Tel : 01379 870707 ----Email : info@backclinic.co.uk______
Spring 2010
Introduction
What is Osteomyology?
Pain or Maintain; that choice is yours
CranioSacral Therapy is a great way to combat stress, relieve tension and RELAX
A holistic approach to long term back problems.
Now that you have arrived at the BackCare Clinic website please take time to look around. What do you think? (Feedback gratefully received, just email me)
The website is a part of the New Year for the BackCare Clinic and like the newsletter it will evolve and improve over time. You will notice I have included a patient testimonials section. Have you got a BackCare Clinic success story to share?
It will help others to know that there is hope for relief from back related pain and discomfort particularly if they have tried other treatments without achieving the results they were looking for.
Send your testimonials to nic@backclinic.co.uk
osteo = bone
myo = muscle
ology = the science or study of.
So taken literally Osteomyology is simply the science or study of bone and muscle.
I am a member of The Association of Osteomyologists. The Association believes that being qualified in a variety of techniques leads to multi-disciplined practitioners, who are therefore able to adapt treatments for different conditions and individual circumstances.
Within the Association, members have already qualified in their chosen field be it Osteopathy, Chiropractic, Physical therapy, in fact any one of a number of manual medical disciplines. Osteomyologists go further; they have continued to expand their knowledge and through the Association have studied other disciplines which they add to their portfolio.
In my case I use Theraflex or Power Assisted Micro-manipulation, Muscle Energy Techniques, Therapeutic Massage, Applied Kinesiology and CranioSacral Therapy, together with advice on exercise to provide a holistic approach to treatment.
As an Osteomyologist I treat both the symptoms and the root cause of a condition, aiming to alleviate and prevent reoccurrence whenever possible, and as the body is treated as a whole, treatment for long-term and repetitive problems is particularly effective.
Not all Osteomyologists will use the same techniques I do.
Where necessary, I will refer you to other professionals including my colleagues at The Complementary Medicine Centre or your GP or whoever I feel would be of benefit to you.
Can we really move away from the normal ‘Pain – Comfort – Pain’ Cycle?
Before I became a therapist I was running a health club. where I came across many instances of people controlling their back pain by frequent visits to their Chiropractor or Osteopath. These frequent visits were over a period of months, and in some cases years, rather than just a few weeks.
Thinking about this pattern influenced my own approach to treating patients when I became a therapist.
The treatment and results model I aimed for was to treat people quickly and effectively; generally in three or four visits after their initial consultation, and then to advise that they would only need to return when they felt the need.
I was determined not to tell patients that only by returning on a regular basis would they be able to remain pain free.
Fortunately I discovered Power Assisted Micro-manipulation (PAM) which, when used together with MET (muscle energy techniques), massage and craniosacral therapy, allowed me more often than not to give patients the quick and effective treatment and results I was aiming for.
I thought I was doing the best that I could for my patients - treating them quickly, relieving their pain and minimising their costs in time and money.
The problem with this approach is that patients only returned when they were in pain again; albeit a number of months, or sometimes years, after their initial treatment.
Surely there was a better way?
Returning patients would often say to me “I was fine until a week ago” or “I haven’t had a problem until now”
My response would be to ask what they thought caused the return of pain. The reply would more often than not be the same minor things that had brought on the previous painful episode.
So I had a problem.
In striving to give fast, effective treatment and results but not to ask my patients to return too frequently I was allowing them to come back when they were in pain.
Was this the best I could do for them? There must be a better solution?
So what was I doing right?
- I explained that the underlying stiffness of the spine created the stresses that caused the painful problem to develop
- I explained that the causes of this stiffness are many and varied but can be summed up as lifestyle; all the physical and emotional things that make you the individual you are.
- I was treating the underlying causes of back pain
- I was treating the symptoms as well
- I was restoring flexibility to a stiff spine
- I was reducing the stresses that caused the pain to develop
- I was intending to take away the need for frequent treatments to keep the pain at bay
How could I get round this?
