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What would an Osteopath treat?

Osteopaths are widely known for treating back pain. However Osteopaths can treat well beyond the spine. 

From frozen shoulder and Fibromyalgia to headaches and muscle spasms—as an Osteopath, I use a variety of manual techniques, manipulation and allied therapies (like lower level laser therapy and Western Acupuncture) to improve circulation, reduce pain, and enhance the body’s natural healing processes. 

That said, Osteopathy is a holistic approach to healthcare and Osteopaths treat the person as well as the presenting symptoms. Therefore, I wouldn’t just look at the physical symptoms a patient is presenting with. A big part of my Osteopathic training is to identify any underlying factors to get to the root cause of the problem, which can sometimes be multifactorial—physical, emotional and nutritional. Doing so may help prevent recurrences and work towards improving a patient’s overall health. 

 

Health conditions an Osteopath can help with

 

As confirmed by the Advertising Standards Authority, Osteopaths can help with a range of health disorders like:

  • Arthritic pain
  • Circulatory problems
  • Cramp
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Frozen shoulder/ shoulder and elbow pain/ tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis arising from associated musculoskeletal conditions of the back and neck, but not isolated occurrences)
  • Headache arising from the neck (cervicogenic)
  • Joint pains
  • Joint pains including hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis as an adjunct to core OA treatments and exercise
  • General, acute & chronic backache, back pain (not arising from injury or accident)
  • Generalised aches and pains
  • Minor sports injuries
  • Muscle spasms
  • Neuralgia – referred acute pain caused by irritation of a nerve
  • Tension and inability to relax
  • Rheumatic pain
  • Sciatica – presents usually with pain down one or both legs
  • Uncomplicated mechanical neck pain (as opposed to neck pain following injury i.e. whiplash).

But perhaps it’s lesser known that Osteopathy and allied therapies can also help with: 

 

1. Migraine prevention

Believed to affect 6 million people in the UK*, Migraines can be a headache in every sense of the word. The complex neurological condition might begin with a painful headache preceded or accompanied by disturbed vision or aura—but migraines can affect the whole body. 

Someone suffering with a migraine might see flashing lights and/or zig zag patterns. While others may also experience pins and needles, numb limbs and difficulty in speaking. Sufferers can also encounter dizziness, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light, sound and smells. 

Medication is one method some turn to, to help control the pain, severity and frequency of attacks. However, as a Naturopath, I try to help my patients achieve emotional and physical wellbeing through natural methods and treatments, allowing their bodies to fight and prevent disease, minimising the need for surgery or drugs.

For example, Osteopathic techniques can help relieve migraine symptoms, whilst understanding and addressing the underlying, sometimes multifactorial, factors involved. While a 2020 systematic review, confirms that complementary therapies, such as Western medical acupuncture (which is also known as dry needling), “is an effective and safe method for migraines”.

 

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Differing to Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes stiffness and pain because of inflammation in the joints.

According to the NHS, GPs usually treat RA with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). However there is a growing body of evidence that suggests natural approaches, like exercise, nutrition and Osteopathy—though the use of soft tissue massage—can be useful for pain management. 

And, as researchers confirmed in the 2022 edition of the Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine journal, acupuncture can be a ‘beneficial’ non-pharmacological option, too. “Available evidence suggests that acupuncture is beneficial for relieving pain and ameliorating quality of life and health index in patients with RA,” researchers stated. “Thereby, it should be available as an adjunctive nonpharmacological treatment in rehabilitation programmes.”

 

Get in touch

If you are suffering with any aches or pains don’t suffer in silence. Schedule a consultation either online, via phone or by sending an email. Osteopath and Naturopath Robin Kiashek holds clinics on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

*https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/

**https://gutscharity.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DigestingTheFactsReport.pdf

***https://www.nlg.nhs.uk/resources/gastrointestinal-conditions/

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – is this the legacy of Long COVID?

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 Technique™ sessions 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?

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NHS to trial the Perrin Technique for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME)

NHS to trial the Perrin Technique

As an experienced and busy Osteopath in London I have spent many years helping patients with a variety of conditions. Being qualified in the Perrin Technique, a practice which works towards diagnosing and treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), more commonly known as Myalgic Encephalitis or ‘ME’ I am able to help patients with this conditions.

The Perrin Technique is a hands-on Osteopathic approach developed by Dr Raymond Perrin that detoxifies the body and the brain. The Perrin Technique aims to target the root of this potentially debilitating disease and cure it. Having trained with Dr Perrin and go on to be a practitioner of the the Perrin Technique helping patients with this disease I am pleased to know that the NHS is to trial the Perrin Technique for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME).

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME)?

CFS is a clinically defined condition characterized by severe disabling fatigue and a number of symptoms including disturbance of concentration, loss of short-term memory and disturbed sleep and musculoskeletal pain.

Due to the fact there is no accepted means of diagnosis by pathological tests such as blood or urine analysis, the standard diagnostic protocol of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome used within the NHS is one of exclusion. This means that a patient will only be diagnosed as suffering from CFS/ME when all other possible diagnostic tests has proved negative.

This isn’t an ideal situation for the patient at all.  It is not an adequate way to diagnose any disease; it causes distress amongst patients and forces in some cases numerous exhaustive tests that still provide no answer. Not to mention it is a slow process which will prolong the full force of the effects of the syndrome longer the needed.

The Perrin Technique NHS trial

A new research project is to begin at Wrightington Hospital, Wigan, based on Dr Perrin’s discovery. The project “Examining the accuracy of a physical technique for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis” has received ethical approval and is being conducted by a team at the Allied Health Professions unit at the University of Central Lancashire in association with 3 NHS trusts.

Introducing an evidence-based bio-physical diagnostic procedure for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME at the earliest onset of the symptoms associated with this disease could lead to much speedier diagnosis. The patient  would then be in a position to have their illness managed far earlier than the present NHS protocol supports which in some regions can take at least six months before referral to an NHS specialist unit and at least a further month of blood tests.

The benefits to the patient is significant. In addition, reducing the need of some of the pathological tests currently being carried out could reduce the huge financial burden placed on the health  service for these tests.

How leading Osteopath in London can help

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.

More information on The Perrin Technique and Treatment

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