What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm

Craig Dalton Osteopathy, 2 Manners Street (level 9), Te Aro, Wellington (2026)

27/05/2026

Pain isn’t always a stop sign 🚦

Pain during movement doesn’t always mean damage.

One of the biggest shifts in recovery happens when people stop fearing movement and start getting curious about it.

Movement can give us experiences that challenge our beliefs about pain and that’s often where real change begins.

Many people intellectually understand that movement is safe… yet still tense up or avoid it the moment pain appears. That’s the body’s protective sympathetic nervous system “freeze” response at work.

The key is finding the right balance:

✔️ Too little challenge = no progress
✔️ Too much challenge = flare-ups and loss of confidence

With the right guidance, graded movement can help create new experiences that teach the nervous system movement is okay again.

Sometimes recovery isn’t about “fixing” the body - it’s about helping the body feel safe enough to move.

Osteopaths can help guide this process through education, movement, and tailored rehabilitation 💪

What have you tried that has made you overcome fear avoidance with movement?

27/05/2026

“Does osteopathy actually work?” 🧠

Recent research says… yes - especially for musculoskeletal pain.

A major 2025 research review from Europe analysed 27 systematic reviews looking at the effectiveness of osteopathic treatment across multiple health conditions 📚

The top five strongest evidence was found for:

✔️ Chronic low back pain
✔️ Neck pain
✔️ Pregnancy-related back/pelvic pain
✔️ Chronic non-cancer pain
✔️ Migraines and headaches

Researchers found osteopathic treatment can help:

📉 Reduce pain
🏃 Improve physical function
💪 Support movement and quality of life

One of the biggest takeaways?

Osteopaths don’t just focus on where symptoms are felt. We assess how the whole body moves and functions together to help people get back to doing what they enjoy. 🙌

Many people still think osteopathy is “just back cracking”, but modern osteopathic care is evidence-informed, person-centred, and focused on improving overall function.

Have you seen an osteopath before? What did you get treated for? 👇

25/05/2026

“Most people still don’t know what an Osteopath actually is or does…” 👀

Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners trained to assess, diagnose, and treat a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions - from back and neck pain to headaches, sports injuries, stiffness, and persistent aches.

But treatment is only part of it. 🧠

Osteopathy is about understanding "the why" your body is struggling in the first place:

👉 How you move
👉 How you load your body
👉 Stress, sleep, recovery, and lifestyle
👉 How different systems of the body work together

Treatment may include hands-on therapy, joint mobilisation, soft tissue work, stretching, rehab advice, and education tailored specifically to you.

In New Zealand, osteopaths complete a minimum of 4 years of university training and are regulated healthcare professionals through the Osteopathic Council of New Zealand (OCNZ).

A few things people are often surprised to learn:

✔ You don’t need a GP referral to see an osteopath for ACC injuries
✔ Osteopaths can refer for imaging when appropriate
✔ We work alongside GPs, specialists, physios, trainers, and other healthcare providers

Osteopathy isn’t about “quick fixes.”
It’s about helping you understand your body, move with confidence, and get back to doing what you enjoy. 🙌

24/05/2026

Why do we get headaches? 🤕

Headaches are surprisingly complex, and they don’t always mean something is “wrong” structurally. Research shows headaches can be influenced by a combination of factors including muscle tension, stress, poor sleep, dehydration, fatigue, posture, jaw tension, eye strain, hormones, and even increased sensitivity of the nervous system.

One of the most common types is a tension-type headache (TTH), often described as a dull pressure or tight band around the head. Migraine headaches are different again and may involve nausea, light sensitivity, visual changes, or throbbing pain.

Interestingly, pain felt in the head can also be referred from the neck. The upper cervical spine, jaw, and surrounding muscles share neurological connections with the head, which is why neck stiffness or tension can sometimes contribute to headaches.

Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners, meaning they are trained to assess, triage, and recognise when headaches may require further medical investigation or referral.

