Monthly Archive: November 2023

Fungus can be tough to eradicate once it becomes established in your nails. But there are steps you can take to help prevent or treat the condition.

Soak your feet in diluted bleach, which can lighten fungus-yellowed nails and kill spores. Also, wear breathable shoes in warm environments, trim your nails regularly and sanitize clippers and pedicure tools between uses.

1. Oregano Oil

The fungus that causes nail infections can be extremely difficult to treat. This is because fungus thrives in warm, moist environments and can grow quickly. When left untreated, fungus can lead to discoloration, thickening of nails, and crumbling edges.

Oregano oil, or Origanum vulgare, has been shown to have powerful antifungal properties that can help to fight a fungal nail infection. The active compounds in oregano oil, specifically carvacrol and thymol, have been shown to inhibit the growth of several strains of fungi.

Unlike prescription antifungal medications, oregano oil can be safely used on the nails when diluted properly. However, because oregano oil is highly concentrated, it must be mixed with a carrier oil (such as olive oil or coconut oil) to achieve a safe concentration.

A suggested starting point is a dilution of 2-3 drops of oregano oil per teaspoon of carrier oil. This can be gradually increased, as long as no adverse reactions are observed. It is recommended that the diluted oregano oil be applied to the affected nails at least twice a day. Consistency is key in treating nail fungus, so it’s important to stick with the treatment for several weeks.

In addition to using oregano oil, there are a few other things that can be done to help treat and prevent a fungal nail infection. These include:

2. Lavender Oil

Lavender is a great antifungal oil for treating nail fungus. It is an effective oil for fighting fungus because it contains natural chemicals that have been shown to inhibit the growth of fungi. When applied topically to the nails, lavender oil can help kill fungus and prevent its spread. When using lavender for a fungal nail infection, be sure to use pure lavender oil that is not diluted in any way. Many commercial nail fungus treatments contain lavender oil but it is often heavily diluted so that it has no medicinal value.

Eucalyptus is another powerful essential oil that is effective for fighting toenail fungus. The antifungal properties of this oil come from its phenolic compound, cineole, which is known to destroy fungus and prevent it from spreading. Eucalyptus essential oil can be applied directly to the affected nails twice daily.

A fungal nail infection, also known as onychomycosis, can cause pain and may be embarrassing to deal with. Infections are caused by fungi that live in the environment and can get into the nail through small cracks. These fungi can lead to a variety of symptoms including brittle, ragged, discolored and thickened nails. The fungus can also spread to other parts of the body including the feet and legs. Fungal nail treatment in Perth can be effective. Make sure that you visit an expert podiatrist Perth for proper treatment.

3. Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil or ti tree oil, is an essential oil with antiseptic and antifungal properties. It’s extracted from the leaves of a native Australian plant, Melaleuca alternifolia. The oil has a fresh, camphoraceous odor similar to eucalyptus and is used in soaps, cosmetics, and skin care products. It’s often diluted with another carrier oil, such as coconut or olive oil, before use on the skin.

Studies have shown that the oil has antifungal properties, and it’s thought to work well when used in combination with other treatments. In addition to using a tea tree oil fungus treatment, patients should soak their feet in Listerine or vinegar every day for a minimum of 5 minutes. These natural nail fungus remedies can be effective if combined with weekly podiatry appointments where the nails can be filed down with sterile tools and where fungal spores can be scraped off the surface of the nail bed.

It is important to note that the oil must be diluted before it can be applied directly to the nail and surrounding skin. Undiluted oil can cause irritation and can also be toxic if ingested. To avoid irritation, patients should apply the oil to a cotton ball and gently dab it onto the affected nail and skin twice daily.

4. Garlic

The sulfur in garlic possesses antifungal properties that may help in eliminating nail fungus. It is thought that using this at-home remedy, along with a combination of preventive measures, will lead to healthy nails free of infection. For example, avoid wearing shoes that are soaked with water or have a fungal toenail, regularly trim and file your nails, and make sure your feet are properly moisturized.

