Category: Headaches And Neck Tension

City Osteopaths Real Deal Hurt Cream

11/26/2017

The Real Deal Hurt Cream is a wonderful adjunct to the work we do as hands on primary healthcare practitioners at City Osteopaths healthcare.

Perfect to Support Healing. Pleasant & Safe to Use for All the Family

For any kind of injury, pain or swelling, to aid recovery from neck and back stiffness; sports injuries, post-surgery during pregnancy for leg, foot and back discomfort; for children's bumps and bruises and other conditions like arthritis, eczema, psoriasis and sunburn.

An added bonus we discovered is that gently massaged on the back on the muscles lying beside the spine between the shoulder blades it will help ease or completely stop a night time cough. Very useful for children or adults so everyone can get a good night sleep.

Real Deal Hurt Crème has a pleasant scent, and when applied, you will experience a general warming of the tissues without the strong burning sensation common to some other products. Therefore, the Crème should be compatible with all skin types and sensitivities. It absorbs totally leaving the skin oil free.

In our practice we sell it slightly below recommended retail (21.90) at $19.90 so its a little more accessible for people and it is an extremely popular product.

Containing:
Arnica
Perfect for traumatic injuries and the associated physical shock, particularly bruising, fractures, dislocations and inflammatory pain
Calendula
Relieves pain, staunches bleeding, prevents infections and stimulates general skin healing
Hypericum
Calms and soothes nerve damage, helpful for crush injuries and excessive pain
Rue
Aids recovery from bone, cartilage and tendon injuries
Boneset
Promptly relieves limb, muscle and bone pain
Plantain
To counter inflammation of the skin and body tissue
Yarrow
Helps counter injuries from falls, sprains and strains, heals capillary and arterial
Echinacea
Natural remedy to help the body combat viruses and microbial invasions, prevents infection of wounds
Clove Bud Oil
Reduces pain, relieves muscle tension, improves circulation and has antiseptic properties
Peppermint Oil
Stimulates circulation and acts as a muscle relaxant, promoting cooling of inflamed tissue
Base
Non-allergenic plant-based cream, with sweet almond oil, cocoa butter and natural preservatives
Horsetail
Contains silica and aids in repair of bone and skin damage and fracture repair

Come into our practice at Level 4, 166 Featherston St, Wellington 6011 alternatively please call our reception staff and they can send you a bottle with credit payment over the phone.

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City Osteopaths Recommended Five Minute Mindful Breathing exercise. To ease stress and help with discomfort in your life.

9/17/2017

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To manage well in todays busy world, we most likely all need to do something to help us feel centred, happy and calm.

Here is City Osteopaths recommended five minute mindful breathing exercise:

1.) Find a comfortable and stable posture either sitting or lying on your back. Allow your back to be straight but not rigid. Let your arms and hands rest in a relaxed position. If you like you can put one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.

Pause here and after each subsequent step.

2.) Close your eyes, if it feels comfortable. If not, soften your gaze.

3.) Bring your attention to the present moment by noticing how you’re feeling physically. Scan your body from head to toe and consciously let any tension slip away. Take a moment to notice your environment – any sounds you might hear in the background, what the temperature feels like in the room, the air on your skin.

4.) After that, bring your attention to your breathing from three vantage points:
–First, notice the sensation of your breath going in/out of your nostrils or mouth.
–Second, as you breath, pay attention to the rise/fall of your chest.
–Third, notice the rise/fall of your belly as you breath.

5.) Pick the vantage point that seems to be the easiest for you to focus on. Follow the breath for its full duration, from the start to finish. Notice that the breath happens on its own, without any conscious effort. Some breaths may be slow, some fast, some shallow or deep. You don’t need to control the breath, you just need to notice it.

6.) If you find it helpful, you can say “1″ to yourself on each in- breath and “2″ on each out-breath.

7.) Each time your mind wanders away from the breath (and this will happen many times!), notice where it goes and then gently bring your attention back to the feeling of the breath going in and out.

When the mind wanders, you can make a mental note of it. For example, if you drift away from your breath to thinking about the future, you can say to yourself “calm, calm". If your mind is pulled to a sensation of discomfort in your body, you can say to yourself “ease, ease". Or, if you notice you’re focused on something worrisome from the past, you can say "let it go". and then gently bring your attention back to the present moment – noticing the breath.

8.) Your mind may wander hundreds of times or more during these 5 minutes – that’s ok and quite natural! Your “job” is to catch yourself when you’ve wandered and to gently bring your focus back to the breath every time, without judging yourself for how “well” or “poorly” you’re doing the exercise.

9.) Try to practice this exercise for 5 minutes (or longer if you’d like) every day, for at least one week. Notice how it feels to spend some time each day just being with your breath.

