BACK PAIN

Recent guidelines published by the NHS have recommended manual therapies including osteopathy in the treatment of back pain.

PROBLEM: Many structures in the lower back can give rise to pain. This includes damage to the muscles, ligaments, capsules, joints or vertebra. Sometimes a nerve in the lower back can get trapped, causing pain down the back of the leg to the foot (Sciatica).

SOLUTION: Our goal is to reduce pain, improve your mobility and strengthen the surrounding muscles. At Jigsaw Osteopathy, our aim is to discover the root cause of your pain to ensure for lasting results.

We do this with a combination of techniques, not limited to gentle soft tissue manipulation (massage), deep tissue massage, joint mobilisations/articulations and joint manipulations (pops & clicks) of the lower back. Additionally, we may advise dry needling (acupuncture) or kinesiology taping - and we always provide you with a rehabilitative exercise plan.

NECK PAIN

Neck pain is commonly caused by tension, stress, a sedentary lifestyle, or seated working environments, which can force bad posture.

PROBLEM: Many structures in the cervical spine (neck) can lead to pain. Pain can be attributed to muscular injury, muscular imbalance, joint/ligament strains, disc issues/problems. Sometimes disc problems in the neck can lead to pain radiating down the arm, accompanied by pins and needles/numbness.

SOLUTION: Our goal is to reduce pain, improve your mobility and strengthen the surrounding muscles. At Jigsaw Osteopathy, our aim is to discover the root cause of your pain to ensure for lasting results.

We do this with a combination of techniques, not limited to gentle soft tissue manipulation, deep tissue massage, joint mobilisations/articulations and joint manipulations of the neck (if suitable). Additionally, we may advise dry needling (acupuncture) or kinesiology taping.

MUSCULAR ACHES & PAINS

Whether your symptoms stem from bad posture, a sports injury, or stress at work or home - most cases of muscular aches and pains are a result of day-to-day activities.

PROBLEM: The muscular system is designed to deal with remedial tasks to vigorous exercise. However, poor postural habits place extra demands on the body and can lead to muscular imbalances, with large muscles not working correctly. Sports injury tear, RSI.

SOLUTION: Deep tissue/soft tissue massages are some of the techniques used to remedy this. Massage enhances the oxygen and blood supplies to the muscle, improving function and relieving/easing the pain.

Deep tissue massage may also be used in treating injured tissues, as it is common for injured areas of the body to form adhesions and scar tissue. The deep tissue massage will help to breakdown the build-up of these tissues and promote oxygenated blood flow to tense muscles for fast pain relief.

JOINT PAIN

There are 360 joints in the human body and depending on where they are determines their function and their susceptibility to certain conditions.

PROBLEM: The hip joint is designed to be robust as it plays a huge role in weight bearing and is supported by some the strongest ligaments in the human body. It is designed to be sturdy and is therefore less mobile than other joints in the body - so it’s more likely to suffer from conditions like osteoarthritis. In contrast the shoulder is made for mobility and lacks stability and only one has attachment ‘the collarbone’. The rest of the shoulder is supported by muscles which makes it more susceptible to tendonitis.

SOLUTION: Our goal is to reduce pain, improve mobility and strengthen surrounding muscles. We aim to find the root cause of your pain to ensure lasting results. We do this with a combination of techniques, not limited to soft tissue manipulation, deep tissue massage, joint mobilisations/articulations and joint manipulations.

NERVE PROBLEMS

Your nervous system is involved in everything your body does, so nerve pain and damage can seriously affect your quality of life.

PROBLEM: Symptoms typical of nerve injuries are sharp shooting/linear pains, pins and needles, numbness and muscle weakness. These sensations may be caused by a nerve being trapped or impinged somewhere along its course through the body.

SOLUTION: A neurological examination will be performed to ascertain if (and where) the nerve is being impinged. Once identified, conservative treatment will be implemented. We use soft tissue mobilisation, joint mobilisations/articulations and joint manipulations, if applicable to your treatment. Additionally, we may advise dry needling or kinesiology taping. We combine these techniques to reduce pressure on the nerve. To ensure that your treatment is long lasting, every patient is given a rehabilitative exercise plan.

SPORTS INJURIES

Osteopaths frequently treat patients from sporting backgrounds as our training provide us with a solid knowledge base of the human body and the potential injuries that occur in a sporting environment.