Baking soda may also be effective in treating toenail fungus by drawing out excess moisture. A mixture of equal parts baking soda and Epsom salt can be added to a footbath and used for at least 30 minutes, twice daily. This solution is unlikely to cure the fungus but can reduce itching and odor. Likewise, a mixture of equal parts baking soda and vinegar can be used to create a paste that is applied directly on the infected nail. This solution may be painful and should be covered with a bandage for comfort.

Another natural home treatment for nail fungus is tea tree oil, which has been shown to be effective in controlling it. The melaleuca oil, found in tea trees, is a natural fungicide. Applying it directly to the affected nail with a cotton swab, twice per day, is recommended. This treatment is best combined with good foot hygiene and consistent use.

Foot health and hygiene is often ignored until something goes wrong. It’s important to regularly visit a podiatrist to avoid problems in the long run.

Keep feet healthy and happy by washing them daily, drying them thoroughly, and applying a moisturiser containing urea. Pumice stones and foot files can also be helpful in removing calluses.

Pain

A podiatrist is a foot specialist who has undergone 4 years of medical school training. This includes podiatric medicine and hospital residency. They specialize in foot and ankle injuries and conditions such as shin splints, bunions, and Achilles tendinitis.

Many people assume sore feet are just a normal part of life, but this is not true. Pain in the feet is your body’s signal that something is wrong. Whether the pain is caused by a hereditary condition, repetitive motions at work or during exercise, improper footwear or an injury, you should see a podiatrist for help.

Your podiatrist can diagnose the problem and develop a treatment plan to relieve your symptoms. During your first appointment, they will review your medical history and do a basic physical exam of your feet. They may also take X-rays or other imaging tests to get a closer look at your foot and ankle joints.

Podiatrists can recommend a wide variety of treatments, including custom orthotics to support painful or arthritic joints, lessen toe pressure, and prevent bunions. They can even suggest shoe inserts to prevent hammertoes and help you keep your shin splints at bay. A podiatrist can also recommend stretching exercises and strategies to prevent your pain from worsening while exercising. This way, you can continue to enjoy your favorite activities.

Shin Splints

Foot problems tend to get worse over time if they are left untreated. Regular visits to your podiatrist can prevent or catch foot problems before they become serious.

Shin splints are pain and tightness in the front of your lower leg, usually along the shin bone. This condition is common in runners and people who take up vigorous exercise after a long period of being sedentary. The muscles, tendons and bones are overworked and this leads to inflammation.

Treatment for shin splints includes RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) to help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Your podiatrist may recommend a program of physiotherapy, muscle stretching/strengthening, footwear advice and Custom Foot Orthotics to address the underlying cause of the symptoms and provide relief.

Other ways to care for your feet include washing them daily with warm soapy water, drying them thoroughly and especially in between the toes. Applying a good quality moisturiser, particularly one with urea is also helpful to keep skin healthy and supple. Trimming toenails straight across and not rounding the edges helps to avoid ingrown toenails. Finally, wearing shoes that fit well and not over-pronating when you walk or run can reduce the occurrence of shin splints.

High Arch

High arches, also called pes cavus, are the result of excessive flexion in the arch that causes it to rise up above the level of the rest of the foot. People with high arches don’t have the typical flat footprint when they walk, and instead put most of their weight on their heels and the balls of their feet. This can lead to a variety of problems, including poor balance and stability, supinate gait (a tendency to roll outward as you take a step), and increased risk for ankle sprains.

It is important to see a podiatrist if you have high arches and are experiencing pain. Podiatrist Brisbane North will be able to evaluate your foot and create a treatment plan that is best for you.

In some cases, the doctor will recommend physical therapy to improve foot flexibility and strength and help with balance. In other cases, custom orthotic devices will be recommended to redistribute pressure and support the arch of the foot. The podiatrist may also suggest a heel lift in certain shoes to reduce the amount of pressure placed on the ball of the foot and heel. Often, this is the only treatment required to reduce pain caused by high arches. This will help prevent future aches and pains as well as reduce the likelihood of developing hammertoes, claw toes, and other foot conditions.

