0208 9776396
Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy
Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy
Working From Home
Since we fully opened the practice back up again, we have been increasingly working with the musculoskeletal effects of home-working.
At the beginning of lockdown, our patients were reporting how great it was to work from home – no commuting, being able to self-manage work and the freedom to complete household chores such as the washing during the working day.
However, 5 months on and it is noticeable that working from home can have its disadvantages, especially on the musculoskeletal system. This newsletter is going to explore how to help yourself to work ergonomically in the home.
Kind regards,
Get a Good Chair – We are discovering that many of our patients are working whilst sitting on dining chairs rather than an office chair. This leads to enforced static sitting positions that result in lack of movement, stiffness/aches & pains. Get an office chair that has adaptable lumbar support for the spine & wheels so that you can move and “fidget” whilst on those Video conference calls.
Get a Monitor – working on laptops for long periods of time is not ergonomically great. Get a Monitor so that you can get a good view of your work on a large screen (which should be at chin height).
Have Good Lumbar Support – Computer Slump is a real problem so if you put a cushion or towel in the hollow of your lumbar spine then this can mitigate any postural issues. Have a look at How to Have Good Sitting Posture here: https://youtu.be/6SG_3Xax9Zo
Create Regular Breaks & Distractions – in a normal office environment your work gets interrupted and you get up for tea breaks or to meet a colleague for lunch. With video conferencing and home working, we are finding that patients are not moving frequently enough. Plan your day with scheduled ‘disruptions’ to ensure that you get up and move. Small, frequent bursts of activity are a great, quick way to disrupt static working and help your stay well and healthy.
Do you suffer from neck tension and frequent headaches?
Then this is the stretch routine for you! Please check out OSTEO HEALTH on YouTube and find this fabulous stretch routine here:
Please subscribe to the channel to get updates on future stretches/exercises and likes/comments are most welcome 😁
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
Having begun a phased re-opening in May we are now moving towards opening the clinic full-time from 1st July.
This is great news because I know that many of you are waiting for your appointments and it will be wonderful to see you all again. We can now treat non-urgent cases so please do get in touch and book your appointment today.
In line with PHE and our governing bodies’ advice we have implemented strict Infection Control protocols and this means that:
– The day before your appointment you will be telephoned with a screening triage questionnaire to ensure that you fulfil our criteria on being able to attend the practice. We reserve the right to postpone your visit at any time should we feel that it is not appropriate for you to attend.
– Your Osteopath will be wearing PPE in the form of scrubs, apron, gloves, face mask and eye protection.
– You will be required to wear a sterile fluid-resistant surgical face mask supplied at cost by ourselves for the entire duration of your appointment.
– There is no waiting area – we kindly ask patients to wait in their car until the exact time of their appointment. This gives us time to disinfect the practice between each patient. At the time of your appointment just ring the buzzer as normal.
– There is no access to the bathroom facilities. To keep the clinic sterile we have to reduce all points of contact within the practice.
Please be reassured that we have taken the safety of you, our patients and our Osteopaths as top priority.
For those of you who are in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable category and those who have underlying health conditions or concerns about attending the practice in person, we are still providing Video Consultation appointments. I understand the reserve that some people feel about a Video Consultation and yes, they work in a different way to hands-on therapy but can be highly effective.
Here are some testimonials from patients who have been treated via Video Consultation:
“I was doubtful that a video consultation would work but it was remarkable how effective it was. My Osteopath seemed to be able to see knots in the muscle as clearly as she can feel them in a normal consultation. Don’t suffer – have a video consultation!” EB Teddington
“Thank goodness I’ve discovered how osteopathic video consultation can help keep me pain free and moving again. After 10 weeks of lockdown and without my Osteopath’s amazing talent and expertise my body decided enough was enough. One day I could hardly get out of bed and walk down the stairs. But following just one video consultation (assisted by my husband) I’m able to do everything I want to again. I couldn’t believe how easily and skilfully my Osteopath diagnosed my issues, clearly communicated what needed to be done and enabled an extremely successful outcome all by Video. I shall now return to my regular fortnightly appointments just without the drive to Teddington for the time being !” PB Thames Ditton
“I suffer from an arthritic ankle and would normally see my Osteopath on a regular basis (pre-Covid-19). Since the lockdown I have been struggling to walk without pain as each week passed and finally could not manage the pain anymore/ I therefore called to organise a video consultation with my wife acting as my Osteopath’s proxy hands.
