Tag Archive for: london osteopath

A recent report by The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), found that rising NHS waiting times are prompting one in six to consider private healthcare if they have to wait longer than 18 weeks for care.

This is borne out by what experienced Osteopath, Robin Kiashek, is seeing in clinic.

Robin says: “I’m seeing an increasing number of patients who may not have previously considered paying for private Osteopathy.  But they are doing so now because the NHS waiting time they have been given is unacceptable to them.

In theory this should be good news for the NHS – pressure off lists.  And good news for the patient – quicker access to treatment.

Disgruntled patients

But not so much in practice.  The first thing that Robin must do is to unpick these patients’ disgruntled feelings around no longer being able to quickly and easily access treatment on the NHS for free.

Robin says: “I understand that this is a change to what we’re used to. But patients quite clearly feel aggrieved. Not at having to pay for my services necessarily but at having to pay for treatment that they believe should be free. And this manifests itself in two ways.  They are generally quite cross at our first consultation, and they believe that I should be able to ‘fix’ them in the minimum number of sessions. None of which is terribly conducive to their recovery.”

We’ve written before about the need to be a patient patient. Previously this centred around patients being reluctant to commit the necessary time to recovery.  Instead forging on with strenuous exercise programmes.  But now the focus is around a perception of value.

As Robin explains: “If an NHS therapist were to recommend six or eight sessions of therapy to bring you to recovery then I doubt many patients would ask if that could be achieved with less sessions.”

Robin tries to encourage patients to focus on what they are getting. Rather than where they feel they might be missing out.

Initial consultation

At an initial consultation Robin takes a detailed case history including full medical background, information about your symptoms, health problems and any medical care you have been receiving. This is usually followed by a physical examination,  You will be asked to undergo various movements in a bid to reproduce your symptoms. Robin will use a combination of visual analysis and touch (or palpation). He may also use orthopaedic tests and occasionally refer for further x-ray or MRI investigation to help form a diagnosis.

Follow up treatment

Once you have a diagnosis, Robin will provide a full explanation and treatment plan. A treatment will be included in the initial Osteopathic consultation, assuming it’s safe to do so.

Robin adds: “I take a more holistic approach when it comes to treating musculoskeletal disorders relating to muscles, ligaments, joints, nerves, cartilage, tendons and the general skeletal system. I’ll also identify underlying causative factors. So I can work with you to help heal your specific condition/s and work towards preventing this from reoccurring.”

And that’s not all

Robin generally spends around 45 minutes at an initial consultation and 30 minutes on follow up appointments. He can’t promise to run exactly to time but he’s not yet left a patient sitting in his waiting room long past their appointment time. And you get to see the same person – Robin – at every consultation. So there is excellent continuity of care.

The last word goes to Robin: “Patients who work with me are extremely kind with their positive feedback. I do understand that we’d all rather be able to access treatment quickly and for free on the NHS. But I believe that complementary therapists in the private sector have a vital role to play in healthcare in the 21st century.”

So, if you’re languishing on a waiting list or struggling with ongoing pain then please do get in touch.

The title of this blog is not just a play on words from one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. It is also the question that most Osteopaths ask themselves each time they see a new patient.

Osteopaths take a holistic approach when it comes to treating musculoskeletal disorders relating to muscles, ligaments, nerves joints cartilage, tendons and the general skeletal system.

They also identify any underlying factors to get to the root cause of the problem. Which is why Osteopathy can not only help ease specific conditions, but also work towards improving your overall health.

 

Extensive training

 

Osteopaths are trained to degree level, with courses usually lasting four or five years.  These are a combination of academic studies, research and more than 1,000 hours of hands-on patient-facing training.

An important part of the training is about establishing whether the symptoms that patients present with require further medical investigation or a referral.

Registered Osteopath Robin Kiashek graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Osteopathic Medicine. He has since gone on to add a number of other qualification strings to his bow. Robin said: “I work with patients to address their presenting symptoms and understand causative factors to promote ongoing health.

“Much of my initial process is around ruling out other pathologies. As a member of the General Osteopathic Council – the body that promotes patient safety by setting, maintaining and developing standards of osteopathic practice and conduct – I am committed to helping my patients achieved optimal physical and emotional wellbeing.”