Neuromas

Podiatrists are also trained in wound care, including treating diabetic foot problems that can lead to serious infection. They use proper techniques for assessing and treating these wounds, as well as providing the correct treatment options to promote fast healing.

A neuroma, or a thickening of the nerve tissue in the foot, is another common problem that podiatrists treat. Often found between the toes (especially between the 3rd and 4th), a neuroma causes pain, tingling or numbness in the ball of the foot. The condition is caused by compression or irritation of the small nerves that travel through the spaces between the metatarsals, long bones behind the toes. This can be exacerbated by wearing shoes with a tight toe box, participating in sports that involve repetitive stress on the foot or having certain foot deformities like bunions, hammertoes or flat feet.

The first step to managing neuroma pain is removing pressure from the area. This can be done by changing footwear, adding foam or felt inserts in shoes, using a metatarsal dome, avoiding tight shoes or high heels, doing foot and toe stretches and mobilisation or a combination of these treatments. Once the pain has settled, your podiatrist may then suggest sclerosing injections or laser therapy to shrink the neuroma. If conservative treatments don’t help, surgery may be required.

Bunions can be severely painful, limiting activity and impacting self-esteem. Surgery is often the best solution for pain and to allow individuals to return to normal activities quickly.

Bunion surgery repositions the bones of your foot and corrects abnormal bone rotation, which is one of the main causes of bunion formation. To learn more about your bunion correction options, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Cowans!

Non-Surgical Options

If bunions are caught at an early stage, they may respond to nonsurgical treatment. But, as the bumps become more rigid and inflexible, these forms of care often prove less effective.

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen can help reduce pain and swelling in the big toe joint. Orthotic shoe inserts, splints or protective pads are also good options that can help to keep the bunion from becoming more painful as it grows.

While it’s unclear what causes bunions to form, there are some contributing lifestyle factors that may increase your risk of developing them. These include being born with foot problems, having abnormal foot mechanics, or suffering from a foot injury or rheumatoid arthritis. It’s also believed that wearing tight-fitting shoes that put pressure on the toe box is a major cause of bunions.

If you suffer from a painful bunion, it’s important to find the best treatment for your needs. Talk with bunion clinic in Adelaide about your options today. We can provide a thorough exam, weight-bearing x-rays and other diagnostic tests to see if you’re a candidate for minimally invasive bunion surgery. Call us or request an appointment online to get started.

Orthotics

Changing your footwear to shoes that fit and don’t place pressure on the big toe can significantly reduce bunion pain. Shoes that are open-toed or wide around the toes provide more space, as do shoe inserts called orthotics. Your podiatrist may recommend these over-the-counter or custom-made orthotic shoe inserts, which help to control movement and support the foot to shift pressure away from the 1st metatarsal pad (ball of the big toe) and lessen the severity of bunions.

Your doctor may also recommend wearing a bunion correction Adelaide, which is a splint that straightens the big toe while you wear it. This can relieve pain but does not remove the bump. Ice packs can numb the area and reduce pain, as can nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin or ibuprofen). Whirlpool, ultrasound, and massage therapy can ease discomfort as well.

In severe cases, or if nonsurgical treatments haven’t provided relief, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the bunion and realign the toe. The procedure is called bunionectomy, and it involves cutting, removing, or altering portions of the bone, ligaments, and tendons to relieve pressure on the big toe joint. Your doctor may use local anesthesia, a regional anesthesia (a popliteal block), or general anesthesia. An anesthesiologist will stay with you throughout the surgery to administer additional medications, if needed, and ensure that you are comfortable.

Physical Therapy

Bunion pain often starts at the critical metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, where the big toe joins the rest of the foot. This joint helps us bear and distribute weight and allows our feet to move in many different ways. When a bunion develops, the MTP joint shifts to accommodate it and becomes misshapen. This shift causes the big toe to point more toward other toes, and it puts stress on the joints and tissues around the toe. Over time, this imbalanced load can cause the MTP joint to swell and make it painful and difficult to walk.

