Osteopaths at The Ashcroft Practice are happy to help patients with any treatment listed above.

Delayed Development

Delayed development is troubling for parents because it is often noticed over a long period of time as the failure by a child to keep up with the development path of peer children. The symptoms include a lack of coordination, difficulty walking or running or failing to talk, either at all or clearly. Yet noticing an absence is difficult and, of course, the speed at which individuals develop on multiple dimensions will always vary substantially. Nevertheless, once parents or carers become aware of this issue, it is important to look to potential physical causes rather than to assume the child is less bright than others. It is apparent all too often that such kids are suffering from vital nerves at the base of the skull being trapped or pinched. Once the nerves are released the speed of development can be amazing with some children very rapidly catching up to their friends.

Tension headaches

The symptoms are easy to recognise - pain behind the eyes and a throbbing head. Although often triggered by stress or emotional events, an important causal factor is often a constriction of the blood supply as a result of the the muscles at the back of the neck and the base of the skull over-contracting. In addition to neck pain, this may frequently be the cause of a headache. In the immediate terms occasional use of analgesics may help as will a cold towel or compress. However, in the longer term, it is recommended that two actions be taken. First, an investigation of the upper neck area which may need to be manipulated or mobilised in order to promote sufficient blood flow. Secondly, it is important to understand the sources of emotional stress and try to deflect it using a variety of techniques such as yoga, meditation or even regular exercise.