 

Referral required

 

At an initial consultation Robin spends around 30 minutes taking a detailed patient history.  This includes physical and emotional lifestyle factors.  Then he moves on to a physical examination.

And if there any indicators that further investigation or medical involvement would be appropriate then he won’t hesitate to make a referral.

For example, earlier this year, a patient came to Robin after two trips to a local hospital with lower back and abdominal pain. Both times she had been sent home without being examined and painkillers had been prescribed.

Robin explains: “I conducted a physical examination and it was immediately clear that this pain was not going to be cured by painkillers.  I wrote a letter referring the patient to A&E. The diagnosis was eventually a stone in the ureter. And that required follow-up treatment.”

 

Face to face with your Osteopath

 

Osteopaths are classed as key workers. Therefore, Robin has been able to keep both his clinics open during lockdown. He adheres to all government guidelines of course and, being a sole practitioner, patients are not sitting in a crowded waiting room.

 

Obviously, changes and concessions to face to face medical appointments had to be made during the past year.  But it’s reassuring for patients to know that face to face Osteopathy is still available should they be in pain.  And that Osteopaths not only have the skills to provide treatment but also the training to know when to refer.

 

So, patients really are in safe hands.

 

If you are in pain then don’t hesitate to get in touch.

There’s an increasing amount of anecdotal evidence from people suffering from Long Covid.  This is where symptoms remain for much longer than the suggested two week period and are often accompanied by issues outside the officially recognised cough, fever and loss of taste or smell.  These most commonly include debilitating fatigue, breathlessness, muscle aches and joint pain.  Also, ‘brain fog,’ memory loss, lack of concentration, and depression. Very similar to the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

The main symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is feeling extremely tired and generally unwell.  But this tricky condition can also deliver a range of additional nasties.  The severity of which can vary from day to day, or even within a day.  These include:

  • muscle and/or joint pain
  • headaches
  • sleep issues
  • brain fog – problems thinking, remembering or concentrating
  • a sore throat or sore glands that are not swollen.
  • flu-like symptoms.
  • feeling dizzy or sick.
  • fast or irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations)

Over the past few weeks, Osteopath Robin Kiashek has seen an increase in the number of patients presenting with these types of symptom.

Robin said: “Several of the patients I’ve seen with CFS symptoms know they have had COVID.  But, of course, we will never know how many people have already had it but were asymptomatic.”

What can be done to ease the symptoms of CFS?

Robin has been a licensed practitioner in The Perrin Technique™ for CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia for over 10 years.

This is a manual method that aids the diagnosis and possible treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME.  It was developed by Osteopath and neuroscientist Dr Raymond Perrin DO PhD in 1989.

What is the Perrin Technique™?

The Perrin Technique™ is based on Dr Perrin’s theory that different stress factors whether physical, allergies, emotional or infections lead to an overstrain of the sympathetic nervous system.

Further investigation has led to a probable cause of this nervous system overload being a build-up of toxins in the fluid around the brain and the spinal cord.

Some of the poisons caused by infection or inflammation in the head or spine flow through channels from the brain into the lymph ducts of the head face and neck.

The toxins are also meant to drain down the spinal cord and out into the lymph ducts lying along the spine. In a CFS/ME sufferer there is a back flow of these normal drainage points which leads to further toxicity and dysfunction of the central nervous system. This leads to the many symptoms we see in CFS/ME.

Research over past 30 years has validated Dr Perrin’s theories read more about them here.

The Perrin Technique and Long COVID

Dr Perrin and his colleagues from the University of Manchester have written to a number of medical publications to highlight the potential for a post-viral syndrome to manifest following COVID-19 infection.  A similar situation was previously reported following Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infection, also a coronavirus.

Back in the clinic

Whilst this may sound like yet another blow from the hammer that is proving to be 2020, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Robin said: “Working with the symptoms of CFS is never straightforward and patients often end up at my door after suffering for months (if not years).

“They have frequently been subjected to a barrage of medical tests and received lots of negative results.  So, they are also feeling understandably anxious about what’s could be ailing them.

“The good news for people struggling with Long COVID symptoms is that they are fairly recent and are therefore likely to respond more quickly to treatment.  But it can still be a long haul.”

