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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 ...

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...

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...

Headache and Migraine Treatment Options and Recovery Tips Wellington

HEADACHES CAN TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE. IT CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT TO THINK AND HARD TO FUNCTION. ​At City Osteopaths Healthcare, we have been treating people with headaches and migraine for over 25 years and have helped thousands of Wellingtonians out of pain and on the path back to better health.​We have had patients with a constant severe headache for two years, have it resolved fully to a pain free status, with one gentle treatment.There are many ways skilled hands-on treatment can help wi...

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR PELVIC FLOOR WITH THE RIGHT EXERCISES

THE PELVIC FLOOR The pelvic floor is formed by tissues such as ligaments and pelvic muscles (iliococcygeus, puborectalis, pubococcygeus, coccygeus, ischiocavernosus, superficial and deep transverse perineal muscles). These soft tissues attach to your pelvis, and more specifically, to the bones at the bottom of the pelvis. ​In all people, the pelvic organs include the urethra, bladder, intestines, and rectum. If you have a vagina, the pelvic floor also consists of ...

How to self treat your bunion

Do you or does someone you know have a bunion?This video is by our Registered Osteopath Melanie Young, who has a very strong history of bunions in her family and was starting to develop her own. She decided she wanted to see if she could reduce the bunion she was developing and enable her foot to function normally again.So she studied and practiced on herself for a few years and worked out a method that really helped reduce and remove the pain, stiffness, and even the deformity. She goes over ho...

Daily Foot Care Exercises

This is a short video by Dr Melanie Young Reg Osteopath with general exercises for your feet - doing this regularly will really help your feet work well for you. It is important to look after your feet as you get older to maintain good connection with the ground and balance to help reduce the risk of falls. It also can help reduce the risk of developing foot pain and plantar fasciitis. If you have problems with any of these exercises then come and see one of our Registered Osteopaths, we all do ...

How to help yourself out of pain:

1 in 6 New Zealanders are living with chronic pain 1 in 4 New Zealanders are living with a chronic diseaseHere are some handy general tips to help maintain health and reduce pain: DIET:  Food has the potential to be anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory. When you are in pain reducing inflammation is a key to feeling better.  Sugar, alcohol, processed foods and dairy are all highly inflammatory  The Mediterranean diet is recognised as having the best health benefits in protecting against...

What is Pain?

“an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage” – International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), 2020 Defining pain has been and continues to be a topic of debate within the scientific community, this is because it is so subjective. Whilst almost everyone has experienced pain, reasons how and why it presents vary widely.  An important note made alongside the current definition is...

New Baby Gentle Osteopathic Treatment

At City Osteopaths we have treated thousands of new babies over the last 25 years. Our practitioners are experienced and have done extra post graduate training. We love to help babies feel better to help the whole family....

PELVIC HEALTH INTERNAL

For many years Pelvic disorders weren’t discussed much in our society and many women, and also men, have suffered in silence. In the last decade, Pelvic Health has become a point of interest for many people and therapists as well. The scientific studies related to Pelvic disorders and Pelvic treatment are increasing every day and finally, we are proud to confirm that specifically trained healthcare professionals can support and improve your Pelvic Health.&nbs...

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF SCAR TISSUE AND OSTEOPATHIC MANUAL TREATMENT

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF SCAR TISSUE What is a scar?​Scar is a formation of tissue that occurs as a result of an inaccurate healing process. What are the causes of scar tissue?All lesions secondary to wounds, burns, acne, insect bites, piercings, tattoos, lacerations, surgeries, including Cesarean section, produce scar tissue. A zoom into the healing process After any trauma, the great work of tissue repair is assigned to the “Healing Process” which consists of  4 s...

WHIPLASH INJURY AND OSTEOPATHIC MANUAL TREATMENT.

Whiplash is defined as an “acceleration-deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck”. It could be divided into two parts. First, the impact on the neck creates hyperextension (excessive motion that creates a locking of the facet joints and stretching of the anterior/front of the neck soft tissues), then, there is a too-fast reversal motion called hyperflexion. Recent research shows that whiplash and concussion can occur together. So if you have a concussion you are likely to have a...

MOOD DISORDERS, YOUR DIAPHRAGM MUSCLE OF BREATHING AND OSTEOPATHIC MANUAL TREATMENT

According to New Zealand based research by Kovanur and Roy (2015), most practising osteopaths in Aotearoa come across patients with a history of mood disorders.As the New Zealand mental health 2020/2021 survey has shown, psychological distress in adults, and also in children, has increased from 7.5% the previous year possibly due to the pandemic and lockdowns. According to the same research, 100% of manual therapists perceived the need to manage and support clients with mood disorders during the...

HOW TO BREATHE WELL USING YOUR THORACIC DIAPHRAGM AND BELLY.

THE DIAPHRAGM The diaphragm is the primary muscle of breathing and it creates a physical barrier that separates the thorax from the abdomen.Function:During quiet inspiration, the upward dome shape of the diaphragm changes very little. When taking a large breath, the diaphragm contracts and pushes downwards 7-8 cm, while the rib cage expands outwards. The atmospheric pressure in the lungs decreases, so to fill what is a larger space with less pressure, air enters into the lung...

What happens to your body when you get an injury

There are four phases which overlap and may last varying lengths of time depending on the type and severity of the injury.Healing begins when you get a wound or injury which typically involves the breaking or laceration of a membrane which causes damage to the tissues. HemostasisThis is the first stage which happens immediately. Your body will initiate mechanisms to control bleeding which you might not be able to see because it's internal. During this phase you may experience swelling, heat, red...

WHAT IS CONCUSSION? HOW CAN I RECOVER FROM A CONCUSSION?

Concussion can be one of the most limiting injuries affecting a persons quality of life.Currently, it is one of the most researched subjects in the scientific world. What we understand about it has been changing in the last few years and the approach for assessment and treatment is constantly being updated.One of the most common misunderstandings regarding concussion is its cause.We used to think until recently, that it was caused by a direct trauma to the head, which caused the brain to �...

Osteopathy in Sport

OSTEOPATHY IN SPORT FOR PEAK ATHLETIC PERFORMANCEA well-balanced and injury-free body is the dream of every athlete. Unfortunately, this is not always the reality. Osteopathy in sport has been used in different countries to prevent and treat injuries, giving the athletes a better quality of life, and helping them to achieve better results, no matter which kind of sport we are talking about.There are a great number of top athletes that benefit from osteopathic treatment. In 1998, just after winni...

Cycling Injuries in Wellington

CYCLING INJURIES, CYCLING OPTIMALLY AND HOW OSTEOPATHIC MANUAL TREATMENT CAN HELP YOU​In recent decades, a lot of research has been done with cycling athletes - both professional and amateur, to investigate questions related to competitiveness, performance and physiological responses of this sport. Another facet of the research focuses on the well-being and health status of these athletes.Much is now known about the injuries of the lower limbs that are common to cyclists and the presence of di...