The Ivy Clinic

Osteopaths at The Ivy Clinic are happy to treat patients with any condition listed above.

Fibromyalgia

Acute joint pain is often associated with fibromyalgia which is a disease of the central nervous system where normal, non-painful, neural messages are interpreted by the nerve receptors as pain. This leads to intense localised pain where there should be none. The symptoms of fibromyalgia include headaches, sleeping difficulties, poor concentration, stiff muscles and enervating tiredness. Some patients suffer occasional attacks allowing them to lead fairly normal lives. However, for chronic sufferers, this disease can gravely affect quality of life. There is no single cure, however much research is being done into various therapies to help ameliorate the disability associated with the condition. Osteopathic treatment is, of course, often used to treat the associated muscle pain and many practitioners combine this wiith acupressure or acupuncture to further relieve muscular pain.

Migraine

The most common kind of debilitating headache is the migraine which inflict a very intense pain for a period varying from minutes to many hours. In the UK it is understood that almost eight million people have suffered from migraine attacks. Some only rarely but for a minority it can be a regular cause of disabling pain substantially impacting work and family life. Whilst the cause is not well understood doctors note the correlation between attacks and an imbalance of the hormone serotonin. As serotonin can constrict veins and arteries the imbalance can cause the vessels to be become engorged which is the source of the pain. Triggers can again vary but include stress, bright lights, hormonal imbalances (often caused by the menstrual cycle) and even various food types. Cranial osteopaths frequently treat migraine sufferers by working gently to promote improved level of drainage from the veins of the head and neck as well as working to reduce muscle tension at the base of the skull.