Colne Osteopathy

24/11/2025

As a practitioner of both Manual and Nutrition I am sometimes surprised by the view taken by some patients.

(This post does not relate to any individual patient).

In the world to day we have a significant challenge to our immune systems not least by black mould. In the last few years two children have died as a result of Black mould, Laws have passed regarding black mould...and yet in my experience most people remain dismissive and blasé about the potential risks.

Mycobacterium is a serious factor in respiratory health it can present like an ordinary cold, muscle ache of the whole back top of the shoulders, back of the head ..and much more.

One of the most sensible things people can do is up their vitamin C in take. This is not a simplistic statement folks. For those brave enough, please read the abstract below:

Abstract:
Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for humans, with pleiotropic functions related to
its ability to donate electrons. It is a potent antioxidant and a cofactor for a family of biosynthetic
and gene regulatory enzymes. Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting various
cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system.

Full paper available on request it was published in 2017...

19/11/2025

OK Let's try this....

A quick note on why you should think about hair mineral analysis as part of your wider health/well being check.

19/11/2025

Good morning,

Today I have been reflecting on the true 3D anatomy and physiology of pain.

There are quite a few accepted methods/protocols many of which can be found on well produced youtube videos. My issue with these procedure lead methods is that I don't see that all of the important structures are tested or properly addressed.

For example, right now in this era of "Long COVID" (more accurately considered as SARS2) there are a lot of people coming with either upper shoulder or loin pain. Either left or right sided.

Most patients are coming to the practice asserting they have a trapped nerve, which I rarely find clinical indication for (about 20% of the time nerve symptoms are present). When I palpate PRIMARY lymph areas I find tight restrictions that anatomically influence the area of pain, but these areas are not well known.

The same is true for the lower back which I promise you has very close association with gut/kidney and pelvic content. This can be quite surprising discovery for patients.

I do my very best to explain these links and work with an embedded policy of continual verbal consent but I remind my patients and prospective patients that I work the on the :

Front
Back
Left side
Right side
Pelvis all quadrants ( with specific consent). Techniques are TEXT BOOK.

I conduct an analysis with treatment so it's not a procedure so much as a dynamic treatment and assessment.

This approach lends its self far better to candid patients who actually work with me and COMMUNICATE with me during and even after treatment because it's very subtle.

Patients who keep quiet and just "put up" with techniques they may not really like are best suited to other less hands on methods. As this attitude to a hands on treatment is in my opinion not the best approach for a patient.

The best treatment will ALWAYS be one where the patient is willing to convey how they feel mentally and physically and emotionally DURING a treatment.

(OK this is grumbling a bit. However, sometimes the impression is that patients just wont communicate clearly when practitioners spend many hours trying to convey risk and method.)

I hope that helps.

18/11/2025

Good Morning,

This morning I am reflecting on what are my current favourite herbal teas. Many of the herbs these are made from have the word officinalis in their botanical name because of a medicinal status. ...

That is worth thinking about.

This morning I am mostly thinking about Nettle tea which has been described by two or three patients as " a game changer" in their well being.

Personally, I find it very refreshing and add a squeeze of lemon or combine it with Lemon Myrtle and whole cloves (6)

I only have one or two cups a day though.

I hope that helps

14/11/2025

MAGNESIUM OIL folks put it on your aching muscles. It helps a LOT of people.

14/11/2025

Good morning,

The detail of manual therapy is often overlooked.

Partly due to the habit of Clinicians giving highly simplified labels to patients like "sciatica". Clinically this means a nerve issue - most people do NOT have a pinched nerve root.

However, if a patient/pain sufferer has a label for their pain so that they can explain their state to their friends and family and even to make sense of the disoriented "self" then it seems to help with coping and RESILIENCE.

Obviously pain/coping/sense of self is a highly complex subject that can involve many components.

Part of the reason I completed a course in Naturopathic Nutrition is that I was seeing these elements with increasing frequency.