We used Video call to show the damaged area and my Osteopath was able to instruct my wife really effectively in order to manipulate the ankle in much the same way as if the Osteopath had been doing the manipulation herself. It worked extremely well and I’m pleased to say that the session was a great success and made a significant change to my pain levels and ankle mobility and I can now walk around the golf course again. My Osteopath was also careful not to over-tax my wife’s hands, taking care to ensure she did not over tire herself during the session.” MR Thames Ditton
So, please, if you are vulnerable do contact us for some help. We can keep you going through this difficult time so that you don’t suffer at home because you have concerns about Face-to-Face appointments.
In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you all, be it in the clinic or via Video Consultation.
Kind regards,
Please do keep in touch with us on Facebook and find us at https://www.facebook.com/KTOsteopathy/
There you will find stretches which will be helpful during this time.
This one is fantastic to do!
Please remember that Carragh, Mark, Katie, Leah and Rosie are all available for telephone consultations. If you have any queries or worries, do not hesitate to get in touch via email at carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk and one of us will call you.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
Having begun a phased re-opening in May we are now moving towards opening the clinic full-time from 1st July.
This is great news because I know that many of you are waiting for your appointments and it will be wonderful to see you all again. We can now treat non-urgent cases so please do get in touch and book your appointment today.
In line with PHE and our governing bodies’ advice we have implemented strict Infection Control protocols and this means that:
– The day before your appointment you will be telephoned with a screening triage questionnaire to ensure that you fulfil our criteria on being able to attend the practice. We reserve the right to postpone your visit at any time should we feel that it is not appropriate for you to attend.
– Your Osteopath will be wearing PPE in the form of scrubs, apron, gloves, face mask and eye protection.
– You will be required to wear a sterile fluid-resistant surgical face mask supplied at cost by ourselves for the entire duration of your appointment.
– There is no waiting area – we kindly ask patients to wait in their car until the exact time of their appointment. This gives us time to disinfect the practice between each patient. At the time of your appointment just ring the buzzer as normal.
– There is no access to the bathroom facilities. To keep the clinic sterile we have to reduce all points of contact within the practice.
Please be reassured that we have taken the safety of you, our patients and our Osteopaths as top priority.
For those of you who are in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable category and those who have underlying health conditions or concerns about attending the practice in person, we are still providing Video Consultation appointments. I understand the reserve that some people feel about a Video Consultation and yes, they work in a different way to hands-on therapy but can be highly effective.
Here are some testimonials from patients who have been treated via Video Consultation:
“I was doubtful that a video consultation would work but it was remarkable how effective it was. My Osteopath seemed to be able to see knots in the muscle as clearly as she can feel them in a normal consultation. Don’t suffer – have a video consultation!” EB Teddington
“Thank goodness I’ve discovered how osteopathic video consultation can help keep me pain free and moving again. After 10 weeks of lockdown and without my Osteopath’s amazing talent and expertise my body decided enough was enough. One day I could hardly get out of bed and walk down the stairs. But following just one video consultation (assisted by my husband) I’m able to do everything I want to again. I couldn’t believe how easily and skilfully my Osteopath diagnosed my issues, clearly communicated what needed to be done and enabled an extremely successful outcome all by Video. I shall now return to my regular fortnightly appointments just without the drive to Teddington for the time being !” PB Thames Ditton
“I suffer from an arthritic ankle and would normally see my Osteopath on a regular basis (pre-Covid-19). Since the lockdown I have been struggling to walk without pain as each week passed and finally could not manage the pain anymore/ I therefore called to organise a video consultation with my wife acting as my Osteopath’s proxy hands.
