Combat Sports Clinic and Neck Strength Masterclass

Some of you may already know that as well as running Olton Osteopathy here in Solihull, I also run Combat Sports Clinic, We provide both in-person and online consultations, advice and education about treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of sports injuries to anyone involved in combat sports or martial arts. We’re just about to release our […]

Back pain blues

“It’s not just the pain that’s getting me down. I don’t feel like myself any more. I can’t do the things I’d normally do – I feel so helpless; I feel like I’m a burden on everyone around me.” “I’m scared that it’s not going to get better, and I’ll be stuck like this. What […]

Ben Hewitt talks about painkillers

As osteopaths we don’t prescribe medication ourselves, but our patients often have questions about medicine they’ve been given by their doctor and how it might affect their treatment. Fortunately, our osteopath Ben Hewitt is a former pharmacist and so can share some of his knowledge on the subject. PLEASE NOTE: you should always consult with […]

Equestrian fun with Penny Marshall

I’ve often said that one of the best ways to understand the physical demands of an activity is to give it a go. Whether I’m talking to a client about the mechanics of a golf swing, riding a bike, lifting heavy boxes at work, or even playing a musical instrument – sometimes it’s tough to […]

Why do my joints click, and should I be worried?

“My joints click a lot. Someone told me that this is a sign of arthritis. Is this true? Should I be worried?” Working as an osteopath, I’ve found that one of the most common concerns my patients ask about is clicking, cracking or crunching in their joints. Many people worry that the noise might be […]

Recovery after surgery

One of the best parts of my job is the variety of different challenges I get to work on. One session I might be working on a squash player’s sprained ankle or a climber’s finger injury, the next I’m treating an elderly patient with hip osteoarthritis or a pregnant woman with back pain. On any […]

Are you sure I don’t need an MRI scan?

Patients are sometimes concerned that their doctor hasn’t sent them for an x-ray or MRI scan of their injury, and often their perception is that they’re being short changed, or that the decision is just about saving money. But there’s usually more to it than that. I often explain to people that we only need […]

Core stability – a look at the research

Here’s an article I wrote looking at some of the evidence about core stability training and lower back pain. It’s quite long – so if you’re less interested in looking at the science and more interested in getting out of pain, the take home message is quite simple. Lots of different kinds of exercise can […]

Help, I think I’m hypermobile!

“Hypermobility” just means a greater than normal range of movement. It’s not uncommon – by some accounts 20-30% of the population have some degree of hypermobility, either affecting an isolated joint, or generalised throughout the whole body. It’s found more often in young people, females, and certain ethnic groups (such as Asians and Afro-Carribeans). It […]