Back pain Archives - Lucerne Clinic in Notting Hill Gate

benefits of dry needling

By John Hunter-Holmes01 September, 2015Uncategorized

The benefits of dry needling can go beyond the treatment of myofascial pain, back pain and joint dysfunction. Although dry needling is a very effective way of treating trigger points and can substantially reduce pain when other techniques have failed, we have found that many people report other benefits. Beyond reduced pain and better function patients have reported improved energy levels, better appetite and sleep as well as an overall sense of enhanced well being.

By emailing us (info@lucerneclinic.co.uk), please let us know if you are a patient that has benefited from dry needling other than from reduced pain and better function.

Dry Needling and Back Pain

By John Hunter-Holmes20 July, 2015Back Pain, Lucerneclinic

Lucerne Clinic, Notting Hill Gate, will shortly be offering ‘Dry Needling’ as an additional technique to help relieve the pain patients present with.

What is Dry Needling?

Dry Needling involves multiple advances of a filament needle into the muscle in the region of a “Trigger Point’. The aim of Dry Needling is to achieve a local twitch response to release muscle tension and pain. Dry needling is an effective treatment for chronic pain of neuropathic origin with very few side effects.

What is a “trigger point”?

A myofascial “trigger point” is a hyperirritable point in skeletal muscle that is associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule, or “knot”. This area becomes painful at the site and can also “radiate” in predictable patterns.

Who can benefit from Dry Needling?

A variety of musculoskeletal problems including, but not limited to: Acute/Chronic injuries, Headaches, Neck/Back pain, Tendinitis, Muscle Spasms, “Sciatica”, Hip/Knee pain, Muscle strains, Fibromyalgia, “Tennis/Golfer’s Elbow”, PFPS,Overuse injuries, etc.

Posture tips to help back pain

By John Hunter-Holmes24 June, 2015Back Pain, Lucerneclinic

In the last couple of posts we discussed different types of posture and the effect bad posture can have on back pain. The Mayo clinic has a good guide to healthy posture and some easy tips on how to evaluate your posture at home. Please follow the link below for additional information.

If you’re unsure about how good your posture is and what would be the best exercises to maintain a healthy posture then why don’t you book an appointment at the Lucerne Clinic in Notting Hill Gate. Our Osteopaths have many years of experience in dealing with postural problem.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/back-pain/sls-20076817?s=1

Back pain & posture

By John Hunter-Holmes15 June, 2015Back Pain, Lucerneclinic

It is unlikely that we will all go through life with a perfect posture, all of the time. As a result we may suffer from back pain at some point. It is far more likely that our posture will be somewhere, on a scale, away from perfect. The illustration above shows some common postures that we see at Lucerne Clinic. More often than not, we see a combination of the those depicted, such as a hollow back with a high hip or a flat pelvis and a head tilt. Any of these variations can cause back pain.

Postural variations are often defined as structural or functional. Structural implies that it is as a result of a structural change to the musculo skeletal system, this can be as a result of a genetic mutation, a birth defect or trauma.

Functional variations to posture can broadly be described as repetitive strains or muscle imbalances, that affect the musculoskeletal system. Functional variations often occur during childhood and youth, when the skeleton is still growing. Functional variations that are not addressed can, over a period of time, become structural.

Structural variations are irreversible, in extreme cases surgery can be sought. Osteopaths are very interested in the posture of children and youths because these are the ages at which we can diagnoses the stresses causing the variations. We can then treat and help rectify them.

Back pain & Primal Posture

By John Hunter-Holmes09 June, 2015Back Pain, Lucerneclinic

Back pain is likely to affect most of us living ‘western’ lifestyles at some point or another. For some people it is debilitating and will be a life long problem. How many such cases are down to posture? In parts of the world where humans still lead indigenous lives, back pain is virtually unheard of. Why?

Please find a link to an article by Esther Gokhale that we would to share with you. She discusses ‘Primal Posture’ and also includes some helpful tips to achieve better back posture.

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/06/08/412314701/lost-posture-why-indigenous-cultures-dont-have-back-pain

All the osteopaths based at the Lucerne Clinic in Notting Hill Gate are trained to assess posture. We can design a bespoke program to help you achieve a better posture and less back pain.