Patient X has been seeing Robin intermittently since the end of April, shortly after they started to feel unwell.

Patient X explains: “In April, I was feeling the post-viral effects of likely Covid-19 and felt I had nowhere to turn to for support from a health and well-being perspective. My GP practice still remains phone consultations-only and I was frustrated that my health wasn’t improving. I had crippling fatigue, strange neurological symptoms, insomnia, dizziness and many other symptoms following the acute viral phase.

“Luckily, I did some research and learned that the Perrin Technique might be beneficial.

“I started regular sessions with Robin and was grateful for the holistic advice. He confirmed that I had post viral fatigue which mirrors chronic fatigue syndrome and I started my Perrin Techniquesessions weekly.

“I am not 100% yet back to normal, but I feel it’s been a beneficial journey so far. I also feel empowered that I have a way of helping my recovery beyond resting and healthy eating.”

There are two Robin Kiashek Osteopath Clinics  – in Central London (on Regent Street) and in East Finchley.

If you’re suffering with any of the symptoms listed above, then why not request an appointment or call on 020 8815 0979?

I recently spent a fascinating day at the Royal Society of Medicine for the 9th Annual Spinal Symposium which looked at the spine from a range of perspectives.

The spine is often the part of the body that people most readily associate with Osteopathy (although we can assist with many other issues and help you to reach your goals in mind and body).

I think it’s vital to remain up to date with current thinking and I regularly refresh my learning with CPD events such as this, where I am always interested to hear about new developments, opinions and practices.

Annual Spinal Symposium

We heard from six excellent orthodox medical consultants who covered topics including dizziness and facial pain, degenerative spinal diseases and sport and the spine. But, for me, the most interesting speaker was Rheumatologist, Dr Roger Wolman who talked about the different types and levels of pain that people experience, and then focussed on chronic pain.

This is an issue that fascinates me and Dr Wolman’s assertion that there is often a poor correlation between chronic pain and structural abnormality certainly resonated with my experiences in clinic. Pain is often a measure of distress , both physical and sometimes emotional and not necessarily injury.

Managing chronic pain

He spoke at length about managing chronic pain and the important role that we can play in educating people about it. According to Dr Wolman, even just understanding chronic pain can help to change pain levels. He also stressed the need for patients to understand the relationship between stress, anxiety, depression and pain; to know their pain triggers; and the limited role of medication in these situations.

I have written before about the approach I take at my Clinics and how I believe in treating the person and not just the symptom they present with. This ‘body-mind detective’ role – systematically locating and treating the root cause of often very complex problems – is one I greatly enjoy and I have been able to help a number of patients who have been suffering with chronic pain over long periods of time.

Review

I’ll leave you with the kind words from a patient: “Robin’s treatments have helped reduce my back and neck pain which had plagued me for years. He has taught me how to reduce re-occurrences through exercise and lifestyle change – I was very despondent before I came to see him and he continues to help me hugely; I’m very grateful.”

So, if you’ve been nursing a niggle or putting up with pain for a while then why not book an appointment?

 

 

 

 

 

This year’s Backcare Awareness Week (8th to 12th October) focuses on back pain in older people. Awful at any age, back pain can be really disabling and miserable in the over 60s.  BackCare, the National Back Pain Association, offers useful information and resources but I want to talk about how we can help sufferers of all ages at the Robin Kiashek clinics.

Impact on society

A staggering 80% of us will suffer with some form of back pain during our lives – at my osteopathic practice in London I see several sufferers each week. The human cost in terms of pain, misery, impairment plus the knock-on effects on family and friends is enormous. Factor in the economic impact – NHS statistics for 2016/17 show that a staggering 3.2 million days were lost to back pain – and we can see how society as a whole is affected. And we do abuse our backs, with long hours of driving, sitting hunched over a screen, heavy lifting and carrying, caring for children, the elderly or disabled and some very bad lifestyle habits!

Getting help for back pain

Here at The Robin Kiashek Clinics we aim to relieve pain and help strengthen the body, making it less susceptible to further discomfort or injury. Our range of gentle and effective treatments include Osteopathy, Western Acupuncture and Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT).

