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Whole Therapy, Unit D , Mayfair Business Centre, Garvaghy Road , Portadown , BT621HA, Armagh (2026)

19/01/2021

Covid-19 Vaccine...check!! 💉✅

Yesterday I got my 1st vaccine dose for Covid-19. Feeling fine over 24 hours later with some soreness in my arm as expected from any form of injection.

Trying to play my part in easing pressure on the NHS and keep myself safeguarded from any nasty side effects from Covid itself.

I Hope everyone is keeping well and managing okay a few weeks into 2021, with our combined efforts we will get back to a form of normal sooner rather than later.

I am available for any advice needed and open for appointments following Covid guidelines as expected.

😊

04/01/2021

Happy New Year all!!

I hope everyone had a pleasant break over Christmas and New Years.

Leaving what was undoutedly a very challenging year for all behind us, let's look forward to hopefully more normal times soon in 2021!!

Just posting to let everyone know the clinic is now open for new and returning patients.

The stress and change in routines due to lockdowns has left many with aches and pains, and luckily Osteopaths are categorised as essential care givers meaning the clinic can fully operate through the current lockdown, under the obvious PPE and hygeine guidelines.

So if you or anyone you know is in need of some advice, mobility routines for home, or some treatment please get in touch or pass on the word to book in.

Let's get the year off to a proper start looking after our physical and mental well being.

You can contact the clinic via phone:
02838 399500
Or by email:
Portadownosteopathy@gmail.com

Or just get in touch via the page.

Hopefully see many of you soon.

Ronan

16/10/2019

Roughly 90% of attendees to the clinic are people with pain with no link to a specific incident or trauma.

They mention back or neck pain that has been an issue for a while but recently it has become more intense or they are simply frustrated with it not going away.

With these people, my attempt of explanation for their issues always includes this discussion..."something you are doing too much of (often sitting long periods or overuse when it comes to exercise) or something you are doing too little of (movement generally or movement adaption) has led you to here now, so we need to add something in or take something out of your daily/weekly routine that allows your body an ability to adapt better".

This is always met with no resistance, "yes I need to change something myself" but then when it comes to initiating that change (a mobility plan, or a plan to reduce something ie exercise) there is resistance and very few want to make the change needed, even when it's in their own best interest.

I've struggled with this issue for a while, I've read up on cognitive training and habit formation or destruction to try and engage my patients to see the change they need has to come from them.

No spinal manipulation or massage to muscles will allow the change they need long term. It requires a personal conscious effort with persistence to make lasting positive change.

Sadly this post has no answers, no wisdom to tell people how to do it, I'm still looking the answer, from anywhere or anyone, but it seems to be an issue across the board.

If anyone has useful tips on this, please let me know, I could do with the magic wand I can use to create everlasting positive change amongst the masses.

07/10/2019

https://www.facebook.com/zachclaytonx/videos/2318423748216764/

Techniques like this aren't all they are "cracked up" to be 😉 they have their place as long as the nonsense talk that comes with them is explained honestly.

You don't need your back "put back" into place 🤓

03/10/2019

I heard this quote recently whilst listening to a podcast about healthy sleep...it links well with one of my all time favourite quotes by Bernard of Chartres (which often helps me humble myself and others) put into English by Isaac Newton "if I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"...in essence, discover truth by building on other's discoveries.

The reason I love this idea, is that we often fall into the trap that what we know is of our own discovery and that we should demand respect and authority because of that. I have only personally met 1 person that could claim such authority, this was a scientist who has aided in discovery of new concepts in Science that will hopefully propel our knowledge further...but she was eerily humble of the fact she has only continued work of other people before her, and gave much credit to those she works beside each day.
So it seems those who truly wish to obtain knowledge to build more and better ideas and have what we call authority, tend to shy away from such claims whilst those who use the wisdoms of others to only better their situation amongst peers for wealth and fame cling to this idea of authority without any embarrassment.

The idea, being wise learning from others has limits and dangers...those who calls themselves an authority surely need to back it up with credentials and safeguards for people they pass this information onto.