We used Video call to show the damaged area and my Osteopath was able to instruct my wife really effectively in order to manipulate the ankle in much the same way as if the Osteopath had been doing the manipulation herself. It worked extremely well and I’m pleased to say that the session was a great success and made a significant change to my pain levels and ankle mobility and I can now walk around the golf course again. My Osteopath was also careful not to over-tax my wife’s hands, taking care to ensure she did not over tire herself during the session.” MR Thames Ditton
So, please, if you are vulnerable do contact us for some help. We can keep you going through this difficult time so that you don’t suffer at home because you have concerns about Face-to-Face appointments.
In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you all, be it in the clinic or via Video Consultation.
Kind regards,
Please do keep in touch with us on Facebook and find us at https://www.facebook.com/KTOsteopathy/
There you will find stretches which will be helpful during this time.
This one is fantastic to do!
Please remember that Carragh, Mark, Katie, Leah and Rosie are all available for telephone consultations. If you have any queries or worries, do not hesitate to get in touch via email at carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk and one of us will call you.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
After an exhaustive process sourcing PPE, we have now got confirmation from our governing bodies that we may re-open by following their new guidelines on how to operate during this pandemic.
Of utmost importance is the safety of you, our patients and our staff. We have implemented new protocols and procedures that we take very seriously in our bid to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. These include:
– Use of PPE.
– Limiting numbers of people at the practice.
– Enhanced cleaning procedures.
– Telephone triage to ensure that it is appropriate for you to attend the practice.
Therefore, we are pleased to say that we are now open for emergency & urgent hands-on appointments.
We will continue to provide Video Consultations as we have been delighted with their success in helping patients over the last few months. If you have any concerns about attending the practice then I highly recommend having a Video Consultation.
Please note, that if your Osteopath decides that hands-on therapy is not appropriate then this is a professional decision based on the government and our governing bodies’ advice. All our Osteopaths have the right to refuse provision of hands-on treatment with immediate effect if there is any concern of risk to you, other patients or themselves.
We will also regularly review our operating procedures as & when the advice from our governing bodies changes.
So, please remember, that we are here for you all and are doing our utmost to help you all during this time.
Kind regards,
Please do keep in touch with us on Facebook and find us at https://www.facebook.com/KTOsteopathy/
There you will find stretches which will be helpful during this time.
In the meantime, here are a couple of de-stress videos….
Please remember that Carragh, Mark, Katie, Leah and Rosie are all available for telephone consultations. If you have any queries or worries, do not hesitate to get in touch via email at carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk and one of us will call you.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
Keeping well, both mentally and physically is proving a challenge to us as a nation in week 9 of Lockdown.
If you are getting achey and creaky and have missed your appointment since Lockdown, please do get in touch 02089776396 or email carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk and we can book you in for a Video Consultation.
We have had success with Video Consultations and have been wonderfully surprised at how much they can help. With video we can do a full assessment as if you are standing with us in the clinic and then there are many treatment options. If you would like further information on how they work, just call us and we can explain the process. Please know that we are here for you to help keep you well and healthy.
We are also planning ahead for re-opening but already we realise that this will come with its own challenges and limitations. Even getting PPE has been an exhaustive process and orders take weeks to materialise. We understand that you might want to wait for hands-on treatment but please don’t if you are currently struggling.
Via Video Consultations we are seeing more neck and back issues from patients who are working from home. By seeing you in your home environment we are also able to help you adjust your workspace and give relevant advice on how to manage your problem.
The YouTube channel is also continuing to be a great tool for self-help. My favourite one to date and especially relevant for everyone working hard in the garden or doing odd jobs is:
We are thinking of you all and hope you are keeping safe and well. Just remember, we are all still here for you and if you need us, just call.
Kind regards,
Please do keep in touch with us on Facebook and find us at https://www.facebook.com/KTOsteopathy/
There you will find stretches which will be helpful during this time.
In the meantime, here are a couple of de-stress videos….
