What our patients say about us

 

In the hope of helping you to decide whether we are the right osteopaths for you, or indeed to help you to discover whether your symptom could be helped with osteopathy we have included some real patient case history examples as well as a few testimonials, a little insight into what our clients say about us.

Patient examples

Office worker with neck and shoulder tension, additional incidental chronic foot swelling

Elaine is a legal secretary, she presented to me with upper back and neck symptoms that were not uncommon to anyone in a sedentary desk role. On examination, Elaine had obvious tension around the head, neck and chest but additionally I noticed an abnormally swollen left foot, something she had failed to mention during the medical history examination. When I quizzed Elaine on it, she informed me the swelling had developed following a foot trauma some years previous. It had been investigated by specialist’s who had been unable to offer any advice. Although the swelling was not in itself painful, the swollen foot often caused a lot of frustration and discomfort when it came to choosing footwear, especially in warmer weather.

The distribution of the swelling suggested a lymphatic problem, most likely a result of the trauma. The lymphatic system, when damaged doesn’t heal well, if at all, but I had a suspicion that I would be able to improve Elaine’s symptoms by getting the lymphatic drainage working better all the way up the left leg.

Like cars on the M5 on a summers friday, lymphatic vessels can get blocked or damaged, causing fluid to accumulate into surrounding tissues instead of being ‘mopped up’ and put back into the circulatory system. If the fluid can find another way to exit (i.e. knowing the back roads), fluid can find its way out of the tissues, into other lymphatic vessels allowing the swelling to reduce.

In Elaine’s case, this meant stimulating the lymphatic system by reducing the restrictions in Elaine’s left foot, knee, hip and lower back. In addition to manual osteopathic techniques, I also used some dry needling to the foot muscles to promote muscle relaxation and stimulate general health.

Much to Elaine’s surprise (and delight) the swelling reduced remarkably quickly and, motivated by less pain throughout her body, she further improved and maintained her symptoms by becoming more active.

All in all, it was a great response to osteopathy and an example of how osteopathic treatment can help with general health and wellbeing of all the functions of the body, by improving the circulation of fluids, be them blood or lymph.

Oh, and no, I didn’t forget to treat Elaine’s main presenting treatment!  

 

“One very satisfied customer, my upper back and neck is no longer painful at all, but I come to see Rachel three monthly to keep it that way” Elaine Ponsford.

 

Repetetive strain injury

Jacqui came to me with the worst RSI I had seen in all my practice years. For 4 years she had struggled with acute pain in her left (dominant) elbow. She’d had cortisone injections from her GP and a course of NHS physiotherapy, none of which were breaking the cycle of symptoms and pain. In all honesty I don’t hold out much hope but we gave it a try!

When Jacqui first presented to me she was struggling with activities of daily living, brushing teeth etc, she wasn’t even able to lift her elbow to her mouth to eat so she had been bending from the waist to bring her mouth to her food. The arm was locked at 90 degrees and she was developing a stiff shoulder, neck and left wrist as everything else tried to compensate.

Jacqui was a small lady (just about 5ft), she owned a haulage company and regularly drove articulated lorries. The breakthrough moment came during the history taking and subsequent discussions during treatment. Jacqui explained how tense she was when driving the lorry, literally gripping the wheel for fear of it running away from her. Once we established that, her symptoms quickly resolved with simple treatment and advice. Here’s her version of what we did.

 

“Rachel started with some really gentle exercises and acupuncture. The exercises were for me to do at home on a daily basis, they were gentle, simple and very effective. Within a couple of visits I was able to straighten my arm (the was something I had given up ever doing). Over the following couple of months Rachel continued to work on my left arm and neck. I have now regained full movement in my left arm and gradually built the muscle tone back up to equal that in my right arm. I can’t thank her enough for her time and help.” Jackie Foster

 

Testimonials

“Rachel has been my osteopath for several years, mostly correcting general back and posture issues caused by long periods of desk / computer work and driving. This has involved lower back, neck and shoulder issues which Rachel has been able to quickly diagnose and correct. Most recently she has corrected an instability in my hip that was being stressed by some martial arts and yoga techniques. This involved direct manipulation and a series of home exercises between visits. One of the things I like about Rachel’s style is that she doesn’t faff about and knows when to give it some welly. It’s important because I am 6ft 2″ and 17 stone and messing about just doesn’t work for me. This means I need fewer visits which means ewer disruptions to my working week. I would not hesitate to recommend Rachel, who is a knowledgeable and effective osteopath”. Simon Chambers

 

“I find Rachel friendly, pleasant and approachable. She has been treating me on and off for several years now.
She has got to the root of the problem to enable my conditions to improve so that I have not needed to call on her for a whole year.
I am grateful to have found someone who is able to fix me… I highly recommend her”. Sheila Dixon

 

“I came to Rachel with long term neck and back strain which was causing me considerable pain and discomfort. Her treatment has been fantastic, and has significantly improved my condition and daily comfort (especially working in a desk-based environment). Not only has her treatment been great but she has given me excellent advice (for example on ways to improve my mobility and exercise) which have enabled me to manage my own condition better. I would definitely recommend her to anybody and I am hugely grateful for the help she has given me”. Sophie Melton Bradley