Practicing mindful breathing is like strengthening your muscle of living in the present; as you practice more, you’ll find it easier to remain in the here and now, rather than being caught up in the past or in some fantasy about the future.

Living in the “now” tends to feel more peaceful and clear, even when external circumstances are difficult. Mindfulness practice is not a prescription for tuning out the world; rather, it’s about tuning in with open and compassionate awareness. Relating to life from this vantage point not only feels better, but often results in more skillful living.

I am preparing an audio version of this mindful breathing meditation which will hopefully be ready shortly.

Best wishes for your practice.

Melanie Young
Reg. Osteopath
Director City Osteopaths
www.cityosteopaths.co.nz

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How to get moving and keep fit and mobile as you get older

5/14/2017

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This picture is of Man Kaur, from India. In April she won the 100m at the World Masters Games in Auckland, 101 years young.
The purpose of this article is to educate, promote quality therapy, but most importantly to inspire activity and quality movement.

Educate
There is one aspect of life that all of us will go through which is ageing. Whether we like it or not we will all physically deteriorate with age. But what can we do about it? Sit back and accept fate with declining health, or be proactive in maintaining the strength and mobility we have…
'I've got creaky knees, my back is a bit stiff, reaching down to put my shoes on is so hard … it must be old age'. As a practitioner, I've heard them all. It's the age old excuse. Some of these complaints are justified, but many of the clients I have come across in both the gym and massage therapy setting will reluctantly admit they just haven't prioritised being active enough. The old adage 'use it or lose it', remains very true. Strength and joint mobility will decrease with age, they will also deteriorate through lack of use. Moving joints can help to increase synovial fluid to the joint capsule and this will keep the joint moving smoothly. Movement will also help the surrounding soft tissues remain both strong and flexible. This is why we need to feel the urge to stretch when we get out of bed, or standing up from prolonged sitting. The soft tissues in our body adapt to a particular position, the stretching is our body trying to prepare these soft tissues for movement.

Staying mobile and strong is important for more than just being able to tie your shoes and get up the stairs. Being active is linked with decrease chances of mortality. The study by Brito et. al. (2012) assessed 2002 adults aged 51-80 on their ability to move from standing to sitting on the floor and back up to standing again. The people who could stand and sit with ease lived longer. The test can be found here http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2047487312471759
This test is not 100% accurate in telling you when you will die. There are many factors involved in how long you shall live. But the theme of being stronger and more mobile leading to living longer is what I and the authors are trying to emphasise. If you can move better, you are more independent, you are also more likely to exercise. This can help decrease cardiac risk factors, as well as help maintain a healthy weight, which will further reduce many mortality factors.
There are other factors that will limit your performance in a sit to stand test such as lower limb joint replacement, arthritis, neurological disease, other joint surgeries may also limit your joint range making sitting on the floor difficult. So don't panic if you have co-morbidities that will cause you to score poorly in a test like this.

Promote quality therapy
“I'm stiff, sore and don't move with ease, what should I do about it?”. For many people the answer is simply to move more. Move more often, move for leisure, move for exercise, move to break up the monotony of prolonged sitting. If you want some advice on how to move well I have the training and experience to help instruct you. You may require more strength, more mobility, more balance, or a combination of all three. Understanding your weaknesses is the first step to improvement.

Massage therapy can also play a role in improving movement. Massage can help increase range of motion by releasing tightness in muscle and soft tissue, or minimising the referred pain that tight muscles can cause to a joint. The increased movement around the joint will make it easier to train for strength and balance, this will lead to fewer compensations (such as limping).

Articulation (movement) of the joint will help to keep the fluid of the joint healthy and nourished.

Regular stretching will also help you stay mobile and injury free. Stretching is more effective when designed specific for your needs. If you need help with this, I am more than happy to shed some light on this complicated and sometimes controversial topic.

Inspire
Movement is important for all ages, the longer you neglect it, the harder it is to get back. Age should not be a barrier for activity, getting out as part of a team may make it more fun.
28,676 people competed in the World Masters games in Sydney in 2009. The age categories go all the way up to 100 and over age group. If Man Kaur can do it at 101, so can you. That is of course if the threat of increased mortality hasn't already got you out of your chair!

References
Buckwalter JA. Osteoarthritis and articular cartilage use, disuse and abuse: experimental studies. Journal of Rheumatology 1995;43:13–5. 28.
Brito, L.B. Ricardo, D.R. Araújo, D.S. Ramos, P.S. Myers, J. Araújo, C.G. 2012. Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality.
European Journal of Preventative Cardiology 2012.