Please remember that Carragh, Mark, Katie, Leah and Rosie are all available for telephone consultations. If you have any queries or worries, do not hesitate to get in touch via email at carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk and one of us will call you.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
Nearly a month after closing the clinic doors to hands-on Osteopathy, there has been time to reflect and work out how to move the practice forwards.
Online video consultations have proved to be very successful. We usually need a second family member to be present as ‘camera holder’ and supervised easy-to-do techniques have been really helpful at getting patients feeling better.
As a team, we are all available for telephone consultations, or even just a chat, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email to carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk and we will contact you the same day.
In the meantime, our reality as a society is that life has changed rather dramatically. In order to keep well, both mentally and physically, it is vital to keep to routine and stretch/exercise.
Our bodies work on a circadian rhythm which is a natural, internal process that regulates our sleep/wake cycle. To keep to a good rhythm, make sure you get up each morning nice and early. Get showered and dressed as if you are facing a normal working day. Plan ahead, things to do, what to eat and give yourself daily goals. All this helps the body self-manage and will also keep stress levels down.
By keeping to routine, be it a new lockdown one, you will help your body manage its brain wave activity, hormone balance and cellular regeneration – all vital for good health.
Our YouTube channel is coming along nicely. There are lots of top tips and stretches for different areas of the body. At present, we have also included quite a few on stress and tension with exercises to control breathing and encourage good posture. Have a look and please subscribe!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaSfyAZTc5JtqidbXNXg8Pw
Personally, my favourite stretches & exercises to date are:
A great stretch for your posture and mid-back.. ideal if you are sitting down more or working from home:
https://youtu.be/W8ivLxI6sC8
For people with lower back pain and hamstring tension, this one is ideal if you aren’t going out as much and is great for the current lockdown:
https://youtu.be/JtXcl-RLL8w
Finally, if you need us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We will all do our very best to help you. For now, stay home, stay safe and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Kind regards,
Please do keep in touch with us on Facebook and find us at https://www.facebook.com/KTOsteopathy/
There you will find stretches which will be helpful during this time.
In the meantime, here are a couple of de-stress videos….
Please remember that Carragh, Mark, Katie, Leah and Rosie are all available for telephone consultations. If you have any queries or worries, do not hesitate to get in touch via email at carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk and one of us will call you.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their very kind words and emails following the decision to temporarily pause hands-on treatment at Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy.
We understand that this is a stressful time for everyone. Numerous conversations this week highlighted that stress & society’s enforced lifestyle change are contributing to physical tension. Symptoms include neck and shoulder tension and headaches and some of our patients are reporting anxiety and tightness in the chest.
In order to provide some help I have now embarked on my new career as a movie maker and have started to create YouTube stretches for you all! So enjoy!
Kind regards,
Please do keep in touch with us on Facebook and find us at https://www.facebook.com/KTOsteopathy/
There you will find stretches which will be helpful during this time.
In the meantime, here are a couple of de-stress videos….
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
What a difference a day makes! As the Science advises greater social changes in the battle to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic, we have kept up with advice and added different protocols each day to ensure our clinical practice stays within government guidelines.
On Thursday 19th March these guidelines changed again. Social Distancing is increasingly paramount, especially for our at risk, vulnerable, immuno-compromised and elderly patients.
We all have vulnerable people close to us, in our households or within our very close family and friend units. This is a factor that affects every single person within this country, and indeed, the world.
We have taken the decision, not lightly, to close the clinic on Friday 20th March 2020 for two weeks.
However, myself, Mark, Katie, Leah and Rosie are all still your dedicated Osteopaths. We are not away or on holiday… we are there on the other end of the phone 02089776396 and email carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk
There is a lot behind the scenes for us to do, so please be patient if we don’t respond immediately. We will do our best to reply within a few hours at most.
Please keep reading my newsletters for regular updates. If you have any problems, requests or just want to chat then email us at carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk and one of us will be in contact.