Osteopathic treatment aims to assess the bigger picture - looking at movement, gait, lifestyle factors, stress, sleep, breathing, and musculoskeletal tension - rather than just chasing the site of pain.

If headaches are severe, sudden, worsening, or associated with symptoms like weakness, balance difficulties, confusion, fever, or visual loss, immediate medical assessment is important.

18/05/2026

“Why does one side of my body keep kicking off?” 🤺

I had an interesting conversation with one of my patients recently about why injuries often seem to occur more on one side of the body 🤔

A common assumption is that one side is simply “weak” or “tight” - but the reality is usually more complex.

Your body is not perfectly symmetrical. Past injuries, sport, work habits, dominant hand use, previous surgeries, pain experiences, mobility restrictions, living environment, and even stress can all influence how load moves through your body.

Over time, one side may become better at absorbing force while the other side becomes overloaded or less efficient at handling movement demands.

This doesn’t always mean something is “wrong” structurally. Often it’s a reflection of how your body has adapted over time.

In osteopathy, assessment is about looking at the bigger picture:

🔥 How you move
🔥 How you load
🔥 How different regions work together
🔥 Contributing factors causing irritation

Sometimes the painful area is only part of the story.

18/05/2026

Most Achilles rehab stops at the tendon.

But the spring system goes further 🦶

When we walk, run, or jump, the Achilles tendon doesn’t work alone. The plantar fascia, calves, foot intrinsic muscles (i.e. abductor hallucis) and arch (i.e. tibialis posterior) act together as an elastic spring system that stores and returns energy with every step.

A lot of rehab protocols progress patients into calf raises, heavy loading, and eventually some structured plyometrics. That’s valuable - but often stops there!

What’s commonly missing is reactive, variable movement:

⛹️ Skipping
🦘 Hopping
🤾‍♀️ Jumping

These are the kind of playful movements we naturally did as children, but slowly removed from our lives.

These movements matter because the spring system is designed to respond to unpredictable and reactive loads. Not just controlled repetitions in a straight line.

If we only train the Achilles in isolation, we can miss the broader elastic capacity of the entire foot-ankle complex.

Its not just about a stronger tendon, it’s restoring the body’s ability to absorb, adapt, and return force efficiently again.

07/05/2026

👣 TOE MOBILITY KITS SOLD HERE 👣

Your feet are your connection to the Earth, yet most of us don't train or utilise them properly.

The 'Foot Mobility Kit' is designed to help improve foot strength, mobility, balance, and comfort whether you’re dealing with tight arches, stiff big toes, plantar fasciitis, bunions, or just want healthier feet.

Each kit includes:
✔️ Myofascial release ball
✔️ Toe spacers
✔️ Big toe strengthening band
✔️ Cute reusable cloth carry bag ✨

Perfect for runners, gym-goers, tradies, hairdressers and anyone spending long hours on their feet. Easy to keep in your gym bag, car, or beside the couch for daily use.

💥 Only $24.95 💥

Small daily habits can make a huge difference to the way your whole body moves. 👣

DM me to grab one or ask any questions!

06/05/2026

🌿 Ever notice how you feel calmer after a walk through the bush, beach, or park?

That’s not just “fresh air” you inhale - nature exposes us to compounds called 'phytoncides' - natural oils released by trees and plants to protect themselves from bacteria, fungi and insects.

Research suggests phytoncides can help:
🌱 Reduce stress
🌱 Support immune function
🌱 Improve mood and mental clarity
🌱 Lower heart rate and blood pressure
🌱 Encourage nervous system regulation

In osteopathy, we often talk about the body’s ability to self-regulate and heal. Spending time outdoors or 'forest bathing' can be one of the simplest ways to support that process alongside movement, sleep, nutrition, and hands-on care.

