I’m really pleased to be joining the team at Foreman and Jones and working with the other
practitioners to help patients feel tip top! I moved to Seabrook in July 2019 and I’ve got to say my family and I love it here. So a little about my background…I was a professional musician for 25 years playing drums and percussion. Towards the end of my music career, I played on various west end musicals. This took a toll on my back, shoulders, wrists, you name it! I was treated with lots of different forms of therapy, but Osteopathy seemed the most effective long term, and what’s more, I found it really interesting. So, here I am, many years later having found a vocation that really fulfils me; Osteopathy.

Osteopathy is not just about treating a bad back. Many people see modalities such as Osteopathy, Physio and Chiropractic as the same thing. They do have similarities in that they are ‘manual therapy’ based interventions aiming to relieve pain and rehabilitate, but each modality approaches the presenting symptoms from a slightly different angle.
Osteopathy aims to treat the body as a whole, not just the troublesome part. In doing so, we return the body in the best possible state to heal more effectively. Osteopaths are Primary Healthcare Practitioners, as are nurses and GP’s. We’re trained to spot things that could be serious and refer on for further investigation if needed.

As an osteopath, its my job to advise on interventions that increase health and decrease injury – not just treat the body manually. That’s why I prescribe simple, evidence based home exercises – especially exercises promoting balance. In 2017 a study found that ‘falls risk’ was reduced by 21% in community dwellings for older people after doing exercises that challenged their balance. That’s a reduction of falls by just over a 5th! Since moving to Hythe, I’ve been treating older people with joint replacements and osteoporosis helping them get stronger and more balanced whilst treating other areas of the body that promote increased blood flow, reduce compensation and increase the body’s healing ability.
Of course we can also use common sense and just help somebody who looks like they’re not too steady on their feet cross the road or negotiate an icy bit of pav????
ement. But it’s worth remembering that osteopaths aren’t just for ‘fixing backs’ but offer important healthcare interventions that can affect the health and safety of the community and are geared to making your body function at its best – and that includes not only manual therapy, but simple home exercise plans aimed at increasing balance and strength.

Postural discomfort can also throw us off balance causing us to hold ourselves in postures that avoid pain. This pain avoidance can lead to muscle weakness in other areas of the body, predisposing an imbalanced posture. A posture that is out of balance and fighting gravity in the wrong places can lead to altered walking pattern (gait) which predisposes a greater risk of tripping and falling. This is where osteopathy steps in!
Osteopaths observe these imbalances and postural adaptations and through examination and assessment, address the body and any predisposing factors that might be holding the body back from healing itself.

I hope through reading this short piece that you know a little bit more about osteopathy
and what it aims to achieve – restoring function, resolving pain and helping you feel better in yourself.