Reuben Friedlander
Massage therapist, Personal trainer, movement enthusiast.
Bachelor Health Studies (Massage and Neuromuscular Therapy)
Diploma in Health Sciences (Massage and Sports Therapy)
Diploma in Health Sciences (Therapeutic Massage)
Diploma in Sport (Exercise Prescription)
Certificate in Kinesiology and Power Taping
Tacfit Level 1 Coach

www.cityosteopaths.co.nz/massage.html Phone 04 4991439

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Clementine Carnus, new Osteopath for City Osteopaths

3/14/2017

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City Osteopaths Healthcare is very happy to announce we have a new osteopath, Clementine Carnus, joining our team. Clementine is fluent french speaker and will initially be working as a locum in the practice.

Clementine graduated from RMIT University in Melbourne with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Complementary Medicine) and a Masters of Osteopathy. She started studying Osteopathy in France, before moving to Australia in 2008 and finally settling in New Zealand.

She was particularly drawn to osteopathy because of its holistic approach to health and well-being, treating the patient as a whole and not as one local symptom. She was always fascinated by the body’s tendency towards self-healing and at the osteopath’s ability to assist in this process.

Clementine enjoys treating a wide variety of patients. She has a particular interest in treating adolescents, female patients of all ages and patients with ongoing or chronic pain. She uses an integrative approach to chronic pain management and encourages each patient to develop awareness around the role played by mind and emotions in health and dis-ease.

She strongly believes that empowering the patient to be active in their recovery is key to their journey toward health. Health is not merely the absence of disease, so there is always something more we can do.
As a long-time yoga practitioner, she has a profound understanding of biomechanics, injury prevention and management. She also appreciates the importance of healthy breathing, a healthy diet and a healthy mind.

Clementine will be working in our city clinic twice a week and also from our beautiful Eastern suburbs (Breaker Bay) clinic. Simple free parking and very relaxing to hear the sea while being treated!.

Call 04 4991439 to book an appointment with our reception staff.
www.cityosteopaths.co.nz

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City Osteopaths article on osteopathic treatment before and during pregnancy - “supporting the change”

2/9/2017

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Osteopaths love to help women through the process of fertility, pregnancy and birth

One of the most unique times in a woman’s life, pregnancy is quite a special state. Fortunately, many women have an easy, straightforward experience, but for those who don’t, osteopathic treatment can be very effective at easing discomfort and making this unique time enjoyable - the way it should be.

In an ideal world, every woman who is planning to become pregnant would have an osteopathic assessment and treatment in preparation for the journey ahead. This is particularly important if she has any musculoskeletal issues, be it lower back pain, neck and shoulders tension or pain, bad posture, or had a severe injury in the past (as for example, a past unresolved ankle sprain can alter walking patterns even slightly which may lead to tricky pelvic and spinal dysfunctions or restrictions that can interfere with the necessary postural adaptations in pregnancy and even labour).

Pain can crop up in pregnancy as your body is trying to adapt to major postural changes

While particular attention should be directed towards the pelvis, osteopaths try to make sure the whole body is able to adapt efficiently to the incredible changes that happen on many levels during pregnancy. Some things we focus on pre-conception are improving blood flow and lymphatic circulation in the pelvis and abdomen. This is so important these days when most people spend hours sitting at their desks or in vehicles. Balancing the autonomic nervous system (which usually means reducing the effects of stress by calming the sympathetic nervous system) is another area that often needs help and can make for a very different experience once a woman becomes pregnant, for both herself and the baby.

While sorting out dysfunctions that can be dealt with pre-conception is ideal, treatment in pregnancy is very beneficial and often needed. Pregnancy is a very dynamic state where the body undergoes some profound changes in a relatively short space of time.

I will touch on a few of those below and mention briefly what osteopaths can do to help “support the change” or reduce discomfort if the changes are not happening as smoothly as they should:

1) Postural/mechanical changes: as the body’s centre of gravity shifts for obvious reasons, the posture changes dramatically. It is of vital importance to ensure that there are no major restrictions so the structure is able to adapt to new demands. One very important aspect is to ensure normal mobility of the sacrum so that it can move during labour thus making it easier for the baby to pass through the birth canal. But it’s not just about the pelvis. Chronic sitting in desk workers often leads to tension and sometimes constant pain in the shoulders/neck or between the shoulder blades. Not only is this uncomfortable and stressful, restrictions there would prevent a woman from achieving a deep squat with good form - which is one of the most useful exercises in pregnancy as well as a great position during labour that helps the baby descend. Having a mobile thoracic spine and ribcage also means you can breathe more efficiently getting more oxygen for yourself and the developing baby, have more energy and a clearer head!

Gentle Osteopathic treatment lying on the side to be most comfortable and safe.