If you try wide shoes, toe spacers, splints, and other treatments and still have pain, your doctor may recommend a surgical correction procedure. During surgery, your doctor cuts the bones in the area of the bunion to realign the joint and reduce the bump. He or she may also insert pins or screws to keep the bones straight, and he or she might shave off or remove excess bone tissue.

Following the procedure, you’ll need to remain non-weight bearing for a period of weeks to allow the bones to heal. Your doctor will probably apply a dressing and/or a cast to maintain the correct bone position, and you might use crutches or a knee-walker. Once the bones have healed, your doctor will let you start walking again in a pair of soft leather oxford shoes that best protect the new joint.

Surgery

The bunion is a painful condition caused by instability in the big toe joint. As the big toe shifts out of alignment, it causes pain from uneven weight-bearing and friction from footwear. This imbalanced pressure can also lead to an inflamed bursa (fluid-filled sac located around a joint) that causes more pain and swelling.

Bunion surgery is an option to reduce pain and correct the deformity of your big toe. Your foot and ankle surgeon will examine your feet and decide on the right surgical procedure for you.

There are several types of bunion surgery. The simplest is an osteotomy, which involves surgically cutting and realigning your big toe bone. This is performed in a hospital setting and may require you to stay off your foot for many weeks.

Another type of surgery is called a lapidoplasty, which involves placing a plate on the front part of your foot to hold the bones in place. This is a less invasive surgery than an osteotomy, but it may not correct the shape of your foot.

Medications can help minimize pain and swelling. Your doctor may prescribe over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, or recommend cortisone injections to treat the inflamed bursa. Pads to protect the area and separate your toes from rubbing can also reduce pain. You may also benefit from specialized shoe inserts, such as orthotics, that are specially made for your foot or custom-made by your podiatric surgeon.

If you suffer from foot pain, you may need to get custom orthotics for your feet. They cost more than over-the-counter insoles but can provide much more relief and support for your feet.

When shopping for shoes, be sure to take your orthotics with you and walk around in the shoes you plan on buying. They will need to fit with the shoe style you wear most often.

How to Measure Your Feet

The process of buying the right shoes can be frustrating if you don’t know how to measure your feet properly. The good news is that it’s not difficult to do, and it only takes a few minutes.

Start by tracing your foot on a blank sheet of paper while standing upright, with a slight bend in the knees for the most accurate measurement. It’s a good idea to have someone help you for this part so that you can get the most accurate measurements possible. Next, use the shoe size conversion charts on this page to convert your tracings to a shoe size. Finally, be sure to check the width of your feet by measuring across the widest point on each foot.

You may also want to make a note of the length of your foot, from the heel to the tip of the longest toe. This is especially important if you plan to wear your orthotics with any footwear that doesn’t have enough space for them.

Keep in mind that your feet can swell throughout the day, so it’s best to measure them at the end of the day when they are likely at their largest. Once you’ve figured out your shoe size, be sure to take into account the fact that some brands have different sizing charts than others.

What Type of Orthotics You Need

Orthotics are shoe inserts that are worn inside of shoes to help alleviate problems with the way you stand, walk or run. They can also be used to relieve foot pain from conditions such as diabetes, plantar fasciitis and arthritis.

There are several types of orthotics on the market that you can buy without a prescription. They typically come in gel, plastic or foam and can be chosen based on your shoe size or the type of foot problem you have (e.g. heel pain, arch pain). They may also be tailored to a specific sport or activity.

If you’re looking for more than an over-the-counter option, podiatrist in Albany, WA can help you to get a prescription for custom orthotics. They’re usually made from a mold of your feet and provide more support than over-the-counter options.

Custom orthotics are more expensive than over-the-counter shoe inserts, but they can be covered by your health insurance plan if you have a doctor’s prescription. They can also be purchased with money from a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA).

If you’re not sure what type of orthotics you need, schedule a call to chat with us! We can tell you if custom orthotics are right for you, and create a care plan that will help you get back to doing all the things you love.

Finding the Right Orthotics for You

Orthotic shoe inserts can help prevent physical pain, improve balance and posture and reduce bunions, calluses and corns. They are expensive though and typically not covered by health insurance, so it’s important to get the right pair for you.