We also recommend yoga. It promotes physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing and helps develop and maintain a fit and supple body.  It is also an effective antidote to the stresses of modern lifestyle. A US study among 1000 long-term lower back pain sufferers found that those who practised yoga were most likely to see improved mobility and reduced pain levels. And classes are readily available and safe to try, whatever your age or level of fitness. All you need is a mat!

Based on the premise that prevention is better (or easier) than cure, here are some simple tips to maintain a healthy back:

Top tips for a healthy back

  • Keep mobile – walking, cycling and swimming, (especially back stoke) will help your back to stay supple. Remember to take a short break from sitting every half hour.
  • Reduce excess weight – extra pounds can place enormous pressure on the spine and muscles, exaggerating the curve of your lower back and causing your spine to become misaligned.
  • Lift heavy objects correctly – bend at the knee, not the back. Carry heavy loads in a well-fitted rucksack, using both straps, rather than slinging a bag over one shoulder.
  • Consider your posture – sit up straight, don’t slump in your chair.  Use a laptop riser and walk with your shoulders back and head up (not staring at the ground!).
  • Stop smoking – it can reduce blood supply to discs between the vertebrae and cause disintegration.
  • Check your bed – does it provide the correct support for your weight and build?
  • Manage stress – beat this leading cause of back pain by learning relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation or breathing.

 Get in touch

If you are experiencing back pain then why not call The Robin Kiashek Clinics on 020 8815 0979 or request an appointment? We will assess you thoroughly and provide a personalised treatment plan, including exercises and guidance on preventing future occurrences. This can bring relief and even be life-changing and transformative, allowing you to regain and retain independence.

Western Medical Acupuncture is just one technique used by London Osteopath Robin Kiashek.

In this short video, Robin explains what this type of acupuncture is.

For more information on acupuncture please click here.

Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is a technique used by London Osteopath Robin Kiashek.

In this short video, Robin explains what low level laser therapy is and what it can be used to treat.

For more information on Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) please click here.

At The Robin Kiashek Clinics, we believe in a holistic approach to your general health. Therefore, as well as assisting patients with conditions that are currently causing them pain, we also look to encourage and promote other preventative techniques and practices such as meditation and mindfulness. After reading about some exciting new research in this field, we thought we would share some of the findings with you.

The benefits of regular meditation

We have long known of the benefits to body and mind from regular meditation and focused relaxation, but the evidence has often been dismissed as anecdotal. Now, across the world, we are seeing more and more studies into what happens to us physically when we engage in this kind of mindfulness activity regularly.

What is mindfulness and meditation?

meditation

Before we discuss this latest research, let’s briefly touch on what meditation and mindfulness is. Meditation has been traditionally associated with the Buddhist faith and is considered to be a state of contemplation or prayer. Nowadays it is considered to be the practice of sitting quietly with one’s thoughts or focusing on breathing. The idea is to keep your mind in the present moment, calmly clear your mind of any particular thoughts, whilst in a lying or seated position, and becoming aware of the energy coursing through the body in order to relax.

Mindfulness is similar, in that it is a the practice of remaining present and becoming conscious of your thoughts, how they spring up, what they are telling you about your situation and learning how to observe those thoughts with a view to overcoming any negativity. It can also be practiced whilst going about daily tasks, by way of stepping back and being more aware of how we are feeling or acting.

Recent studies of brain activity

A very recent study used MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanning to prove conclusively that meditation can affect grey matter positively, causing it to undergo large, observable changes.

The work has been carried out in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The project’s director, Sara Lazar, has concluded that during an average daily 27-minute meditation, the very structure of the brain alters. These changes lead to prolonged positive and relaxed feelings, and if sustained over a period of 8 weeks, result in significant changes and improvements in emotional life, as well as in the body.

In previous studies by Lazar’s team, the area of the brain that relates to attention and emotional integration, the cerebral cortex, has been shown to thicken in regular practitioners of meditation, more so than in subjects who had no previous experience in such activities.

Changes in our ‘dinosaur brain’

What is more, in the amygdala, the part of the brain often referred to as the ‘dinosaur brain’, responsible for regulating anxiety and stress reactions, there is a decrease in density of grey matter, meaning that the body is less likely to respond in a stressed way when faced with displeasing or adverse situations.

