Catrin Mear Osteopath

21/12/2025

21/12/2025

Wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice today as at around 3 pm we will be turning back towards the lengthening days.

It was wonderful to see the sunrise today at Stonehenge amongst the singing and drumming Druids and the Morris Dancers with their accordion. An overall well organised and peaceful affair.

Being able to touch these beautiful historic stones was a privilege but I am glad they are also so well preserved and covered in lichen.

I hope you can take a moment to enjoy the silence of the darkness before the festivities begin!

01/12/2025

Is your teenager struggling with neck ache, back pain or headaches?

The teenage years can be quite challenging physically due to the significant growth and brain development, hormonal changes, risk-taking, and emotional and academic pressures. Not to mention the alteration in sleep habits.

It’s not unusual during times of stress for lingering pain to develop, which can have a huge impact on mental health, progress at school, and your teenager's ability to take part in things they love (like music or sports!)

Osteopathy is particularly helpful in helping the body relax and let go of tension caused by stress or injury through gentle, non-invasive manual therapy.

If you like to chat about whether osteopathy could help your teen, please do get in touch.

28/11/2025

A considerable part of my chronic pain coaching work involves helping my patients understand the mind-body link, especially in relation to stress, anxiety, and pain. 🧠

And very often it's hard to understand that our body does not speak English or any other language for that matter, which is why it has to communicate to us and protect us using symptoms like pain and illness to slow us down and warn us of perceived danger.

With compassion, warmth and empathy, Dr Gabor Maté's book: When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress draws on deep scientific research and his acclaimed clinical work to provide the answers to critical questions about the mind-body link.

His book illuminates the roles that stress and our emotional makeup play in a range of common diseases.

Have you read When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress? Let me know in the comments!

25/11/2025

November is Men's Health Awareness Month! 🫂

This is an important topic to discuss, as men are far less likely to seek help with problems like stress, anxiety, or pain.

Osteopathy can help with a range of conditions, including:
● General, acute and chronic neck and back pain
● Persistent pelvic pain
● Sciatica
● Joint and muscle pains or cramps
● Headaches and migraines

In a world where men's health is often downplayed, ignored, or overlooked (often by men themselves), prioritising your own wellbeing is essential.

20/11/2025

Is your child experiencing pain or discomfort which won’t settle?

Through gentle hands-on manipulation, Osteopathy has helped infants and children find relief or improve their symptoms.

With young children, I can help with a range of problems, for example:

🔹 Feeding difficulties relating to neck and jaw tension.
🔹 Issues relating to their mobility and reaching their developmental milestones
🔹 Little ones struggling after repeated chest infections by relaxing built-up tension and congestion in their chest and throat areas.

If you'd like to find out more about osteopathy could help your child, please do get in touch.

11/11/2025

One concern that can put people off from starting treatments like Osteopathy is wondering:

"What do I wear for a treatment, and do I have to undress for sessions?"

You can receive an Osteopathy treatment wearing comfortable clothes like shorts, leggings, tracksuits and T-shirt /vest, which enables you to relax and have your body moved around easily.

Sometimes I will ask if you are comfortable un******ng in part so that I can examine an area in greater detail, but you are always welcome to say no.

In our sessions together, your comfort is always the most important thing.

You are always welcome to bring someone along to act as a chaperone during our sessions, especially the first one, and many people like to bring their partner. You don't need to let me know in advance, but you can if you would like to.

06/11/2025

Whilst you might think that Osteopathy is only for conditions like back pain, did you know that osteopathy and chronic pain coaching can also be used to help other conditions such as:

● Migraines
● Cramps and muscle spasms
● Neck pain associated with posture
● Frozen shoulder, shoulder and elbow pain and tennis elbow arising from problems of the back and neck
● Headache arising from neck problems
● Joint pains
● Pain from Osteoarthritis (but always in addition to coaching and exercise programmes)
● Minor sports injuries and tensions
● Arthritic and Rheumatic pain
● Circulatory problems
● Fibromyalgia
● Generalised aches and pains
● Neuralgia
● Inability to relax
● General aches and pains in joints or the back during pregnancy and after delivery

If you would like to reach out and ask any questions or talk about any pains that are worrying you at the moment, don't hesitate to get in touch. I have been doing this work for 20 years, so I usually have a few good ideas on what might be going on and what you can try. I'm always happy to help.

04/11/2025

Thank you for this lovely review.

The goal for our sessions is always for you to feel as relaxed and as anxiety-free as possible, and any discomfort is kept at an acceptable level for you.

It is perfectly normal to have questions about Osteopathy treatment, that's why I offer a free 30-minute discovery call, to hopefully put you at ease and answer any questions you may have.

31/10/2025

What do people pleasing, suppressing our emotions, and perfectionism all have in common?

💭 Research over the last 10 years has indicated that many people living with chronic pain share these particular personality traits. They have often developed these tendencies growing-up in order to be accepted and cope with life's challenges.

💪 And we know that chronic pain isn’t just about what’s happening physically in the body. For many, it’s closely connected to how we respond to stress and emotions, often shaped by our early experiences.

When I explain the above to people in persistent pain, they are usually nodding away and say, "Yep, that's me".

And whilst changing your personality is not required, you can address some of the associated behaviours that can create additional pressure by:
🔴 Practising Self-Compassion
🔴 Setting Boundaries
🔴 Learning to Process Negative Emotions Safely
🔴 Seeking Support

If any of the above has struck a chord, my approach combines hands-on Osteopathy and Chronic Pain Coaching to address both the physical and emotional sides of pain.

If you’re curious about how this might help you, you’re welcome to book a free 30-minute Discovery Call, and we can talk through what you’re experiencing.

29/10/2025

Have you been told at some point that the only thing you will be able to do is to manage your chronic or persistent pain for the rest of your life, and you will never really recover from it?

Has your chronic pain been put down to degenerative changes, previous injuries or damage from physical trauma, repetitive strain injury, bad posture, fibromyalgia, etc?

Did you know that thousands of people every day are learning how to recover from chronic pain using research-led, evidence-based methods underpinned by neuroscience?

If this is all news to you , or you are aware of these ideas and would like to go deeper, join me at my free masterclass.

📆 Date: Wednesday 5th November
⏰ Time: 12 pm - 1 pm
📍Location: Online

PS. Don't worry if you can't make the event; everyone who signs up will have access to the recording so you can watch (or rewatch!) at your own pace.

I would be delighted to see you there!

23/10/2025

When I see clients, I will observe and assess their breathing and find faster breathing in those with increased anxiety and pain, which they are often unaware of.

One of the most effective techniques I teach for calming down the nervous system is something called coherent breathing.

This involves breathing slowly, gently and evenly through your nose:

🔼 In for a count of five
🔽 Out for a count of five
Repeat for a few minutes.

This simple practice helps improve your heart rate variability and can help reduce feelings of worry and pain intensity.

If a count of 5 is too much, start with a count of 3 or 4 and work upwards over several weeks.