Custom orthotics Albany are mass-produced to fit the ‘average’ foot and may not be the best for your feet. They may also worsen your condition by increasing pressure on the foot, ankle, knee or back. Investing in custom orthotics from a podiatrist or non-surgical foot specialist provides you with a medical evaluation and a proper fitting. They are also a better option for those who require a high level of rigidity and support or have specific foot conditions like flat feet or a high arch.

The type of material used in the construction of orthotics is another factor to consider. Plastics like polyolefins and elastomers are a common choice as they are rigid enough to control injury-producing foot motion, yet flexible and comfortable for use in shoes. Soft materials like neoprene and open- and closed-cell foam are also commonly used to provide cushioning and add comfort.

How to Fit Orthotics

Orthotics are prescription medical devices that can be a great investment for your foot health. They come with the medical evaluation, custom fit, and quality materials that are designed to last. They are more expensive than over-the-counter shoe inserts but many insurance plans cover the cost of orthotics.

It is important to follow your doctor’s break-in program for orthotics. Your feet will take time to adjust to the new “foot posture”. The new orthotics may feel uncomfortable or even painful at first. This is normal and should not persist for more than three weeks. If you experience discomfort beyond this point, call your physician or visit a podiatrist for an adjustment to the orthotics.

You should only use your orthotics in shoes that have enough volume for the additional foot support. Most athletic shoes have room for an orthotic but dress shoes and hiking boots typically do not. If you need to wear your orthotics in a shoe that is not a good fit, trim the soft top cover of the orthotics with scissors at the “toe end” to reduce wrinkling. This can be done in clinic at Firefly or at home using a template from your old shoe inserts or footbed.

When attempting to remove the orthotics from your shoes, you should be careful not to pull on the soft top cover or you could ruin the molded arch support. The best way to remove your orthotics is to place them in front of a chair with the back of the heel resting on the seat. Then carefully slide your foot in between the back of the heel support and the seat

Your body’s circulation is responsible for directing life-supporting blood throughout your entire system 24 hours a day. When your circulation is not working properly, a number of problems can occur.

Osteopathy is a manual therapy that uses gentle manipulation to facilitate your body’s natural ability to self-regulate and self-heal. Manipulation transferred through the musculoskeletal system can enhance immune function and improve circulation.

Joints

Osteo Watsonia use a variety of hands-on techniques to reduce pain, improve joint movement and encourage blood flow. They use gentle manipulation and stretching along with soft tissue massage to release tension in the muscles, increase joint flexibility and boost your overall health and wellbeing.

Osteopathic treatment is non-invasive, so there are no risks associated with osteopathic treatment. However, as with all treatments, you may experience some soreness or stiffness following your session. This is common, and it should resolve shortly after your appointment.

Your osteopath will begin by taking an in-depth history of your symptoms, focusing on the areas that are causing you discomfort. They will then carry out a physical examination of the area(s) in question, including palpating your muscles and joints to feel for tightness or restriction. They may also ask you to move in certain ways to assess your mobility and range of motion.

A treatment plan will then be developed based on your individual needs, and this will include osteopathic manipulations of the muscles and joints, as well as soft tissues. In addition to boosting circulation, this will help to relieve muscle tension and improve the function of the circulatory system, digestive system and lymphatic drainage systems. By reducing stress and anxiety, osteopathic treatment can also help to alleviate symptoms of conditions such as depression, headaches and insomnia.

Ligaments

Osteopathy focuses on the body as a whole and is based on the philosophy that if one part of your musculoskeletal system is not functioning properly, then it affects every other part. This is why an ankle injury may lead to knee or hip pain and back problems. The founder of osteopathic medicine, Andrew Taylor Still, studied the attributes of good health in order to better understand disease and founded osteopathic techniques that aimed to restore normal musculoskeletal function, TriHealth explains.

Your ligaments attach bones to other bones and hold your muscles, tendons and other soft tissue together. When your bones move out of alignment, they create tension on the ligaments and inhibit proper movement. Osteopaths manipulate the joints in your body to bring them back into alignment, reducing stress on the ligaments and encouraging blood flow to the area, which helps them resume their normal, pain-free functions.

