Osteopathy | Chiropractic Techniques
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OSTEOPATHY/CHIROPRACTIC TECHNIQUES
Osteopathy style and techniques focuses on the body as a whole, moving it, stretching and massaging your muscles and joints in order to diagnose and treat you. Therefore it is perfectly normal for us to treat other body parts that may (seemingly) have little relation to your injury. Osteopathic techniques is based on the principle that your overall wellbeing depends on your entire body: bones, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue need to function smoothly together as a whole.
If one part of the body is not working well, it can trigger problems for the rest because our system tries to compensate sometimes creating pain, inflammation or stiffness. Osteopathic technique treatments allow the body to heal itself. Your therapist will look for the cause of the imbalance and try to fix it, in order to recreate the body’s natural equilibrium.
Your therapist will start by taking a thorough case and medical history then evaluate you by looking at your body’s mechanical functionality and discussing posture, repeated movements and lifestyle. If none of the symptoms are not of a medical element which would need immediate referral, they will devise a treatment that is truly tailored to you, taking into account your needs and preferences.
Your therapist will use hands-on manipulation, acupuncture, massage and stretching to increase the blood supply to tissues, activate nerves, relieve tension points, relax and mobilise joints. This will activate the natural healing powers of the body.
Taking regular physical activity (including stretching) to ensure our bodies stay healthy, to increase general wellbeing and prevent the return of future symptoms. It is the goal of your therapist to solve your issue and not just provide temporary relief, knowing you will be back for more treatment. Following treatment, you may feel a little sore for approx. 24 to 72 hours.
This is normal but please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.Your therapist may prescribe home treatment for you to help the healing process (such as heat or ice to increase or decrease blood flow to the affected area) and/or exercise/stretches.
*Please note that at this time we do not have a permanent osteopath on site. Our current therapists are however qualified to administer osteopathic and chiropractic techniques to compliment your sessions
Sports Massage
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SPORTS MASSAGE
Our Sports and Remedial Massage therapy service is not exclusive to sports persons or athletes. In fact everyone from office workers to gym trainers, and even new mums can benefit from this type of therapy.
Our therapists will, through the use of different techniques (including acupuncture and tapping), treat your lower back, neck, shoulder, leg and physical pains, helping you recover from injury or to help your muscles recover after a heavy workout. Throughout the course of our lives, we will often suffer pain in our body due to repetitive day to day actions, poor posture or just being too sedentary for large parts of the day.
Sports and remedial massage will help your pain by flushing new blood into the area, breaking down scar tissue and improving your range of movement. This will assist the healing process of your injury. On occasions treatment can cause discomfort.
However, your therapist will work with you to find the level that you are comfortable with. At IIC, we do not want you to dread your treatments as this would be counterproductive. Communication between therapist and client is important on all levels.
There is a possibility that you will feel treatment soreness for approx 24 to 72 hours after your session. This perfectly normal but if you are at all concerned then please contact us immediately.
Medical Acupuncture
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MEDICAL ACCUPUNCTURE
By stimulating the nerves in the skin and muscle, Medical Acupuncture is a treatment which can provide pain relief and help alleviate the symptoms of some physical conditions.
There are a number of things that happen when you have acupuncture: Acupuncture needles help to reduce pain in the affected area by triggering the release of endorphins and serotonin (your body’s natural painkiller) You will often feel an improved sense of wellbeing
The majority of the time, you will experience a slight twitch in your muscle as the needle enters. This is an involuntary spinal cord reflex and is a normal reaction. It will indicate to your therapist the needle has been placed correctly and helps improve the desired outcome of the session.
You may also feel a slight heaviness in the muscle, which is also a natural response to the needle and nothing to be concerned about and this feeling will gradually disperse post treatment.
Overall, acupuncture is extremely safe and our therapists find it one of the most beneficial treatments alongside the other manual therapies on offer.
Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy
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MUSCULOSKELETAL PHYSICAL THERAPY
Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy includes movement and exercise, manual therapy and other approaches
Movement and Exercise
Your therapist will assess your ability to do physical activity. They will look at joint range of motion, strength, sensibility, coordination, balance and doing tasks.
Physical exercises increase range of motion, strengthen muscles and improve balance and coordination. Physical activity and exercise are effective in preventing and managing many chronic conditions
Manual Therapy
Manual therapy can be important in rehabilitation. Our joints make small sliding and gliding movements when we move through a range of motion. We cannot do these movements on their own, they just occur with the main movement. After injury these small internal joint movements can become restricted and limit our ability to move our joints.
Your therapist can apply controlled passive movements to loosen injured joints and tissues. Passive movements are movements performed by someone else and not by ourselves. Small and repetitive movements applied to joints are called mobilisation techniques. These are always under YOUR control because you can tense up and stop the movement. Or you can ask your therapist to stop.
Fast, more forceful and single movements are known as manipulation. Manipulation is beyond your control as the joint is pushed past its limits to loosen it up. A therapist can manipulate but it is more common in treatments from osteopaths and chiropractors.
Manual guidance, assisting or resisting a joint as it moves is also an important part of a treatment. Soft tissue techniques may be used to loosen up scars, swollen joints and thickened swelling after injury.
Massage has been shown in studies to relieve pain and reduce swelling.
Other Approaches
Your therapist can use acupuncture, where fine needles are inserted in the skin at specific points on the body. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective at treating inflammation and pain. Traction, and hot and cold compresses may also be used as part of your treatment.
What is Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy used for?
MSKcan help at any time in your life and in many different ways, depending on your needs and circumstances. It can be helpful in managing a long-term medical condition such as arthritis or an injury. Treatment can reduce pain, increase mobility and return you to your normal activities. You can also recover faster from illness and avoid hospital admissions with the help of physiotherapy.
Your therapist can also show you how to lift objects safely and how to maintain a good posture in different situations. This can lower your risk of getting injured or developing musculoskeletal problems. They can advise you on staying fit and healthy as you grow older through lifestyle changes like regular exercise and healthy eating. If you find it hard to climb stairs or get in and out of bed, the bath or car, your therapist can teach you how to get around those problems.
The main focus of a MSK treatment is always to help you remain as independent and active as possible.
Your therapist assess, treat and manage a broad spectrum of physical problems.
Cupping
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CUPPING
What is Cupping?
Cupping is a type of alternative therapy that originated in China. It involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. The suction may facilitate healing with blood flow.
What should I expect during a cupping treatment?
During a cupping treatment, a cup is placed on the skin and then heated or suctioned onto the skin. The cup is often heated with fire using alcohol, herbs, or paper that’s placed directly into the cup. The fire source is removed, and the heated cup is placed with the open side directly on your skin.
Some modern cupping practitioners have shifted to using rubber pumps to create suction versus more traditional heat methods.
When the hot cup is placed on your skin, the air inside the cup cools and creates a vacuum that draws the skin and muscle upward into the cup. Your skin may turn red as the blood vessels respond to the change in pressure.
With dry cupping, the cup is set in place for a set time, usually between 5 and 10 minutes. With wet cupping, cups are usually only in place for a few minutes before the practitioner removes the cup and makes a small incision to draw blood.
After the cups are removed, the practitioner may cover the previously cupped areas with ointment and bandages. This helps prevent infection. Any mild bruising or other marks usually go away within 10 days of the session.
Cupping is sometimes performed along with acupuncture treatments. For best results, you may also want to fast or eat only light meals for two to three hours before your cupping session.