A diet that is high in anti inflammatory foods has the potential to improve immune resilience as well as improving energy and all sorts.

I regularly add some organic PECTIN to my breakfast...:)...in other words I eat an organic apple with my breakfast.

I hope that helps.

13/11/2025

In our recent past we consumed a lot of bitter products like bitter teas. People have forgotten why....

They help digestion, the gut the liver etc.

dandelion tea, calendular tea, gentian, there are quite a few when you start to look into it.

Do your body a favour...have more than sugary beverages that promote the wrog bacteria...

07/11/2025

Very recently I completed an addition to the sound proofing of my treatment room/office.

This has emphatically illustrated the value of a quiet space. For many people noise and light has become a real challenge to well being and adrenal tone and recovery from stressors even on a daily basis.

More people are light and sound sensitive even being out in social areas with precipitous need to leave where before they were OK staying.

Sound, light air quality it all matters.

Even more for those who have had any kind of trauma like RTA's neurodivergent,

It's a fascinating area and one that I have been interested in for decades.

05/11/2025

Good morning,

"Barriers to recovery".
They are what they sound like.
If you google the term many Addictions sites or talkie therapies use this term. But barriers to recovery are also used in the MSK and nutrition fields.

Some people have used methods that in the past, even for decades, have stabilised symptoms of various kinds in various fields. But eventually these stabilising patterns become mal adaptive- this is a tough one as an emotional component often needs to be addressed, to avoid a bad flare up.

I have come across it several times when attempting to influence posture, but already seen it a few in times in may capacity as a Naturopathic Nutritionist/Osteopath.

One very conscientious person had a diet they were convinced was healthy. When we considered their diet carefully it became apparent they were in fact really highly imbalanced with their omega oils. We corrected the situation their "tendonopathy" improved in under a week.

Each person's barrier(s) are almost unique to them. So it's not really worth specifying in a post a person's individual barrier(s)

When considering the NICE guidelines to back pain I consider the "Co morbidities" in many cases to be "Barriers" to health".

Further more I think we all have them, and they are sometimes highly complex involving:

Mechanics of movement/posture
Breathing
Embodiment
Trauma
Circualtion
Immune management and response( including vascular and vital organ movement)
Habit and behaviour like tucking both legs under yourself on the sofa.
Active and passive movement
etc etc it's a long long list.

So from a HOLISTIC perspective the clinician and the patient ideally will be willing to consider the same things as a "barrier" and work as a team to address the issue.

If correctly identified and modified very good clinical outcomes tend to follow.
I hope that helps

04/11/2025

Dear Reader,

I thought I would share a recent clinical encounter.

For many years I have been treating a patient with episodic severe lower back pain.

The patient was recently assessed for surgery and had, some really good Orthopaedic recommendations about surgery for a really painful back.

I am delighted to share that the patient in question made a really challenging life style change and....has after a few months of severe and unresponsive pain made a significant improvement to their situation.

They significantly reduced a known highly inflammatory nutrient.

This is not the first time a patient has made change in food/life style but it does illustrate that sometimes reducing inflammation causing foods can be life changing.

We discussed the evidence (scientific papers) that suggest further changes MIGHT be possible now that an anti nutrient BARRIER to his recovery has been removed.

This is why I apply what might be described as a Holistic or Integrated Approach.
The patient in question has a much improved quality of life.

The methods at Colne Osteopathy are not all about joint cracking.

I hope that helps

01/11/2025

Just a quick video about English Ivy

01/11/2025

Dear Reader,

I have been reviewing the data on indoor air quality and its influence on us all.

Previously, I tried rubber plants and spider plants. My experience was of no noticeable change.

Folks I have tried English ivy this week and am convinced of its effectiveness to improve indoor air quality.

I urge anyone reading this to try a couple of English Ivy plants in the bedroom to improve many many things.

If NASA tested it and then recommended it then its good enough for me.