic.

This year the World Pain Conference was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Over 5,000 people attended the conference which included workshops and presentations.

At this year’s conference Dr Dawn Carnes, a Director of the National Council for Osteopathic Research (NCOR), presented her work on the COPERs trial. The COPERS trail is a randomised controlled trial of a pain self-management course for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The COPERS course is based on cognitive behavioural principles.

Osteopaths, along with other healthcare professionals, were trained to deliver the COPERS course. The trial concluded that patients who had undertaken the course were less depressed and more socially integrated, suggesting that COPERS could be a useful adjunct treatment in the management of people suffering with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Dr Carnes’ full report can be read at here.

If you are suffering pain and 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.

As a qualified and registered London Osteopath, I help my patients understand, overcome and prevent a myriad of issues and the symptoms they may cause.

Osteopathy involves the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of a variety of muscle, joint and skeletal conditions, where possible without the need for surgery or drugs. Using hands-on techniques an Osteopath restores your body’s natural functions

Through these non-invasive methods and by working closely with your lifestyle, as an osteopath, I can help minimise or even resolve your symptoms and improve your overall health.

Osteopathy is a validated, regulated and increasingly researched medical therapy which aims to address pain and other symptoms caused by a range of disorders. These can include problems incurred in the workplace, the sporting world and during pregnancy as well as general lifestyle related conditions.

As a highly experienced London Osteopath, I work with patients suffering with many different symptoms. These include:

  •  Joint, neck, muscle and back pain, both chronic and acute
  • Whiplash injuries
  • Frozen shoulder and shoulder pain
  • Spinal curvature
  • Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (Jaw pain)
  • Sciatica (‘Lumbago’)
  • Migraines
  • Tension headaches
  • Workplace injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Sporting injuries
  • Pregnancy pains
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Circulatory problems
  • Digestion problems
  • Neuralgia
  • Cramp
  • Arthritic Pain
  • Inability to relax

If you are suffering pain or discomfort and 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.

I know my story is your story too.

Five years ago, I turned 50. It felt as though everything changed overnight. 
In my 20s, 30s and 40s, I charged ahead with life, first throwing myself into my career — I worked as a magazine publisher — and then, in my late 30s, meeting my husband, getting married and having children. 
Those busy years almost seemed like one long decade, during which I didn’t feel any different about how I looked or acted. 
I never stopped to think about what impact the way I was living might have down the road.

Then, one day, I woke up and… I was 50. Suddenly, I would catch myself in the mirror and notice my drying skin, crow’s feet, the way my hair looked. I felt aches and pains for the first time. I also began to gain weight. 
It wasn’t a huge amount, but it was steady and showing no signs of slowing down. Weight gain can often be a part of the aging process, especially after women go through menopause. However, I remember reading somewhere that five pounds was an acceptable amount to gain, but anything more was another term for “letting yourself go.”

I knew that if changes weren’t made — and fast — I’d be heading into my 50s at a terrible disadvantage. Wanting to stay healthy, fit, energetic and productive for the rest of my life, I was ready to change — and possibly save — my life.
 I didn’t simply want to think, “I’m 50 now, that’s it, my life is over.” I wanted to be fearless after 50. There’s been a lot written about how women cease to exist once they hit this age. 
Despite our great consumer power, post 50 women are often dismissed as invisible, and seen as neither young nor interesting enough. This is so wrong, and I was depressed thinking that this was my future.

But, there was more…

When I turned 50, I found myself asking the ‘what if’ questions: What if I get sick or have a heart attack? What if I get Alzheimer’s? What if I get cancer? Do I already have cancer without knowing it? 
I looked around and people my age were having strokes, struggling with depression, developing diabetes. 
It’s not that younger people didn’t have some of these health concerns, but that after 50 they seemed all too common. And the closer I looked, the more I realized that many of these health issues were in my control. The more I thought about it, the more questions I had. I began to wonder if there were tests I should be getting and asking what I could do to make sure that I lived a healthy life.

Like many women, I had gone a long time without doing simple things that could positively affect my health. 
Many of us are part of the so-called sandwich generation — caught between looking after our children and caring for elderly parents — and I realized life had kept me busy taking care of others, yet failing to do the right things for myself.

Sleeping enough and exercising daily had come to seem like an indulgence, even as I made sure that my family was well-fed and well-rested. 
So I embarked on a quest to discover how ordinary women could look and feel their best in their 50s and beyond. 
I soon realized that what I wanted was the best information I could find. I began to contact beauty experts and financial experts. 
I talked to the renowned hairdresser Frederic Fekkai, and to fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. 
I tracked down women’s health specialists and exercise gurus, nutritionists and make-up experts. And, after hearing their advice, I took it.

I started going for slow runs with breaks for walking every day and learned how to do push-ups and other exercises to prevent osteoporosis. 
I went for annual health checks. I changed the way I ate and dropped the bad habits I’d slipped into. 
Where I had once spent my time dieting instead of eating, I began to pay attention to what I ate and to eat something healthy and small every couple of hours. 
I even accepted the fact that my hair, which I had spent decades straightening, was naturally wavy and looked its best that way. And I didn’t just lose the 15 lbs. I gained, I dropped an entire pants size.