With relaxin at play the ligaments soften and help the body adapt. Some osteopaths consider the increased secretion of relaxin a wonderful opportunity to work with old strain patterns as everything becomes so much more pliable, responsive and likely to change. However, sometimes this increased softening can contribute to strains and pains, especially in the pelvis, either at the back (sacroiliac joints) or in front (pubic symphysis). Having naturally looser joints (hypermobility) can make this more likely. In this situation gentle osteopathic techniques to balance the tension in the pelvic ligaments to allow the bones to find their natural position is very effective in most cases. Increased lower back curve (“swayback”) can lead to compression of the joints and soft tissues in the back and be quite uncomfortable but is also very amenable to osteopathic decompressive treatment.

It is important to realise that posture continues to change even after delivery - with new demands on the body such as feeding and carrying the baby, nappy changing etc. Gentle exercise such as yoga can help and osteopathic treatment (especially what we communicate to the joint position sensors) can be a useful adjunct, especially early on after giving birth when you should rest as much as possible (as a general rule, 6 weeks of no strenuous exercise after delivery).

Feeding and carrying a baby for hours a day can be very tiring and hard work. We understand this and can help your body manage the stresses and strains.

2) In pregnancy there is a dramatic increase in the circulating blood volume. The expanding uterus may make venous drainage less efficient which can lead to congestive issues such as varicose veins in legs, vulval varicosities or haemorrhoids. Generalised fluid retention can also cause ankle swelling or carpal tunnel syndrome. Gentle rhythmic osteopathic techniques can assist drainage and reduce the discomfort of swelling.

3) Changes in the digestive system: during pregnancy, constipation is a common issue and while the importance of a healthy diet (including adequate water intake) and regular movement such as walking, for example, cannot be underestimated, gentle manual treatment that helps balance the nerve supply to the gut can help too. With heartburn being another common problem, easing the pressure on the diaphragm and giving the internal organs more space by gently decompressing the spine, freeing up the lower ribcage and thoracic spine where the diaphragm attaches can make a significant difference.

Osteopaths use their hands to diagnose and treat. Gently sorting out strains so your body can heal.

In summary, the aim of osteopathic treatment in pregnancy is to support and assist the expectant mother’s body in all the changes and adaptations it needs to go through to make the pregnancy and the delivery as easy as possible. It also creates the best conditions for the developing baby and the baby's passage through the birth canal - this is the ultimate preventative care!
Our patients often describe a feeling of very deep relaxation during and after treatment, however there’s much more to it than just feeling nice. The more relaxed and well balanced you are, the more the powerful self healing “programme” inside your body is able to function optimally and that is very good for mums and their babies.

Some research on Osteopathic treatment in Pregnancy:
Osteopathic manipulative treatment for nonspecific low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25175885
Acute improvement in hemodynamic control after osteopathic manipulative treatment in the third trimester of pregnancy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24280470

Aydan Hajiyeva Honours Diploma in General Medicine, DO M.Ost. Reg. Osteopath MONZ
Aydan has an Integrated Master’s Degree course from the European School of Osteopathy (UK).
Having previously completed six years medical doctor training, she really appreciates the holistic nature of the osteopathic approach. She has been exposed to a variety of treatment approaches at university, including classical, cranial and visceral osteopathy and has undertaken post graduate education, including biodynamics of osteopathy, primitive reflexes and pregnancy care, which have helped her develop her vision of osteopathy. Aydan regards osteopathy as a philosophy allowing her to create a positive change in a patient, by facilitating the expression of the inherent wisdom of the body.
www.cityosteopaths.co.nz
Phone 04 4991439

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City Osteopaths Real Deal Hurt Cream

City Osteopaths Recommended Five Minute Mindful Breathing exercise. To ease stress and help with discomfort in your life.

How to get moving and keep fit and mobile as you get older

Clementine Carnus, new Osteopath for City Osteopaths

City Osteopaths article on osteopathic treatment before and during pregnancy - “supporting the change”

Categories

Archives

For Wellington's Premier Health Clinic,
Call (04) 499 1439 to Make an Appointment

City Osteopaths Real Deal Hurt Cream

City Osteopaths Recommended Five Minute Mindful Breathing exercise. To ease stress and help with discomfort in your life.

How to get moving and keep fit and mobile as you get older

Clementine Carnus, new Osteopath for City Osteopaths

City Osteopaths article on osteopathic treatment before and during pregnancy - “supporting the change”

Categories

Archives

﻿For Wellington's Premier Health Clinic, Call (04) 499 1439 to Make an Appointment﻿

For Wellington's Premier Health Clinic,
Call (04) 499 1439 to Make an Appointment