I've spent large amounts of time and money this year attempting to further my knowledge, experience and thinking...my largest frustration lies with social media. This tool can be used for good but too often is used in a destructive way both by the producers of content and consumers... A larger part of my frustration lies with people in an element of my chosen field...these people have only been on the scene for 10 minutes yet have the balls to call themselves MOBILITY SPECIALISTS...which would be fine if they simply stayed in the lane with people who don't move well, but they don't, they consistently talk about and work with people who are in PAIN...

Now for someone who doesn't know, pain is often a simple feature of someone who does not move well or over exerts themselves, these are simple musculoskeletal issues that require little to no medical attention or knowledge in order to solve, perfect for "mobility specialists", IF the person they are working with has medical clearance...

But pain in many people is often of a very insidious nature that requires the medical and pathological insight to notice, diagnose and treat (often medically)...it also comes from other psychological and social issues that require trained insight and experience to manage...this requires authority that must be earned and should be (but sadly often is not) respected, authority earned from years of training in anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and other elements to include clinical experience...this should include competency exams backed by government regulations of high standards and safety meant to keep the public safe from harm...Osteopaths, Physiotherapists and Chiropractors (at least in the UK) should all have these requirements to claim such authority, if anyone calls themselves one of these three professions, they legally should have, and if they don't you need to ask questions...and also ask yourself a question, why am I going to someone who I don't know, who has no proper credentials and who could cause me harm, not by a technique they will use, but by a lack of knowledge and insight that my pain is being caused by something they cannot treat themselves and needs diagnosis and then medical intervention that they cannot offer...people, have higher standards for your health and well being...

Now I need to add, people who have earned the authority to work with people in pain are not always the person who will help you out of it (I have failed many many times to help people), we have poor clinicians and charlatans everywhere who managed to earn the credentials of the professions mentioned, but they should be a person you can trust to identify if your pain requires further investigation and not just some spinal segmentation, if you feel they are not, ask more questions!!

Remember, the mentioned professions have (and actually pay annually to be under the scrutiny of) governing bodies that look after the public, they look after YOU, they attempt to maintain high standards of patient safety before all other things, and a good practitioner aims to do this, unfortunately a safe practitioner will not always help you with the problem you came in with, usually pain (99% of the time).

This post began with a thought, and has turned into a rant...but a bigger discussion is required for us to raise the standards of care for people in the public, safeguarding them from themselves and others who prey on people with little knowledge of their health issues...people who claim authority and brilliance in an element of a field that is becoming more and more difficult to safely manage and regulate.

12/08/2019

The Rotator Cuff.

When it comes to shoulder symptoms or pain the rotator cuff is often the most commonly accused set of muscles...too often wrongly accused or diagnosed.

The rotator cuff is a collection of 4 muscles (Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, Teres Minor) which produce rotation elements at the shoulder, stability and certain glide movements also.

Whilst there is high prevalence of degeneration in many of these muscles in a high percentage of the population (often called injury or damage) they often are asymptomatic and cause no pain or debilitation.

MRI scanning often highlights these changes...changes as far as complete tears (often the supraspinatus muscle) to labral damage which you would believe should cause pain and major movement issues, but, they often don't.

The shoulder is a complex area of the body, possibly the most complex when you consider the large range of motion it has and the requirement of healthy and proper function of many other joints in synergy.

Certainly poorly engaged or weak rotator cuff muscles can cause biomechanic issues and pain but this is often part of a more broad issue of poor engagement and weakness beyond the shoulder and rotator cuff.

If you are told you have a rotator cuff issue for diagnosis, ask for more in depth information about it, which muscle? What's wrong with it? Why is this a problem specifically for me?

Also...don't let MRI findings be the lead in setting a diagnosis, often the degeneration points (falsely) at surgical intervention, which studies now show is unnecessary and often results in failure of preferred outcomes usually being reduction or removal of pain.

Know anyone with Rotator cuff issues? Tell them to get in touch 🙌🏻😊

21/06/2019

In today's world we are constantly looking the convenience to comfort, the easy path to our destination and the shortcuts to success. We are happy to put our bodies through daily torture in jobs we don't like working often for people or with people who don't care about your long term well being.