Even 20-30 minutes outside can make a difference to your day - whether it’s a bush walk, sitting under trees, or simply taking your lunch break in the sun 🌞🌳

Your nervous system loves nature more than you think.

04/05/2026

How much can different body tissues actually stretch? 💪

Not all tissues are built to stretch (tensile ability) equally and understanding this matters for both rehab and performance.

Muscle tissue
Skeletal muscle has moderate extensibility thanks to its contractile and elastic components (actin, myosin, titin). Research suggests muscle can safely elongate by roughly 150–160% of its resting length before structural damage occurs. This is why stretching and eccentric loading are effective for improving flexibility.

Connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, fascia) - these tissues are far less forgiving...

Tendons and ligaments
Typically tolerate only about 4–6% strain before micro-failure, with complete rupture often occurring beyond 8–10%.

Fascia
Has more variability but behaves similarly to dense connective tissue under load, with limited true elongation and more reliance on viscoelastic creep over time.

This highlights why aggressive stretching doesn’t “lengthen” these tissues easily and may risk injury.

Nervous tissue (nerves)
Peripheral nerves need to glide more than stretch. They can tolerate approximately 6–8% strain before they are compromised and >15% strain may cause structural damage. This is why neural tension techniques focus on sliding rather than sustained stretching.

Epithelial tissue (skin)
Skin is surprisingly extensible due to its elastin content. It can stretch up to 30–50% beyond resting length under normal conditions (e.g., growth, pregnancy), though much of this is time-dependent rather than immediate elastic stretch.

Key takeaway 🧠
Muscles are designed to contract and stretch. Connective and neural tissues are technically designed not to. If a stretch feels “tight,” it’s often neural or fascial sensitivity - not tissue that needs aggressive lengthening.

28/04/2026

Big News: Osteopathy included in NZ’s National Allied Health report 🇳🇿

What does this mean for you as a patient? 🤔

Osteopathy has just been officially recognised in a national health report by the Ministry of Health - alongside 15 other allied health professions across NZ.

This work, supported by Osteopaths New Zealand (ONZ), is a big step forward for our profession…but more importantly, it’s a major win for you too!

Here’s why 👇

For a long time, osteopathy hasn’t been as well understood as professions like medicine or physio - even though we help people every day with pain, movement, and overall wellbeing.

This report helps change that by recognising:

✅ The role osteopaths play in keeping you moving and functioning well
✅ The value of hands-on, whole-body, hollistic care
✅ How osteopaths contribute to long-term health - not just quick fixes

So what changes?

👉 Better awareness = more people getting the right care sooner
👉 Stronger integration = improved collaboration with other health professionals
👉 A bigger voice = better access to services over time

21/04/2026

Are you doing your exercises too much… or not enough? 🤯

It’s one of the most common questions in clinic and the honest answer is: it depends!!

Your exercise plan isn’t random. It’s prescribed based on your body, your goals, and how you’re currently moving and adapting.

For most people, consistency matters more than intensity.

Doing your exercises little and often (3-5x per week) tends to be far more effective than smashing one big session and then doing nothing for days. Your body responds best to regular input - it’s how we build strength, improve mobility, and retrain movement patterns.

That said, more isn’t always better.

If you’re flaring up symptoms, feeling overly fatigued, or dreading your plan, it’s a sign we may need to adjust the dosage. Rehab should feel challenging, but manageable.

A good rule of thumb:

✔️ Mild discomfort during or after = usually okay
❌ Sharp pain or worsening symptoms = dial it back

Remember, your exercises are part of a bigger picture. Sleep, stress, and daily habits all influence how well your body adapts.

If you’re unsure, check in - exercise plans can be tweaked so you’re getting the most out of it without overdoing it.

Consistency beats perfection every time!!

Craig Dalton Osteopathy

27/05/2026

27/05/2026

25/05/2026

24/05/2026

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

07/05/2026

06/05/2026

04/05/2026

28/04/2026

21/04/2026

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Monday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5:30pm