City Osteopaths News and Articles

Back to Blog

Concussion Symptoms in a teenage boy - a case study

Concussion can be a very serious and debilitating injury, yet a high proportion of people who receive a concussion do not get any treatment for it. Here at Concussion Recovery in Wellington we provide expert concussion assessment and treatment.Osteopathy can be highly effective in aiding recovery from concussion, and we are pushing for it to be incorporated into the standard ACC treatment plan for these injuries. Current standard treatment on ACC often consists solely of continued assessment to ...

Headaches Effective Treatment

Headaches and migraines are two of the most common ailments in the world, with up to 80% of the population having at least one headache per year. They can widely vary in their type and intensity, meaning that some may rarely suffer at all, however there are individuals who suffer so much that it begins to take a toll on their everyday life, even causing them to take time off work or cancel their social plans.There are various types of headaches that all have different causes. These include migra...

Experiencing Jaw Pain

Are you experiencing jaw pain, neck pain or headaches?  What you need to know about temporomandibular join dysfunction.The jaw is also known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The joint is formed by the mandible (the main bone that we consider to be the jaw) and the temporal bones on either side (these form part of your skull). TMJ dysfunction is a term used to describe pain felt in and around the jaw.​​The masseter (one of the main muscles that controls the movement of the TMJ) is t...

Did you know that Osteopaths can offer relief for Sinus Pain

Patients often present for osteopathy treatment who experience sinus congestion, face discomfort, nasal sensitivity, headaches, post-nasal drip or are prone to chronic sinus infections. When treating patients with sinus conditions, as osteopaths we must consider the function of the sinuses and what role they play in relation to the rest of the body.​Sinuses are hollow cavities in our skull. There are 4 paranasal sinuses which drain directly into the nasal cavity. The paranasal s...

WORKSTATION ERGONOMICS

Your workstation should be set up to cause the least amount of stress on your body. Prolonged hours of poor posture or repetitive work habits, often in a stressful environment can result in significant overuse injury. Applying the following points can help to minimise such injuries.  Important points to note :  Sit in front of your workstation such that your monitor is directly front on. Your arms should be at right angles from your shoulders when you type. Your wri...

CONTINUING EDUCATION BY OUR OSTEOPATHS HELPS TO IMPROVE CHRONIC PROBLEM MANAGEMENT

Reg Osteopath Dr Melanie Young B.A., B.App.Sc. (Clin.Sc.), B. Osteo.Sc. MONZ  Melanie has been studying the Biodynamics of Osteopathy courses since 2002 and has now completed Phase Nine. She says "I have found the experience of working with the refined skills Biodynamics encourages, enables me to treat more complex and chronic problems in a very gentle and effective way.  Melanie was recently on a course to help develop the future competency requirements for Paediatric Osteop...

GOOD RESEARCH FROM BONE AND JOINT

I had an older patient in the practice last week with a full thickness supraspinatus tear (top of the shoulder and shoulder tip) which has been causing pain when sleeping on that shoulder and pain on driving. Good to read this research from Bone and Joint, that conservative treatment outcomes are so positive, as many people are understandably not keen on surgery.  http://www.bjj.boneandjoint.org.uk/cgi/content/short/96-B/1/75  Dr Melanie Young Reg.Osteopath...

Acupuncture Myths Sorted

Like anything, if you give yourself enough time to do a spot of Internet exploring you’re going to find something that will deter you from trying acupuncture. The truth being, people react differently to their various experiences in life; while some might love one restaurant, another person might never step foot inside it again.Take pharmaceuticals for example, some people respond fast and effectively to drugs, whilst it wont work for others as well. You’ll never know if Acupuncture will wor...

Hyberbaric Oxygen Concussion

Hyperbaric Oxygen for Concussion Recoveryn 2014 there was a patient I had been seeing on ACC for a bad concussion - traumatic brain injury (TBI).  We were making progress with the treatment, but it was slow. I did not see her for a month and when she returned, she looked SO much better - her eyes were brighter, her speech was clearer, and her headaches had considerably reduced.  I asked her what she had done and she said she had been having QRS PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields)...

Breastfeeding and Tongue Tie

Babies were born to breastfeed. However there are many instances when breastfeeding is very difficult and painful for mother and baby. There can be a range of reasons for this and may be due to problems with the nerves that supply the tongue of the baby, affecting how it can move forwards and upwards to cup the nipple. This may be due to compression of sensitive areas of the baby’s soft skull when they are in the uterus or during childbirth. The passage down through the birth canal is est...

Acupuncture for Sports and Injuries

Athletes and sports people alike can benefit from what Acupuncture has to offer them while they are training; emphasis is directed on receiving treatment before they are injured! Reduce swelling, improve mobility, and strengthen tendons and ligaments. It will not only physically balance you but also mentally. Reasons Acupuncture Can Benefit Athletes: Accelerated healing: Acupuncture increases blood flow to an injured area, the insertion of a foreign object (this being an Acupuncture ne...

Dr Viola Frymann

I am posting this as Dr Viola Frymann has recently died in her mid 90's leaving a wonderful legacy of research on Osteopathic treatment of Children. ​Dr Viola Frymann, Osteopath, has been one of my teachers and has provided me much inspiration on this path to help ease the suffering of others using the gentlest osteopathic approach. May she rest in peace. A Touch Opens Door to Healing Osteopath Viola Frymann says she simply helps ailing children realise their potential, but many parents...

