Osteopaths at Denis Brown Osteopaths Manchester are happy to help patients with any treatment listed above.

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.

Sucking Difficulty

A baby having difficulty feeding may be suffering from a nerve compression. Cranial osteopaths would be quick to look at the area at the base of the skull to determine if the nerve was affected. From an osteopathic perspective, a child that has or had difficulty latching-on to its mother's nipple during the first few weeks after birth is a potential indicator that there may be some compression of an important nerve that controls the tongue. Whilst the sucking problem may clear up after a few days or weeks, the issue of compression of the hypoglossal nerve - or indeed other nerves - may not actually be resolved fully in the intial period after birth. A detailed patient history for a child should certainly cover this issue even if the condition for which treatment is being sought is rather different.