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Monday 9am - 7pm Tuesday 9am - 7pm Wednesday 9am - 7pm Thursday 9am - 7pm Friday 9am - 7pm

Lucy Smith Osteopathy

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Lucy Smith Osteopathy

Welcome to Lucy Smith Osteopathy. Providing expert osteopathic care in Westbury-on Trym, Bristol.

Our goal is to get you feeling better as quickly as possible and back to the activities that you love doing. Osteopathy is a gentle and effective hands-on approach to healthcare, used to treat pain and musculoskeletal conditions. Osteopaths use a combination of targeted deep tissue massage, joint articulation and spinal manipulation adjustments to relieve pain and improve the range of movement of a joint. Here at Lucy Smith Osteopathy we are passionate about improving your health. We believe that osteopathy isn't just a quick fix until the next time you seize up. We aim to explain the underlying cause of your injury and show you how to prevent further problems from reoccurring.

15/05/2023

STRETCHING FOR MUSCLE SORENESS

A huge well done to all the 2023 Bristol 10K and half marathon runners yesterday. If, like me, your leg muscles feel sore today walking down the stairs, here's some stretching tips:

- Stretch your calf muscles on the stairs by dropping the heel of one foot off the stairs, while bending the knee of the opposite leg. Hold for 30-60 seconds, then repeat with the other side.

- Stretch your quads by standing straight, then lift a foot up behind you and grab your foot with your hand. Pull your heel gently towards your bottom to feel a stretch in your front thigh.

- Stretch your glutes by lying on your back and crossing right foot over your left knee. Take hold of your left leg with both hands and bring it towards you. Keep your back and head relaxed, flat on the floor. Hold for 60 seconds and repeat on the other side.

03/09/2022

Having a great time at the Westbury-on-Trym Village Show. Why not come down and say hello?

12/11/2021

LET’S TALK ABOUT DIABETES

More than 4.9 million people in the UK have diabetes. Around 90% of these people will have type 2 diabetes. This is a serious condition where the insulin your pancreas makes can’t work properly, or your pancreas can’t make enough insulin. This means your blood glucose levels keep rising.

Common diabetes symptoms:
• Feeling very thirsty
• Going to the toilet frequently, especially
at night
• Losing weight without trying to
• Feeling more tired than usual
• Cuts and wounds take longer to heal
• Blurred eyesight

If you have any symptoms, contact your GP and ask for a blood test for diabetes. Combined lifestyle changes such as exercise, healthy eating and sustained weight loss can be effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 50%.

11/11/2021

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS I GET ASKED?

What causes the cracking sound in my neck?

In your neck there are several sets of facet joints located on each side of the neck. When you roll your head, the facet joints stretch, which lets synovial fluid spread out in the joint capsule. As the pressure decreases, gas bubbles are released which makes a popping sound. This is what makes spinal manipulation or “joint cracking” feel like it’s releasing pressure and tension.

Do osteopaths just treat backs?

No, we treat musculoskeletal pain all over the body. This can include headaches, sports injuries, rehab after surgery and pregnancy-related pain.

20/06/2021

DO ANY SUPPLEMENTS REALLY WORK TO HELP WITH ARTHRITIS?
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Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the UK, affecting nearly 9 million people. It’s most likely to affect the joints that bear most of our weight, such as the hip and knees. It often develops in adults who are in their mid-40s or older.
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Glucosamine sulphate is the only supplement that research shows can provide some pain relief for people with osteoarthritis, especially those with osteoarthritis of the knees. In addition to relieving pain, glucosamine sulphate might also slow the deterioration of joints if it is taken for several years.
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Often when glucosamine sulphate is sold as a dietary supplement this is combined with chondroitin or MSM, but there is no proof that these ingredients add any benefit, apart from costing more!
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If you want to try this it would be reasonable to take 1500 mg of glucosamine per day for three months and if your joint pain is improved you may wish to continue with them.

05/04/2021

Exciting to see Lucy Smith Osteopathy featured in The Bristol Magazine! This gives a brief explanation of what osteopathy is and the conditions I treat at the Practice Rooms.

22/11/2020

"CATCHING" PAIN IN YOUR SHOULDER WHEN LIFTING ARM OVERHEAD? SORENESS SLEEPING ON THAT SIDE?

IT COULD BE SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT SYNDROME.

This is a common condition in which the tendons of the rotator cuff muscles that stabilise the shoulder become swollen and pinched.

The injury is more likely to occur from repetitive overhead activities such as painting, or arm movements such as throwing a ball or lifting weights.