Work standards for employees have only attempted to be better due to government regulations due to the foresight that nothing done now means financial disaster later with people needing sick days for back and neck pain more and more often at great expense to employers (and self employed people).

But no amount of ergonomic setups or lumbar supports and standing desks can sort the problem.

How do we know this? Thousands who stick to the best posture daily, who buy into new chairs and desks still come in their droves with aches and pains for therapy on a daily basis.

We seek the easiest option (often based on the advice of others or from people who fool you to believe their product will solve your problem) and still the issue of discomfort and pain persists. Eventually you find a good therapist and keep your symptoms at bay for a while. If you are lucky visits to the therapist are few and don't burden your pocket financially.

But issues will keep coming back time and again because we are missing the bigger picture, we are simply not putting in the daily work necessary to keep our bodies in a state that promotes a symptom free life in which you don't feel hesitant about activities of any kind.

So I'm here to offer you the shortcut...PUT IN THE DAMN WORK!! That's the secret, you need to take responsibililty of putting in your daily mobility, strength and endurance routines each and every single day. Just like you need to eat and drink, you need to move regularly, strongly and work your heart and lungs to be the fit strong and capable mover your genes expect of you.

Let's get moving!!

20/06/2019

There is yet to be a patient attend my clinic where they are able to perform controlled active movements I ask of them at a level from which they are in complete control of their bodies, with connection to each and every joint they possess. This ranges from very young/old sedentary people to high level athletes...no one has shown themselves to know how to or actually be in control of all their movements. They are not even aware of all the movements the body posseses.

And this is normal, why would they know these movements? And why would they wish to be in control of every movement they possess if they don't use them daily?

Well...because that is what our genome commands from us, that is what our bodies evolved to do, MOVE!! We evolved in an environment that created change by force over time, where progression (that requires constant and continuous attention) is only brought about by the forces we place on our bodies. Regression is brought about by a LACK of these forces...if you don't use it, you lose it comes to mind.

We didn't make the rules, but we must certainly follow them.

The environment in which we evolved in which demanded use of all our movements regularly and with strong competence is now gone, we have shifted to an environment where we don't need to move each day to find food/water, where we need to be strong to fight off dangers and for breeding rights and where we needed to be ready to move possibly hundreds of miles over difficult terrain in a short period of time at a moments notice. Our environment no longer FORCES us to be strong mobile homosapiens. Our intellectual development has started to lead to our physical demise.

So, just because you don't reach overhead each day as it's not necessary to clean top shelves, or just because you don't squat deep because your job gives you a comfy chair doesn't mean that your body does not crave these movements...and eventually, your body will tell you, unknowing to you it will first speak with weakness, then it will moan with stiffness and eventually it will scream at you with pain, maybe not today, maybe not next week but eventually. This is not opinion...80-90% of the American population will suffer with lower back pain some time in their life...look at that statistic again...80-90%! And it can be almost certain these people suffered little to no specific trauma to their spine other than "normal" degenerative changes. Pain WITHOUT trauma.

At this point of my career I am certain of the problem, we are lost as a population. We are lost in a fog of ignorance, laziness (which is actually a normal human trait - we are lazy for a reason) and lack of responsibility to honour our genetic heritage. We can keep ignoring it, but it will not ignore us.

So what do we do?

First we need to learn all our movements, then we need to gain competence in controlling them, finally we need to get strong doing these movements and start putting in the work needed to maintain this...EVERY DAMN DAY for the rest of our lives.

13/06/2019

The social media world today is filled with information from many different people walking many different paths with different perspectives.

The best of these people simply express themselves through blogs, posts, videos etc showing the path they have chosen and how it helps commitment to THEIR journey without asking others to BUY into it or use FEAR (False evidence appearing real) as a tool to make others see their way.

With soo many people apparently succeeding in soo many different ways it becomes difficult to know who to follow in a world cram packed full of IRRELEVANT information.

Irrelevant information doesn't mean useless information, more it's no use to you at that time and a waste of time consuming it when other information will guide you better at that time.

Specificity is key. ..CLARITY is powerful...we need to be clear about the information we consume for ourselves at given times so that it specifically helps us with our goals and journey.

