So what can an osteopath do? Well in the case of low back pain it is important to recognise that no two people are ever going to be completely identical in terms of what has caused the pain and in what needs to be done for it. Osteopaths are trained to ‘find it, fix it and leave it alone’ whenever possible. In practice this means firstly checking by careful systematic examination to see that you are suitable for treatment and only then to apply gentle hands on treatment to encourage a return to normal function. This is followed by advice on how to continue the improvement with e.g. exercises to ultimately make the osteopath redundant.
We all take great pride in our clinic at Mill Court and the look of relief on the face of someone experiencing reduced pain after treatment, having suffered for weeks, is what makes this work worthwhile.

What can you do to prevent low back pain?
A difficult question to answer since it may be that different advice is required for different people, however as generalisations the following tips are useful:

1.Avoid long periods of inactivity(particularly sitting) followed by sudden bursts of unaccustomed strenuous activity,

2.This time of year please remember to pace yourself if you are not used to strenous activity, e.g. raking or sweeping up fallen leaves.

3.Bending and twisting repetitively especially whilst lifting could increase your risk

4.Remember to use the strong muscles in your thighs when lifting and not just your back

5.Many hands make light work and may often save your back

6.Take regular aerobic exercise, e.g. walking, cycling or swimming to improve your endurance and muscle tone

7.Remember that sitting driving your car for long periods is particularly stressful for your back-take regular breaks on a long journey, get out and stretch for 10 minutes at least every 2hours.

8.Try to avoid slumping in a sofa, after spending all day at a desk.

These points are not intended as a substitute for consulting a practitioner, and if you do have a problem please do seek professional advice if it persists.
You can rest assured that all osteopaths are highly trained to maintain high standards of care and protect the public. Those undertaking training are all highly regulated by the General Osteopathic Council to ensure that these high standards are maintained at all times.

Although low back pain is the most common complaint at Mill Court, there is a huge range of other problems to deal with. We do not treat conditions however, we treat individuals who happen to have a particular condition, and of course, everyone is unique.