Baby Cranial Osteopath

In a large study involving over 1000 babies, Dr Viola Fryman, Osteopath, found that 10 percent of new babies will have little or no inutero or birth strains, 80 percent will have moderate strains and 10 percent will have severe strains. We recommend that all babies should be checked by an experienced Cranial Osteopath.  A baby will often communicate there is a problem by being unsettled, irritable, or wakeful. Symptoms in a newborn baby to be aware of are: colic excessive win...

Bone Density

How do I maintain good bone density as I age?An excessively acid diet will also reduce the amount of calcium in the bones. Avoid excessive red meat, coffee, smoking and carbonated drinks (ie soft drinks) as these all require calcium to be taken from your bones to buffer the acidic environment in your body.  You can also minimise bone loss, especially after menopause, by engaging in moderate-impact exercise and strength training, alongside a higher calcium intake to reduce the calcium l...

Pain and Injury

It is difficult to find anyone who has never had an injury of some sort. Heavy lifting strains, falls, car or bike accidents, surgery (including teeth extractions!), birth trauma for both the mother and baby, even emotional traumas... The list goes on. Osteopathic treatment can help with most injuries but there is more to it than meets the eye. Osteopaths are mediators in enabling your body to heal better, faster and more completely. And to do so, it is important to make sure the pre-injury...

Sciatica and Back Pain

You’ve probably heard people saying they have sciatica – and if you’ve had back pain or leg pain, you may have wondered if you’ve have sciatica. Sciatica is a commonly used (and occasionally abused) term - but what does it actually mean?The sciatic nerve is the largest in diameter in your body and when it's in trouble the pain can be excruciating.The word sciatica describes a set of symptoms, including lower back, buttock, hip, leg and foot pain as well as numbness, weakness, "pins and n...

Bad Posture

When bad posture isn’t really bad posture As osteopaths, we see many people who are concerned about their posture, often saying “I don’t want to end up like ….(insert name of elderly relative)… He/she is completely hunched over!”. It’s great to see people who understand the benefits of prevention over cure, but in many cases the person they are thinking of doesn’t just have bad posture. In fact, they may have an underlying condition such as spinal compression fractures due to ...

Treatment for Pregnancy

Osteopathic treatment for pregnancy and birth, and Pregnancy research At City Osteopaths, all our Osteopaths are Registered with the Osteopathic Council of New Zealand and four of us are trained to assess and treat pregnant women. This includes specific medical history considerations, treatment positioning for comfort and the most helpful, gentle treatment approaches to ease pregnancy pains and prepare for birth.  We can usually help reduce or eliminate back pain, neck pain, pelvi...

Acupuncture for Pregnancy

Recurrent pregnancy loss can be benefited with Acupuncture treatment, assisting with related immune factors, emotional distress, and hormonal imbalances. Acupuncture is also supportive of a developing foetus by improving blood flow supply and preventing involuntary uterine contractions. Balancing the hormonal interaction between the Hypothalamus and Pituitary Ovarian axis (HPO axis) regulating the body’s natural hormone production and Progesterone levels. This results in improved ovarian egg q...

Headaches and Neck Tension

Often people have ongoing headaches, without realising that they commonly have a mechanical cause.  A mechanical cause means there is a strain in the muscles and fasica and/or the joints of the body. The many nerves that give sensation to the back, sides and front of the head pass through the muscles of the neck, and if there is sufficient tension in those muscles then the nerves can be compressed, stimulating them and causing pain to be referred upwards. This leads to the sensation ...

Cranial Osteopath

To find out more about the author Melanie Click Here...

Sprained Ankle

The long-term effects of a sprained ankleAnkle sprains are one of the most common sports injuries, making up about 14% of all sports-related injuries.  People will often notice pain and weakness in the ankle for months afterwards, and if it isn’t rehabilitated properly, the ankle can be more likely to suffer repeated sprains throughout life… and the reasons why are really quite interesting!An ankle sprain means that there has been some damage done to the ligaments that support the ankle.�...

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Some new mums don’t get the right information and start back into the wrong exercise too soon after birth. This can contribute to weakening of the pelvic floor which can lead to urinary incontinence or prolapse of pelvic organs. It can also exacerbate Diastasis Rectus which is the separation of the fascia which connects the two halves of the rectus abdominis vertically. This will lead to a pouchy/poofy tummy regardless of how many crunches you do. In fact, crunches too early on can only worsen...

Workstation Ergonomics

Your workstation should be set up to cause the least amount of stress on your body. Prolonged hours of poor posture or repetitive work habits, often in a stressful environment can result in significant overuse injury. Applying the following points can help to minimise such injuries.Important points to note :Sit in front of your workstation such that your monitor is directly front on.Your arms should be at right angles from your shoulders when you type.Your wrists should be in line with your fore...

Chronic health problem management

Melanie has been studying the Biodynamics of Osteopathy courses since 2002 and has now completed Phase Nine. She says "I have found the experience of working with the refined skills Biodynamics encourages, enables me to treat more complex and chronic problems in a very gentle and effective way.  Melanie was recently on a course to help develop the future competency requirements for Paediatrics Osteopathy in New Zealand. "We were reviewing how we assess a child medically and osteopathic...