Five years later, I feel fitter then I have at any time since I turned 30. 
More importantly, I found that I don’t only look and feel better, my health has improved. 
My cholesterol levels dropped and I even ran the New York City Marathon this year to celebrate my 55th birthday and raise money for a very deserving charitable organization. 
And, while turning 50 gave me a shock, now that I am 55 I am happier than ever before.

I loved the earlier decades of my life but I rushed through them. I was more insecure then and less happy about how I looked and felt. 
Like many women, I sought approval from everyone except myself. Now, when I look in the mirror, I see a woman who is brimming with confidence, enthusiasm, and energy. I am happy with who I am and with how I look — including my crow’s feet, which are a part of the story of my life.

So many of us fear aging when we should embrace it. But the greatest lesson I learned on my quest for reinvention is we need to feel comfortable in our own skin, whatever age we are. 
Whether you are 49, or 62, or 75, you need to decide that you are going to be the fittest, healthiest and best-looking 49, 62, or 75-year-old there is. 
For too long, women have been tricked into seeing 50 as the end of the road when, instead, we should be viewing it as the start of a new life, one in which we are truly comfortable with who we are. Instead of retreating from the world, we can embrace our place within it.

Turning 50 did more than save my life. It put me on the path to a new one.


At 16, I had everything to look forward to. I had expected to get three As at A-level and go on

to read history and then law at Oxford University. Then, inexplicably, I was struck down by

an ‘invisible’ illness that left me little better than a zombie.

My muscles couldn’t keep me upright for long, my memory didn’t work, my body couldn’t

heal itself, my limbs felt leaden and sore, and my brain’kept blanking out.

During the short periods when my brain did switch on, I was confused and scared because I

was aware that only a few months previously I had been out celebrating great GCSE results

with friends. And I did not know what had happened to me.

My doctor, who eventually diagnosed me with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) didn’t seem to

offer any help and I was considered to be a hypochondriac and undeserving of sympathy,

support or care.

In the early Nineties, when I became ill, ME was known as Yuppie Flu and seen as being all

in the head. That’s a harsh way to treat a previously confident child.

I am lucky my mother was able to spend all her time helping me get up, day after day, month

after month, or I would have been bed bound. I shudder to think where I would now be.

I did eventually go to university, and gained a first-class degree and then an MA with

distinction and now I work as a writer.

But each success was tempered by the fact that every time I pushed my brain or body hard

enough to achieve something, my ME would make me crash again, with each crash taking

longer to crawl back from.

I’m now 33, having struggled through life with the illness, and often it se’ems as if public and

medical perceptions have not moved on. Over the years I have searched for treatments until,

in 2009, I discovered one that has transformed my life – a type of osteopathy called the

Perrin Technique.

The Perrin Technique involves a series of stiff massages and can take

more than two years to take effect. I was treated once a week for the first 12

weeks, followed by every two weeks for 12 weeks and so on.

It suggests a plausible cause for ME: that a virus causes a fault in the lymphatic system, the

network of glands and vessels that should remove waste toxins produced by every tissue in

the body.

The feeling of ME is similar to the pain you get after a long, hard walk. The lactic acid makes

your muscles hurt and shake, and your body is at the point of collapse. Add to this the

sensation of a severe hangover. Being poisoned by a long-term build up of toxins seems a

very likely explanation.

The Perrin Technique involves a series of stiff massages and can take more than two years

to take effect.

I was treated once a week for the first 12 weeks, followed by every two weeks for 12 weeks

and so on.

The therapist kneads the areas where the lymph nodes are – around the back, under the

arms and in the chest. It was agonising to begin with although my husband, who attended

my first session, said the therapist had been only lightly touching me.

The process causes lymphatic build-up to be drawn out of the muscles and into the defective

drainage system where the pressure forces the waste to be discharged.

Caution: The treatments are not medically proven but once Alex starts to feel pain, she goes for another

treatment

Gradually, treatments become more spaced out as the practitioner tries to get the system

working on its own again. I am used to it now and during my monthly sessions I’m able to

withstand quite vigorous massage.

I was eight months into my treatment before I started to feel better. Since month 15 the gap

between my sessions is now two months, and the improvements are more constant.

Most of the time my muscles and joints are pain-free, my concentration is not bad, and I

have so much more energy. Recently I have even felt well enough to stay with friends for

whole weekends.

The technique is not medically proven, but I know that if my symptoms start to return, a

single session gets rid of them.

This is not a short or an easy treatment and it’s not a cure. However, after just the first year,

I looked back and realised it had transformed my life.

I wish one of the many GPs I begged for help had bothered to do research and told me

about it. They could have saved me from a living hell.

www.theperrinclinic.com

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-206081811-zombie-years-massage-brought-life-ME-treatment-GPs-dont-knowabout.