A common treatment for neck and upper back pain is osteopathic manipulation of the spinal column. This repositions the spine, improving its ability to function, and can also help with breathing, especially if you spend a lot of time hunched over a desk at work. Osteopaths can also use their hands on the ribcage to encourage the diaphragm to breathe freely. This is called the strain-counterstrain technique and can be helpful for asthmatics, infants with colic and pregnant women with lower back and pelvic pain.

Muscles

Every joint in your body is connected by muscles and ligaments. Keeping these muscles healthy and strong is crucial to the health of your joints, bones, and overall wellbeing. Osteopathy is a form of manual therapy that uses gentle manipulations to help improve muscle and joint health. It can also boost circulation through the blood flow to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, allowing them to receive nutrients and oxygen.

Everyone has their own specific muscle ailments and osteopathy treatment will be tailored to your needs. However, a general osteopathic treatment uses techniques such as palpatory diagnosis and manipulation of the musculoskeletal system to release muscle tension and restore balance and function.

Osteopathy can also help to relieve stress and tension, which is known to elevate blood pressure levels. It can also promote relaxation, reduce pain and improve posture – all of which can help to lower blood pressure naturally.

Another important way osteopathy can help improve circulation is through gentle manipulation of the vagus nerve. This can balance the autonomic nervous system, which slows the heart rate and helps with digestion. It also boosts the immune system to help fight infection and heal tissues. It can also reduce back and neck pain, headaches, and fatigue and enhances overall wellbeing and mood. This can even help with sleep problems, which is common in people who suffer from chronic pain.

Lymphatics

Osteopaths use gentle manipulation and mobilisation of the muscles, soft tissues and joints. This is sometimes called osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) but they may also use other techniques, including percussion and stretching. They do this while you are standing, seated or lying down. You may hear a sound during a manipulation but this is not your bones cracking or popping into place, it is caused by the release of gases bubbles in the synovial fluid that surrounds the joints.

Ostopaths are trained to assess the musculoskeletal system, including the nerves, blood vessels and lymphatic system. This enables them to identify and address imbalances, which improves the flow of oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. This can help to restore your posture, ease aches and pains and alleviate neurological, respiratory and digestive issues.

The lymphatic system consists of small, thin vessels (lymph capillaries) that take up fluid from the tissue and larger ones that contain one-way valves to prevent backflow of the fluid. Lymph vessels then transport the fluid to the lymph nodes, which are located in our armpits and groin.

If your lymphatic system is not working well, you might experience a variety of symptoms, such as post-injury swelling that doesn’t resolve, swollen glands, a feeling of heaviness in the arms or legs, persistent thrush, recurrent infections and a general feeling of being unwell. By using a variety of lymphatic drainage techniques, osteopaths can help to optimise the function of your lymphatic system.

Osteo Watsonia focus on the structure of the body as well as its function. They use manual ‘hands on’ techniques to improve circulation by releasing any blockages and improving joint movement.

This can help to reduce inflammation and boost overall health and wellbeing. The fluids of the body carry life-sustaining compounds including hormones, enzymes and their secretions, neural impulses, nutrition and dissolved gases.

Joints

Inflammation in your joints can impact your circulation, causing fluids to pool and restricting the movement of blood. Osteopathy aims to remove the build-up of fluids, restore alignment and improve the mobility of your joints.

Osteopathy uses a gentle manipulation of the joints to increase their mobility and reduce pain. This increases the flow of blood around your joints and the rest of your body, allowing oxygen to reach all areas more effectively and eliminate waste products.

Joint aches and pains are often the result of poor posture, injury, and age-related wear and tear. Over time this can cause imbalances that lead to inflammation, limiting your range of motion and ultimately leading to more serious problems.

Osteopaths use a variety of techniques to ease your aches and pains, including low-velocity thrusts and soft tissue manipulation. By treating your body as a whole, your osteopath can assess your needs and devise a treatment strategy to best help you.

