Archives for March 2020

Virtual Osteopathy Consultations

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Due to the recent Alert levels that have been implemented we have decided to follow government guidelines and temporarily close our Clinic doors. With this said however, we will not be cancelling our consultations!

We understand pain and injury do not take a rest and as a result of this, we believe more than ever it is vital to be able offer to you the possibility of maintaining some normality and routine when it comes your health and well-being care. So we are going to be offering Online Consultations!

What to expect from your online consultation

You’ll receive a link to the Zoom app with a personalised meeting code via email. At your scheduled appointment time we will call you using this secure program. We will take a case history and do a visual examination of your movements. We will then discuss and practice a set of self management techniques with you. These will include exercises, stretches, self-massage techniques and individualised ways to manage your stress-levels, sleep and any other health concerns. Following the consultation we will email out a summary of what was discussed and a link to our professional exercise app PhysiApp with a personalised programme of videos that you can follow.

If you have any questions about how this appointment works please email us at info@mountosteopaths.co.nz

Osteopathy and Headaches

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Headaches can come in many different types and so often they are considered “something you just have to put up with.” Some people are lucky enough to rarely suffer from them, whereas others can find that they impact their daily life constantly. Most people seek headache relief through over-the-counter pain medication, however this only provides a temporary form of relief without addressing the underlying causes of the problem.

Osteopaths regularly treat headaches in both adults and children and are incredibly skilled when it comes to assessing types of headaches and the most suitable course of treatment. Often it goes underestimated how much structural problems in the neck and upper back can be the hidden cause of unexplained headaches! This is why Osteopathy has proven a timeless path to take when looking into treating headaches. Not only can an Osteopath, diagnose what you are suffering with, but they can help relieve pain in the head and neck by utilising techniques such as soft tissue massage and gentle manipulation of the spine and joints.

Diagnosing the headaches/migraines

Osteopaths are incredibly skilled at diagnosing the type of headache or migraine you are experiencing. They will ask many questions, some of which you may think irrelevant but this is necessary for both your safety as a patient and for the osteopath to decide the correct route of treatment.

You are likely to be asked, when it started, location of pain, if there is a daily pattern, what kind of pain and how severe, duration of the headache, is it seconds, hours, days, is there a trigger or does a particular movement aggravate it, do you have visual changes or any fever, sore throat or a stiff neck. The reason they will ask so many questions is because headaches often have more than one cause—physical, psychological, and pharmacological – and each requires treatment. Osteopaths take into consideration all facets and help you to increase your awareness of aggravating factors so that you can make appropriate changes.

Treatment

Osteopaths use a holistic approach to treating pain. They may use many techniques to help ease headaches, from manipulation of the neck and upper spine joints to gentle soft tissue massage, cranial therapy, dry needling /trigger point therapy and acupuncture. Rehabilitation suggestions and advice also may be provided to address common triggers such as poor posture, stress, workplace ergonomics, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle in order to move more towards preventing future recurrence.

So can we help?

In general it has been proven countless times, that Osteopathy is a great road to take when it comes to treating headaches and migraines. It is so frustrating to hear that people suffer from headaches and never seek any care! Especially when it impacts on their quality of life! There is now good evidence that the most common form of headaches respond well to osteopathy treatment, so if you or somebody else you know suffer from headaches come in and see us. WE CAN HELP.