None of this brain activity was observed in the group of subjects who did not engage in mindfulness practice during the period of the study. No growth boosts in the brain were found. This showed without doubt that changes in the brain were not part-and-parcel of time simply passing, but that consistently engaging in mindfulness drastically changes grey matter.

The brain can be changed

Now we know more about the brain’s incredible plasticity, and we also have more confidence in encouraging human beings to be pro-active in their own brains’ re-structuring. It is now a certainty that the brain can be assisted into a state that leads to enhanced health and improvement in emotions and relationships, as well as increasing our ability to cope with stress.

Meditation to cope with stress

So, in light of the research above, might you consider introducing a regular mindfulness or meditation practice into your daily routine? Just 30 minutes per day, either first thing in the morning or last thing at night can help to make fundamental changes that will help the brain to cope with negative emotions such as stress or anxiety. These types of negative emotions may end up leading to more serious mental or even physical complaints (many of which we can help to treat in clinic), so it is wise to have a strategy to combat them.

Wellness and The Robin Kiashek Clinics

Wellness is at the heart of scientific endeavour, and here at Robin Kiashek Clinics we use the latest studies in diverse fields to keep our services on the cutting edge. To find out more about what we offer and our holistic approach to your health, please call us on: 0208 815 0979.

 

There are a number of questions I am frequently asked when I tell people I am an Osteopath. These generally go along the lines of “what do you actually do”, “how are you different from a Chiropractor” or “what can you treat?” Conversationally these questions are easier to answer, however this printed article has a finite word count. So in this instance I will direct you to my website www.robinkiashek.co.uk where not only these questions, but a multitude of others, are answered.

So why do people most commonly need an Osteopath?

london osteopath w1 n2 n10For me, within a clinical setting, I like to use the analogy of ‘The Dripping Tap Syndrome’. People will often have a small twinge or niggle of pain (a dripping tap over a glass scenario) which progressively starts to irritate that little bit more frequently (the glass starts to fill up). This can be over a period of weeks, months or even years. The analogical drip ultimately starts happening more often until eventually the final drop causes the glass to overflow and the patient experiences a significant increase in pain (commonly known as ‘acute’ pain). This ‘final drop’ can be an everyday event – maybe a sneeze, bending forward, a certain slight move etc

People come to me when the glass has overflowed. And my job is not only to turn it off, but to then understand why the tap was dripping in the first place. And the underlying reasons can sometimes be multifactorial – both on a physical level and sometimes emotional

How Can an Osteopath Help?

Assuming that someone has an issue which I can help, be that chronic or acute pain, sciatica, workplace injuries, sporting injuries or migraine, there is a very common set of three questions people ask me:

  1. What’s happening? (which is often a subtext for is it something more serious which I may not survive)
  2. How long will it take to fix?
  3. Will it come back?

A Holistic Approach to Health

Physiotherapist massaging patientUltimately I take a holistic approach to any health issue and, to go back to the analogy, find out why that dripping tap first occurred. As somebody who has undertaken extensive training from Osteopathy and Naturopathy, Post graduate studies in NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP)/Life Coaching, Western Acupuncture, The Perrin Technique for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Low Level Laser Therapy.

Stopping the drip is normally the relatively straightforward part of what I do. When it comes to preventing it from recurring this is where I need to understand the individual patient’s causative factors and working alongside them, help reduce the probability of a re-occurrence.

We both want the same goal, the patient to be happy and pain free. And by working together that is a more likely outcome.

To find out more about working with me in North or Central London please call 020 8815 0979. Alternatively you can request an appointment directly through our website here: https://www.robinkiashek.co.uk//request-an-appointment/

While most of us planned to fit in some “downtime” over the Christmas period, how many of us actually had it? With the festive period being the busiest time of year, some of us will be entering the New Year in need of another break just to recover from the hustle bustle of the season. But as a reputable London osteopath, I am a keen advocate of “downtime” as a combat against chronic stress and overworking your mind and body.

Untreated, long term stress can lead to both mental and physical health issues including depression, cancer, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes. (By the way, these only “scratch the surface” of the health hazards of stress!)

No matter what your job or your family commitments, it is fundamental to your happiness and health to take some time out for yourself every day – even it is just a relaxing soak in the bath with no interruptions! Many people see “downtime” or “me time” as a modern craze, when in fact it’s simply a biological necessity.