If we understand that the condition of a pain free back is very little different to a painful back. When I saw you the first time, it was explained to you that the underlying stiffness of your spine created the stresses that caused your painful problem to develop. The causes of this stiffness are many and varied but can be summed up as your lifestyle, all the physical and emotional things that make you the person you are. However, did you change your lifestyle dramatically after my treatment relieved you of your pain? No? I didn’t think so! So for all intents and purposes your back at this moment in time is probably (unless you have had treatment recently) in exactly the same condition as it was 5 minutes before pain struck last time.
I’ve thought long and hard about this dilemma and I’ve talked to other therapists whom I respect and admire, and I’ve decided that perhaps there is a happy medium.
Rather than contribute to the normal “Pain – Comfort – Pain” Cycle, I could serve you better by helping you MAINTAIN a HEALTHY PAIN FREE back, and not by advising that frequent visits are necessary but by encouraging a return visit 3 to 4 times a year to loosen up that stiff back, relax those tight muscles and to just take care of yourself.
So, do you believe that Pain – Comfort – MAINTAIN is a better alternative to Pain – Comfort – PAIN?
Some of you may have had some experience of Craniosacral Therapy.
If so, you will know just how gentle it is, but also how effective it can be in relieving muscle tension.
If not then you may be amazed at just how effective it is in easing shoulder tension, combating stress and helping you to relax.
So would you like the benefits of a massage without the need to undress? If the answer is yes CranioSacral Therapy will be the treatment for you. Relax and just feel the stress drain away.
Book Now for a 30 min taster sessions for £20.
Offer open till until Easter 2010.
Offer open till until Easter 2010.
Osteomyologists always take a holistic approach to back care and pain relief using the wide range of differing manual therapies at our disposal. We focus on the importance of treating the underlying causes of a problem rather than just treating the symptoms.
There are many other factors that may directly or indirectly contribute to back problems or spinal related problems. These may include;
- Emotional; stress or low self esteem leading to muscle tension and poor posture.
- Chemical; for example low levels of magnesium in the body can reduce the ability of muscles to relax effectively.
- Physical; work related posture or a musculoskeletal imbalance created by playing a one sided sport such as tennis, maybe problems with the feet such as pronation or fallen arches.
| A female patient in her late fifties attended the BackCare Clinic at The CMC* complaining of neck and shoulder pain and, more specifically, recurring headaches. Indeed there had been very few days over the previous 35-40 years when she had not had a headache. These headaches would begin at the base of the skull and radiate over to her forehead. Her poor posture, with exaggerated kyphosis (rounded curvature) of her thoracic spine causing her head to protrude forwards, indicated there was a strong case for the headaches to be of a mechanical nature. She had tried many mechanical therapies such as chiropractic and osteopathy before, but she was prepared to try further treatment at the BackCare Clinic once the different nature of the treatment was explained to her. After three sessions, consisting of treatment with Power Assisted Micro-manipulation (now Theraflex), muscle energy work and massage, the frequency of headaches had more than halved. When headaches did occur the intensity was much less, frustratingly, there were still headaches. Apart from her poor posture, stiffness of the spine and other obvious mechanical problems this patient struck me as a very tense, nervous person, somewhat lacking in confidence. We talked about her inability to relax and unwind and I suggested that we might find someone to help her in this matter. She agreed to have a free 15 minute consultation with one of my colleagues at CMC. Nan van der Neut practices Psychological Therapies, treating a range of conditions including anxiety, fear, stress and depression. During the initial consultation Nan identified a deep seated emotional problem. Using a variety of psychological techniques she helped the patient to become aware of what was causing the tension. The patient was then taught how to recognize and respond to her problem in a positive way. The result was a further reduction in headaches. Another back care treatment later, together with two more therapy sessions resulted in no more headaches. |
I think this illustrates that while neither therapy was going to relieve the symptoms entirely on their own, the combination of two very different therapies brought relief in a very successful manner.
*CMC Complementary Medicine Centre
The Complementary Medicine Centre, The Gilchrist Unit, Hartismere Hospital, Castleton Way, Eye, Suffolk, IP23 7BH