How do we do this? How do we know who to follow? Maybe hire a coach with a good reputation, maybe join up with a friend making moves in the direction you want to go.

Honestly, I don't have the answer for you personally, I only have the answer for myself, which is keep reading, keep learning, keep experimenting, keep FAILING...yes failure, without it we can't learn, through experimentation and failures over time you will find what works best for YOU!! Then....CONSISTENCY is key!!

12/06/2019

Roughly 84000 generations has passed since the beginning of our evolution via natural selection, 84000 generations with nature creating changes in our genome that allowed us to become the dominant species across Earth.

The agricultural revolution started about 350 generations ago, a time where our intelligence and advancements allowed us to obtain adequate food and water from a small area of land without the need for constant travel to seek and find it.

80 or so generations ago came the industrial revolution, where we no longer worked for our food and keep specifically, but more and more became workers who grafted to produce non essential products for other people, we moved less and less.

About 5 generations has now passed since the technological revolution where we unnaturally sit or stand too much in 1 space, we INVENTED exercise as a method to offset our lack of natural movement.

We have unnaturally transitioned away from our primal movements, diets, sleep patterns and social connectivity much faster than evolution can keep up with, and natural selection is often no longer a worry for most of us.

Humans (homosapiens) have began to deteriorate as a result...alarming levels of heart disease, obesity & diabetes, record levels of arthritis and bone/muscle degeneration in younger people, record...scary levels of disease like alzeimers in older (or not so old) people...1 in 4 people will get cancer at some point in their life. This was not always the way, these are modern days issues we give ourselves.

All this time has passed and we have become so blind and ignorant to our true nature to the point there may be no future without consistent daily pain, depression and sickness...it's time for a return to our primal ways!!

Posts to come!!

07/05/2019

Unless extremely lucky or handed it by someone else Success is simply a result of multiple failures over time and corrected enough that you cannot fail anymore or where failure occurs less often.

Success like happiness is a journey travelled not the destination.

Practice makes perfect they say, I say practice makes progress, and back along my path of progress are scattered my many failures.

They are the reminders of what not to do, a person who has few failures is person who hasn't tried very often (or remember the LUCK thing).

But Success leaves Clues for us to follow, if you consider someone's journey successful then follow their path and you'll see the clues they left behind...the scattered failures and monuments of little or larger victories they have achieved, you can follow them along that path and make it much easier for yourself.

Also remember success can be achieved in many different walks in life...careers, fitness, health, relationships.

Define success for yourself, then look out for someone who has walked that path...don't be afraid to ask them for guidance, but remember, some people like others to tag along for the journey they are on, others may expect something in return. 😊

30/04/2019

Progress not Perfection...
Something is always better than nothing

What I define as perfection in the clinic is a state of contentment between you & your musculoskeletal system that allows you a pain free existence whilst being able to perform your day to day activities without restriction or hesitancy. It's not a destination but a consistent journey.

Hesitancy may come into play if you have history of painful symptoms after performing certain activities or movements, or, simply an inability to perform certain activities due to poor mobility or fitness issues.

Unfortunately many people over time come to see aches, pains and poor mobility as normal stages of getting older or the cost of an accumulation of poor choices over a long period of time. They accept (unnecessarily) that either they will suffer with these problems forever or that the bridge they need to cross to solve them is one too far.

My advice is always the same each and every time. Start out each day by aiming to make progress...don't expect overnight perfection. Rome wasn't build in a day and all the small pieces of progress required to achieve your version of perfection won't occur immediately.

But to get started, do something, any little thing, something is always better than nothing.

Start by seeking out trusted counsel about your concerns with pain, or an inability to perform simple/complex tasks that cause you hesitation. Agree your plan to make progress day by day in order to return to your version of perfection over time and then, do it, bit by bit, brick by brick, day by day make progress.

Remember any time it gets difficult...each day, something is better than nothing, we aim for progress not perfection 😊

Tag someone who wants to make progress 💪🏻😎

Whole Therapy

19/01/2021

04/01/2021

16/10/2019

07/10/2019

03/10/2019

12/08/2019

21/06/2019

20/06/2019

13/06/2019

12/06/2019

07/05/2019

30/04/2019

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