At Jigsaw we diagnose, treat and rehabilitate a range of common sporting injuries. A misconception is that osteopaths only deal with back issues, in reality we treat all joints and areas of the body. Taping and strapping facilities as well as sports massage are available at Jigsaw Osteopathy.

We aim to reduce pain, improve your mobility and strengthen the surrounding muscles to get you back to your sport as soon as possible. We follow the most recent research in sports medicine and provide ‘off-and-on-the-pitch’ advice, a rehabilitation plan, sports taping and manual treatment. Additionally, we may advise dry needling, sports nutrition advice and a rehabilitation plan between treatments for maximum recovery.

WORK & POSTURE STRAIN

At Jigsaw we understand that every occupation is unique and requires your posture to adapt to its individual demands that are placed on your body.

PROBLEM: Many structures in the body can give rise to poor posture. This includes fatigue of postural muscles, chronic tightness to large muscle groups, damage to the supporting muscles and ligaments. Reduced or exaggerated spinal curves due to misalignment in the spine, incorrect footwear and poor posture. Muscular imbalances are very common and vary with every occupation.

SOLUTION: Our goal is to reduce pain, improve your mobility and strengthen the surrounding muscles. At Jigsaw Osteopathy, our aim is to discover the root cause of your pain, for lasting results.

We do this with a combination of techniques, not limited to gentle soft tissue manipulation, deep tissue massage, joint mobilisations/articulations and joint manipulations of the joints in the back.  Additionally, we may advise dry needling or kinesiology taping. We also provide you with methods to combat poor posture from to desk setup, correct lifting techniques to stress management strategies.

PREGNANCY CARE

It’s common for women to experience pain during the course of their pregnancy while the body experiences a vast amount of change to adapt to the growing baby.

PROBLEM: A combination of increase in weight, hormonal softening of ligaments and postural changes during pregnancy can predispose you to a number of musculoskeletal issues. Fluid retention is also a side effect of pregnancy, which results in some women complaining of numbness and tingling in their hands. This is referred to as carpal tunnel syndrome.

SOLUTION: Osteopathy is safe and gentle for mother and baby. Specialist gentle osteopathic techniques such as gentle soft tissue manipulation (massage) and joint mobilisations/articulations are implemented for women during pregnancy to minimise any risk. Additionally, we may advise dry needling (acupuncture) or kinesiology taping and we always provide you with an exercise plan. At Jigsaw we recognise that every woman is different and every pregnancy is special in its own way. Therefore the comfort of the mother is always taken into consideration, and the treatment is tailored to suit her individual needs.

HEADACHES

Osteopathy is a beneficial treatment when suffering from headaches. Over 10 million people in the UK suffer with headaches, making them one of the most common health complaints presented to health care professionals.

PROBLEM: Simple primary headaches are often mechanical in nature and can be attributed to tightness of muscles at the base of the skull or top of the spine and poor joint function.  It is a common consequence of poor movement and muscular tightness for nerve entrapment or impingement to occur. When compressed, this can cause pain sometimes radiating behind an eye socket.

SOLUTION: Our Osteopaths are trained as primary health care practitioners and will consider your headache symptoms and ascertain if they are appropriate for treatment or if you need to be referred to a specialist in the case of Secondary headaches. Osteopathic intervention concentrates on releasing the muscular tension in the neck and upper back, and manipulation/articulation techniques can restore more movement to poorly articulating joints. Additionally, we may advise Kinesiology taping and dry needling (acupuncture).

CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

Chronic health conditions (CHC) such as Cancer, HIV, or Asthma can affect your musculoskeletal system.

PROBLEM: Common complaints of people suffering from these conditions are muscle pains (myalgia), your GP may decide to prescribe you pain killers, but be aware that there are also many other options available to you, so ask your GP for a referral to an osteopath.

SOLUTION: We don't claim that we can cure you from the primary CHC, but Jigsaw Osteopaths understand the havoc that these conditions can wreak on your muscles and joints and how these aches and pains can make a tough time a lot harder. Muscle targeted therapy such as osteopathic massage and joint articulations are proven to help ease and alleviate muscular pain and de-stress the body. This pain is no different from muscular pains derived from conditions such as HIV, cancer and many other chronic conditions.