1: Low back pain relief
Prevalence
Top of the list of the top 5 reasons people come to see us is low back pain, which affects approximately 60% of the adult population at some point in their life, with 90-95% of those people presenting with non-specific low back pain (the type that we can help with) according to the UK Government ‘NICE’ website.
Causes
In our clinic, we see many people with low back pain after having completed a simple task, (such as picking up a newspaper or TV remote from the floor).
They may have done this many times before, but due to reasons unknown to them (which we will try to help find out) they suddenly got their pain, seemingly out of nowhere.
The true reason is often related to a gradual build up of tension over many months or years, which hitherto has gone unnoticed.
Another common cause is poor form in the gym, not exercising the antagonist muscles and not remembering to stretch at the beginning and end of a session. Workplace injuries can occur in a similar way.
Osteopathy
During our treatment sessions, not only do we make various adjustments to try to help relieve pain, but you may be given certain stretches and/or exercises to help alleviate your symptoms.
That’s no.1 of the top 5 reasons people come to see us
2: Neck pain relief
Prevalence
Neck pain affects thousands of people and according the UK Government ‘NICE’ website, it is estimated that up to 70% of the adult population have a lifetime risk of acquiring neck pain of some kind, with highest prevalence in the 39-45yrs age group. Interestingly it seems to affect more women than men.
Causes
In our clinic, commonly we see people with neck pain as a result of their work, which typically involves working at a desk, using power tools, decorating or working in a high pressure environment.
Check out our ‘Pain in the neck?‘ blog where we talk about workplace ergonomics, as this may have a few pointers if you happen to work in an office. There is also another generic blogpost about neck pain here.
Osteopathy
Treating neck pain can be interesting as the root causes can be wide ranging from local areas of somatic dysfunction, to areas which are seemingly remote, but nonetheless key, such as areas of the body which have had surgery. All areas are considered in our search for the root cause and the alleviation of your symptoms.
3: Shoulder pain relief
Prevalence
Lifetime prevalence estimates vary widely but have indicated that up to 67% of people may develop shoulder pain, according the UK Government ‘NICE’ website
Causes
Commonly, in our clinic, we will see people presenting to us with shoulder pain secondary to neck and mid spine somatic dysfunction (areas which could move a little better, but don’t).
We also commonly see people with Spondylosis and Spondyloarthritis (wear and tear of the spine). Although we can’t reverse the effects of degenerative changes in the spine, we can help people to live with less pain than they normally would, all without the unwanted side effects of medications.
Osteopathy
We tend to help people by releasing these somatic dysfunctions and stretching out any areas of tension. Commonly, exercises are prescribed to either help stretch out, or to strengthen certain muscle groups.
That’s no.3 of the top 5 reasons people come to see us
4: Sciatica, hip, knee, ankle, arm, elbow and wrist pain
Causes
Pain which appears on the appendages (arms & legs) often has a local cause, but can also have a cause related to other areas of your body.
This may seem confusing to think about, for example, how could a shoulder problem manifest itself as pain in your heel? Well it can and we can explain how, but more importantly we can help you to deal with those symptoms.
You may have heard of some of the different types of appendage pain, here are a few:
| Commonly known name | What actually is it? |
|---|---|
| Carpal Tunnel | Pins & needles in the hand |
| Tennis Elbow | Pain on the outer part of the elbow joint |
| Golfer’s Elbow | Pain on the inner part of the elbow joint |
| Achilles Tendinitis | Pain in the back of the heel of the foot |
| Policeman’s Heel (Plantar fasciitis | Pain on the front of the heel of the foot |
Osteopathy
We look for the root cause of the pain, which commonly happens to be at a more central location, the main part of your body such as the pelvis, abdomen and thorax/neck.
As with all causes of pain, we may consider your case history and any complaints of bowel or bladder changes as being a contributing factor to your pain.
Provided the bowel and bladder changes have been ruled out as being from a sinister cause, then any tensions in the connective tissues of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis can also be checked as a part of your Osteopathic examination.
An example might be; a past history of gastritis with antibiotic use which may lead to bowel or bladder upset, which can further lead to restriction in one or more vertebral segments (of your spine), leading to pain at the same level or elsewhere as the strain is passed on to other tissues.
5: Headaches and Stress relief
Prevalence
According the UK Government ‘NICE’ website, tension type headaches have a lifetime prevalence of 42%, which isn’t surprising given the way the world is wired up these days – it’s all go, go, go isn’t it?
Causes
In our clinic, commonly we see people coming in with tension headaches for reasons such as working on a laptop, or a poorly adjusted workstation setup.
Osteopathy
Maybe if that’s you, then you could take a look at our ‘Pain in the neck?‘ blog where we talk about workplace ergonomics and how we work to help you reduce and even eliminate your headaches.
You may want to read our blog about tension type headaches here.
That’s the last of the top 5 reasons people come to see us, so what might your reason be?
Baks Osteopathy use Osteopathy, Acupuncture & Cranio Sacral Therapy to help relieve pain & reduce stress related tensions.
If you need help with any problems related to pain or stress related tension, then do get in touch and see if we can help you.
