Our bodies, and in particular the muscles in our bodies, are toned up to do what we normally do. So the classic problem happens when after doing very little all winter we decide to do the whole garden in one go in the spring. Our muscles are just not ready for that level of activity, … Continue reading A Walk A Day Keeps The Osteopath Away
Category: Osteopathy, Posture and Ergonomics
An osteopath’s approach to posture and ergonomics.
Rhythm and Routine
Rhythm and routine is something that I think is at the very core of health, but can be misunderstood and have bad connotations for some people. I am talking here about daily rhythms and routines like meal times and bed times, but also the inherent rhythm in the movement of walking, swimming or cycling, as … Continue reading Rhythm and Routine
Freedom for your feet?
I have always encouraged patients to wear shoes that are wide and shaped like your foot. Narrow and pointy shoes prevent the foot from working properly and I feel contribute to local foot problems (like Bunions, and Norton's Neuroma). Narrow shoes also have an impact further up the body on knees, hips, lower back and … Continue reading Freedom for your feet?
Ergonomics Driving
Driving is often an issue for people with back problems, and part of that is just the nature of the beast. Being fixed in one position for long periods of time without a break is not great at the best of times, then add onto that poor design and position of the pedals that may … Continue reading Ergonomics Driving
Lying Posture- Neutral Pelvis
I have so far in these articles talked about the neutral posture sitting and standing (which you can read on my website blog if you have missed). Here I will talk about the neutral posture lying, and in particular what the pelvis is doing. I often ask patients to lye down for either 20 minutes … Continue reading Lying Posture- Neutral Pelvis
Should my baby/child be sleeping with a pillow?
Babies don't need pillows to sleep with. The only time it may be useful for a baby to sleep with a pillow is if they have a very flat/asymmetric back of the head. In that case a very small flat baby pillow can be helpful to soften the lie on the flat bit and minimize … Continue reading Should my baby/child be sleeping with a pillow?
How Many Pillows Should I Sleep With?
The answer to this question depends on what position you normally sleep in. Most people tend to sleep on their side, so we will start with that scenario. If you sleep lying on your side, you need enough pillow so that the head is roughly in line with the spine. The pillow is there to … Continue reading How Many Pillows Should I Sleep With?
Standing Posture; Neutral
This is another exercise I often get patients to do at home between treatments. It is very good at re-setting our standing posture to 'Neutral', when used on a daily basis. Standing upright, look down at your feet. Most people's feet are slightly turned out; if so turn them to 12 o'clock, and if anything … Continue reading Standing Posture; Neutral
Sitting Posture and Ergonomic Stools
A topic that comes up quite allot in clinic is posture sitting at a desk. My favourite thing to sit on at a desk is a stool. In my opinion a stool is better than a chair because you are less tempted to role back off your sitting bones into a slouch as you get … Continue reading Sitting Posture and Ergonomic Stools
