The Total Body Adjustment
Osteopathy has grown a lot since it was founded over 100 years ago. With the advancements of modern medicine and a greater understanding of how the body functions many new treatment techniques have evolved. With these advancements and developments many Osteopaths now work in ways that would be unknown to the early pioneers of Osteopathy. While many of these new techniques are excellent in rehabilitation and helping people in pain, the...
The Role of Stress in Pain and Injury
One of the most common questions during a consultation is “How long will it take for me to get better?” This is not a straight forward question to answer as might be expected because there are many important factors to consider. As a general rule, the longer a person has had the symptoms and the more severe the symptoms, the longer it will take to respond to treatment. One major influence...
Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia: Step by Step to a Pain-Free Life
Many people suffer chronic pain and fibromyalgia. They are both quite common and can be extremely difficult to manage and treat. In understanding chronic pain it is useful to understand how the body registers and manages pain in the body. The basic theory of pain is that an initial event occurs such as a trauma, infection or illness which the body perceives as having the potential to damage the body. This...
Why do so many people suffer from shoulder pain?
Why is shoulder pain so common? Shoulder pain and dysfunction is one of the most common complaints we see. Perhaps only neck pain and low back pain are more frequently seen. There are many reasons why so many people experience shoulder pain. The first is the shoulder is a very complex joint and is made up of at least four individual joints. As a general rule, the more complex something is,...
The Science Behind Emotions and Pain
Patients frequently wonder: “Why do I have this pain?” or “Why can’t I heal?” Often, this has to do with the complex interplay of emotions and stress in the body. The Physiological Response to Trauma The body can deal with physical trauma better than non-physical trauma. As a species, our bodies are highly evolved to handle illness and injury. However, when we suppress or deny emotional pain, stress, and other non-physiological trauma...
Pain Explained
Pain, whether acute/injury-related or chronic, is often what brings someone to an osteopath. In my practice, I’ve learned a lot about the deeper into the roots of pain and how patients can successfully stay pain free.
How to Stay at the Top of Your Game
Injury and Pain: Prevention and Treatment Gym and sports injuries often bring people to the osteopath. With a work hard, play hard lifestyle common in Shanghai, pain usually stems from the workplace or workouts. Sitting for long hours is hard on the body . A sedentary lifestyle combined with an intense workout routine can be the perfect recipe for injury. How can you get the exercise your body needs while preventing injury? Listen...
TCM Focus: Tuina Massage
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) differs from western medicine in a number of ways. These include how a diagnosis is made, as well as the curative methods employed. Our TCM series serves to introduce the various methods and their underlying mechanisms. Tuina massage is the name for the massage therapy used in TCM. History of Tuina Tuina is not as well-known worldwide as acupuncture and other TCM treatments; however, its history is just...
When Can an Osteopath Help?
Interview with Matthew Stevens, Body & Soul’s Osteopath and Medical Massage Specialist B&S: Can you explain a bit about what an osteopath does? M.S: Osteopathy is a form of manual medicine that focuses on total body health and the musculoskeletal system (joints, spine and muscles). Treatment aims to help the body’s nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems to function better for optimal wellness. An osteopath treats pain and injury, but can also provide...
Preventing Injuries at the Gym
Yoga is a great practice for body and mind. However, it is important to listen to your body when practicing yoga and to focus on your own incremental progress, rather than competing against others. Yoga should not be painful, and any feelings of pain should be avoided. It seems there are many yoga classes popping up in Shanghai and it is difficult for instructors to focus on individuals in classes...