As your Osteopaths we will all very much miss seeing you face-to-face but with social media there is no longer a lack of contact. We have to look after each other and care for each other.
Finally, don’t be scared. The Science has been modelling pandemics in anticipation of this for years. We are in the unknown but we have to follow the advice given as so much research has gone into this already by some amazingly bright and clever people.
Keep well my friends and we all look forward to seeing you and treating you very soon.
Kind regards,
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
We would like to take this opportunity to reassure our patients that we are doing our very best to keep up to date with information on COVID-19 and the advice that NHS and Public Health England are providing to healthcare providers such as ourselves.
Our duty of care is to you, our patients, and with this in mind we Kindly ask that you read our guidelines below.
Kind regards,
Our first request is, if you are unwell and have a raised temperature, please cancel your appointment.
To cancel, please call the clinic landline 02089776396 and reschedule your appointment.
This may be normal cold and flu-like symptoms (not coronavirus) but please, for the sake of our patients who may be of higher risk to catching infections, do not reschedule until a minimum of 24 hours after the temperature has returned to normal
For patients who have travelled recently, please read NHS guidelines and only attend if you are safe to do so.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/advice-for-travellers/
For all other patients, we ask you to stay up to date with NHS advice.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
If you have any doubts at all as to whether you may have come in contact with someone with coronavirus, please cancel your appointment and call NHS 111.
Remember, coronavirus COVID-19 infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with coronavirus via a cough, sneeze or hand contact. A person can also be infected by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.
At the clinic we are committed to keeping it clean and are wiping surfaces, door handles etc regularly. We have provided alcohol based anti-bacterial gel and we invite you to use this whilst in the waiting area.
Please have a look at the NHS link below.
https://mcusercontent.com/df1c802f79a259f495b32f8cf/images/2cef8961-dab0-4649-b6b7-8686205726dc.jpg
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
Are you running the London Marathon this year? If so, you’re probably just finished your first month of the 16 week training plan. Only 12 to go!
We wish you good luck with your training and here are some top tips to help prevent injury in the lead up to 26th April.
Kind regards,
There are so many websites out there that will have a training plan that will cater to your level of fitness. Find the right one for you.
As Osteopaths, we tend to see patients during the latter part of their training when the mileage is really beginning to ramp up. Impact problems and repetitive strains are best addressed as soon as they occur.
Ideally, we would like to see you earlier in the training schedule before the shin splints, knee, hip, ankle or foot problems begin.
We would like to help you by supporting your musculoskeletal structure during training so please do contact us if you want further information. We will provide treatment, stretch advice and a pro-active approach to your training.
Seemingly obvious, but it can be very hard to find the right trainers. We recommend getting professional advice and when trying them on do some walking and running on a treadmill. There are various shops locally that are really helpful.
Try on a mixture of different brands, some will not be right for you if you have a history of low back disc problems or if you have a high instep.
Your Osteopath will be able to recommend some brands that might be more appropriate for you personally once they have assessed you.
When running frequently, it is common to get muscle aches and the odd joint pain. There is a big difference from the ache of a good workout and the pain of an injury.
You need to learn to listen to your body. Some days the training will be easy and some days it will be hard. Should the pain ever become sharp, frequent or hurt with each step, then stop. Take a breather for 5 minutes, do some stretches and then re-start your run. If it is still hurting, then stop and get treatment. Too often we see patients who have injured themselves during a run and then have continued for miles afterward. This can damage the tissues further and may affect recovery time.
Ultimately, you need to gauge your level of discomfort. With time, you will learn what is safe to push through in order to achieve the race finish line.
Being slow just means setting a pace that is comfortable. Running at a comfortable pace allows for good oxygen uptake and means you use your muscles fibres aerobically. This in turn means that you are less likely to get injured.
Slower running makes it easier for your tendons, ligaments and joints to adapt – again reducing the risk of injury.
For Further Information please call our Osteopaths today and we can help you stay fit and full of well-being. 02089776396
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for any reason, we are here to help and welcome any feedback. Click here for more information.
