Archive for June, 2010

Many of our patients blame their aches and pains on their own bad postural habits; the implication is that if only they could maintain good posture in the chair at work, they would not encounter the same problems. Whilst good posture can help, it is part of a wider picture, and in most cases Osteopathic treatment is a very effective part of the solution. Here are ten reasons why:

1. There is no such thing as perfect chair posture; human beings are not designed to sit in chairs all day
2. A degree of objectivity is needed to evaluate the problem; this is very hard to do for yourself, and the trained eye of an Osteopath will quickly focus on the key issues
3. Assessment means that all related health problems may be identified at the same time, and treated appropriately in a structured and integrated manner
4. The result of sitting in chairs from schooldays onwards is that your body will have adapted e.g. certain joints will be stiffer; treatment can identify and modify those factors
5. Personalised exercise prescription can focus your efforts onto the most effective, relieving and restorative exercises for you as an individual
6. The first aim of treatment is to guide you back towards a sustainable state of relative comfort
7. Treatment is also aimed at improving your general health and mobility over the very long term
8. Consideration of lifestyle factors (such as work patterns or dietary habits) means that improvements are more likely to be sustained
9. It is common for patients to express surprise and delight that they are experiencing a state of physical ease and wellbeing they had forgotten was possible
10. The experience can equip you with the understanding and means to tackle similar health issues as and when they arise in the future

We’ve posted a few entries about posture at work – on a wide variety of topics such as

• what sort of bag is best for my back?
• Top tips for good posture at work (in the office)
• It’s just my posture … the slippery slope towards work related injury

I’ll post again in the next day or so some simple 2 minutes exercises that can help with good posture.

As you will know if you have received our newsletter, we have just launched our online exercise library. We hope that it will help not only our patients, but also the general public at large to implement body balance and posture enhancement exercises safely and effectively. Click on Exercises from the navigation bar at the top of the page to access the welcome page and videos.

If you have any questions or feedback regarding these videos, please contact us on 020 8566 0767 (Ealing) or 01895 2000 50 (Uxbridge), or by email at help@bridgetohealth.co.uk. You can also post a comment here (at the bottom of this post).

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition affecting the junctional area between the wrist and the heel of the hand. This narrow space carries important nerves and tendons supplying the palm and fingers; when it becomes congested, there may be symptoms such as pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the fingers or hand, or problems with manual dexterity. The congestion may be the result of a number of different general conditions involving fluid congestion, including pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis, or it may be more local in nature. Careful evaluation of the cause needs to be made, as the appropriate treatment will vary accordingly.

Although Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common finding, it is also often misdiagnosed, such as in cases of problems with the base of the neck, where the nerves that supply the hand exit from the spinal column, or general tightness and congestion in the forearm itself, which is frequently found in deskbound computer operators.

Treatment

Standard medical treatment includes splinting, steroid injections or in severe cases, surgery, but it is worth starting with physical therapy such as osteopathy, because the treatment will be based on careful evaluation and diagnosis, and may prevent the need to consider more invasive methods.

Can an osteopath help?

Mathieu, Jessica and I are registered osteopaths in Ealing and Uxbridge. Please call either clinic – 020 8566 0767 (Ealing) or 01895 20050 (Uxbridge) – to speak directly to one of us about your symptoms, whether we can help and the options available (no obligation – read more about what to expect on your first visit here).