Osteopathy promotes relaxation, which in turn can reduce stress levels and improve sleep patterns. It can also support your digestion, improving your energy levels by ensuring that you are absorbing the nutrients that you need to stay healthy and energetic. Gentle manipulation of the vagus nerve (which connects your brain to your digestive and cardiovascular systems) can also balance your autonomic nervous system, slowing your heart rate and promoting better digestion.

Muscles

The muscle tissue of your body is a major contributor to your circulation. Osteopathic techniques can help your muscles to be balanced and able to receive the nutrients they require to work effectively. This helps with breathing, movement, and also with blood flow and lymphatic drainage.

Pregnancy and the birthing process, whatever way you go through it, puts a huge amount of strain on your body. This can cause areas to become misaligned, especially in the hips, pelvis and lower back. This in turn can cause problems with other joints such as the knees or shoulders. It can also affect the respiratory diaphragm. Breathing can become strained and inefficient when the muscles around the diaphragm are not functioning properly. Osteopaths use a technique called Muscle Energy Technique to treat these imbalances and improve your breathing.

A key principle of osteopathy is that all parts of the body are connected and that a dysfunction in one part can have an impact on every other area of the body. If a joint, muscle or other tissue becomes restricted it can create restrictions in the surrounding structures that then limit circulatory, lymphatic and nervous system function.

These restricted areas may have developed through injury, bad posture, a sedentary lifestyle or as a result of a traumatic event. Over time these can build up and lead to pain, numbness or swelling. Osteopathy is a great way to address these issues and allow your body to heal itself and reduce your risk of developing serious health problems.

Lymphatic System

As well as ensuring that proper energy is distributed throughout the body, osteopaths also use techniques to enhance lymphatic drainage. This is important as the lymphatic system is responsible for filtering out waste products, fighting infection and boosting immunity. Poor lymphatic flow can cause fluid accumulation, swollen glands (lymphoedema) and a feeling of heaviness in the arms or legs. Osteopathy can address the root causes of lymphatic drainage problems, resulting in a more healthy and energetic system.

A lymphatic system is a network of vessels and organ tissue (like lymph nodes, the thymus and the spleen) that is designed to work with the immune system and carry components of the immune system like white blood cells around the body. Osteopaths have long used techniques that promote this natural process of the lymphatic system.

Using manual manipulation and mobilisation, osteopaths encourage lymphatic flow in the limbs and other primary areas of the body. This encourages the lymphatic system to shift the accumulated fluid toward the heart and larger organs for processing. This assists in preventing stagnation of the lymphatic system and can improve the efficiency of cell regeneration and metabolism. Osteopaths also treat the spinal transitional zones (cervicothoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral) to restore the physiologic biomechanical motion of these important structures that can influence lymphatic function; treat myofascial restrictions in affected lymphatic drainage pathways; decongest regional lymph nodes and enhance the movement of excessive fluid in any affected peripheral regions of the body.

Vagus Nerve

In addition to improving circulation, osteopathic treatment can also help with respiratory problems and digestion. It can also enhance the immune system. This is due to releasing tension in the body.

Osteopathy is a holistic form of therapy that involves manual manipulation of the soft tissues and hard structures. This releases tension and restrictions, which improves the function of these structures and systems. It’s known for promoting general wellness and can be used as a compliment to other medical treatments.

Good circulation is responsible for directing life-supporting blood throughout the body 24 hours a day. It’s what allows your heart to pump, brain to function and muscles to move. However, it’s not uncommon for this process to get impeded by twists, curves or pulls that develop in the body due to structural imbalances, posture, accidents, surgery, injury and stress.

These impediments can cause a variety of issues, from pain to poor health. For example, poor circulation can lead to heart rhythm disorders such as arrhythmia and tachycardia. Osteopathy can help by balancing the autonomic nervous system through gentle manipulation of the vagus nerve. This slows the body’s stress response, aids digestion and lowers the heart rate. It can also relieve tense and knotted muscles that cause stress headaches. The result is a balanced, healthy, functional body that’s more resilient to recurrent infections and chronic diseases.