Patients often come into clinic feeling pain when putting on a jacket, reaching for the seat-belt or brushing their hair. Shoulder pain can extend down the arm to the elbow, with muscle weakness when attempting to reach or lift.

An osteopath will examine the shoulder and use techniques to relieve pain and improve range of movement. Exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff and improve posture are also useful.

20/08/2020

PLANNING FOR 2021........

COVID-19 has cancelled many events this year. I can't wait to plan some workshops and events in Bristol for 2021 to spread the word about the benefits of osteopathy. I love inspiring people to learn more about their own bodies. Imagine what it would feel like to be pain and injury free!

16/08/2020

CAN OSTEOPATHS TREAT HEADACHES?

Most definitely! Often people put up with symptoms for a long time without realising how effective osteopathy treatment is for headaches.

• Tension – the most common type of headache. It may feel like a constant, dull ache that affects both sides of the head. You may feel the neck muscles tighten and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes.

They usually last from 30 minutes to several hours. Some people experience chronic tension headaches more than 15 times a month. Triggers can include stress or anxiety, and poor posture e.g. cradling the phone or computer ergonomics. Even the road bike cycling position with over-extension of the neck can cause headaches after long rides.

• Migraines – a moderate or severe headache felt as a throbbing pain on one side of the head. Many people also have nausea, increased sensitivity to light/sound, or auras. They can last from several hours to days. The exact cause of migraines is unknown.

For headaches, I am interested in what your head, neck, mid-back and general posture look and feel like and how everything moves together. I check for trigger points in the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull and check the temporomandibular joint of the jaw.

Osteopathic treatment involves soft tissue massage for tight muscles and spinal manipulation to loosen the joints of the neck and thorax.

13/07/2020

WHAT'S A PULLED HAMSTRING AND WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Your hamstring is a group of 3 muscles and tendons that run along the back of your thigh, from your hip down to your knee.

These muscles help during activities that involve bending your knee such as running, jumping and climbing.

Symptoms include pain when walking, swelling/bruising on the thigh or a popping or tearing sensation in the muscle.

Avoid activity and ice using a cold compress every 2-3 hours in the first few days. Elevating your leg or strapping with rock tape can reduce swelling.

Osteopathy can help by reducing pain and inflammation, and increasing your range of movement and strength in your knee muscles.

08/07/2020

WHAT ARE THE FACET JOINTS?

Facets are the joints at the back of the spine that link each spinal segment together and help movement of the spine.

You can sprain the capsule of these joints by doing a sudden movement such as lifting or twisting in the lower back. This causes acute pain which is aggravated by turning over in bed, standing up from sitting and sometimes bending. People can get the same problem in their neck - often attributed to sleeping awkwardly or turning the head quickly resulting in a "cricked" or "locked" neck.

Osteopaths help by relieving your pain using massage and spinal manipulation.

A locked facet joint will typically take a few days to calm down. Once the initial inflammation eases, the pain reduces and movement improves. Within a few treatments, I'll have you pain free and moving better than you have in a long time.

08/05/2020

RUNNING INJURIES DURING LOCKDOWN?

Everyone is making the most of their daily exercise outdoors and lots of people have upped their mileage or started running for the first time.

Think about the number of runs you did pre COVID-19 and how sharply this has increased. Running injuries are typically overuse injuries; your body needs time to adapt to what you're asking it to do.

Shin splints are very common and describe lower leg pain below the knee.

1️⃣ First of all, pull back a little; build up your runs gradually and have rest days where you do a bike ride instead.

2️⃣ Don't run through pain- if you develop pain on a run that gets worse the further you go, cut the run short and get home.

3️⃣ Increase your stride frequency. If you increase the number of steps you take in a minute of running, the amount of impact your tibia has to absorb with each foot strike is reduced.

4️⃣ Measure your cadence by counting the number of times your right leg hits the ground in 30 seconds of running, then quadruple that number. Try and increase your cadence by 10%. You can use a metronome app on your phone or get a playlist for runners at 160-180 BPM.

5️⃣ Stretching after each run is very important- dig out that foam roller and find the painful trigger points on your calves and iliotibial band. Eccentric calf raises and hip abduction exercises are also useful.

Address

The Practice Rooms, 57-59 High Street, Westbury-on-Trym
Bristol
BS93ED

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 7pm
Tuesday	9am - 7pm
Wednesday	9am - 7pm
Thursday	9am - 7pm
Friday	9am - 7pm

Website

https://www.lucysmithosteopathy.co.uk/

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