Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide with up to 80% of adult’s experiencing low back pain during their lifetime. Most cases of low back pain are due to a multi-dimensional factors and very small percentage (1%) of patients will have serious pathology. While there is limited evidence to support individual risk factors as strong predictors of low back pain there is however evidence for the presence of muscle weakness and general deconditioning as one contributor. Subsequently exercise has been shown to be one of the most effective treatment approaches for low back pain. Pilates aims to increase the strength and control of the muscles around the spine and the pelvis. This helps improve and restore everyday movements, as well as reducing the load on your joints. Practising Pilates regularly helps to promote balance and improve posture.  It also increases body awareness, which plays a pivotal role in the prevention of injury and rehabilitation in low back pain....

How cranial osteopathy can help soothe away your baby's colicky cries by Liz Neale Get a group of new parents together and it won't take long before they start talking about sleep. Or, more likely, the lack of it. The advice to 'sleep when your baby sleeps' is all well and good. However, if your little one likes to party all night, every night, you are soon functioning like a zombie if you can't catch up during the day. So when one of my friends suggested taking my four-week-old to a cranial osteopath to reduce her stress levels (and hopefully help us both rest), I was intrigued. What is cranial osteopathy? Cranial osteopathy encourages the release of tension and stresses in the body and the head that might have been caused by the birth. Osteopaths hold and observe the baby, carefully manipulating the body to encourage it to function as it should. I wondered if it was some sort of 'baby whispering'. After all, if the osteopath was merely holding m...

How can acupuncture help morning sickness? Morning sickness is a very common ailment during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. Health professionals prefer to call the condition “nausea and vomiting in pregnancy”. This is because it can affect women at any time of the day or night. Whereas some women may feel sick all day long. Traditional remedies include making modifications to diet, resting and even wearing loose-fitting clothes. However, in this post we pose the following question. Can acupuncture help morning sickness? And, if so, how? What is morning sickness? Nausea and vomiting are commonly experienced by women in early pregnancy. The prevalence rates are 50-80% for nausea, and 50% for vomiting and retching. The symptoms are most common in the first trimester, between 6 and 12 weeks. However, it can continue to 20 weeks. In approximately 20% of women, morning sickness may last even longer. If vomiting is persistent, it can lead to weight loss, dehydrati...

Acupuncture during IVF treatment. Recent studies have shown that it can increase chances of a successful pregnancy. Acupuncture During IVF Treatment Western medicine has started to recognise the many benefits of using acupuncture during IVF treatment. There have been a variety of studies that review the implications of acupuncture and fertility. Indeed, recent reports have shown a 65 percent increase in pregnancy success rates when IVF is combined with acupuncture treatments. Those same studies have also shown that rates of live births nearly doubled in cases where acupuncture was used. This is in comparison to IVF patients who received no acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Why Is Acupuncture During IVF Treatment So Effective? At present, the reason why acupuncture can increase IVF pregnancy success rates is not fully understood. However, ultrasounds have shown that acupuncture can improve uterine blood flow. As a result, this may create a more hospitable environment for embr...

Acupuncture, an effective method of treating problems in the menstrual cycle Do you experience bloating, mood swings, headaches, fatigue, or painful cramping before or during your period? These complaints are common during the menstrual cycle, but they are not “normal”. What is a healthy menstrual cycle? A healthy menstrual cycle is one that comes regularly, approximately every 26-30 days. There should be no premenstrual discomfort (both physically or emotionally). Neither should there be any pain. Flow should be moderate, needing to change a pad or tampon every 3-4 hours. There should be no clots or spotting over a consistent period of 4 to 5 days. The colour should be a medium red colour, not too dark. Lastly, your period should also end concisely, with no lingering spotting beyond the fifth or sixth day. How can acupuncture help restore a healthy menstrual cycle? Girls are typically not well educated about their menstrual cycles. Very often, they will gro...

This is a great image that really shows why posture is important, and why people working at computers should be especially mindful. Carrying around a 42lb head is going to hurt. Tuck that chin in and lengthen the spine. Thank you to The Putney clinic of Physical Therapy for displaying this on their notice board.

If your baby is struggling to breastfeed there is plenty of information and support out there to help you both. You can seek advice online or from breastfeeding groups, lactation consultants, tongue tie specialists and your midwife. Not to mention tips from friends and family! But did you know that these specialists are increasingly recognising the role that cranial osteopaths can play to help your baby feed? At an appointment your osteopath will check the muscles, ligaments and joints that are involved in feeding. For example osteopaths check to see if your baby can turn their head comfortably to feed from each breast. Your osteopath will look at the jaw movement to check that they can open their mouth wide enough to feed. He or she will also check tongue movement for signs of tongue tie or weak suck. Osteopaths can also give advice on feeding and winding techniques specific to you and your baby. Cranial osteopathy is a gentle treatment which may improve the way your baby feeds....

by Fleur Borrelli, Nutritionist Here are some excellent tips to help you stay young. Aerobic exercise Exercise on an empty stomach Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit Avoid environmental chemicals Eat whole foods Live! Laugh! Love! For more information or appointments, you can contact Fleur at The Putney Clinic of Physical Therapy on 0208 789 3881 or send an email to info@putneyclinic.co.uk or visit our website. Nutrition and Superfood website: www.nutritionandsuperfood.co.uk Telephone: 07766 883 522 for a free consultation.

by Fleur Borrelli, Nutritionist How effective we are at exercising aerobically all depends on our mitochondria. Mitochondria are little sub-units, known as organelles, inside our cells. These are the power-houses of the cell, the engines, where make most of our ATP which is the body’s energy currency is generated. Apart from producing energy for us, they coordinate other actions such as becoming a skin cell or a muscle cell. They also manage cell death which needs to occur in a way that does not cause collateral damage and can even be beneficial to us. Our mitochondria are so vital to health that we need to treat them well. They are semi-autonomous and reproduce independently of the cells they live in a way that is very similar to a bug. In fact microbiologists believe that at the beginning of time they might have lived freely as bacteria, until they took up resident in larger cells. They even have their own DNA to produce proteins which help our cells to work. When we engage...

A photo from the workshop Nancy taught at my Putney Studio June 2012.   www.yogamama.co.uk wwwputneyclinic.co.uk

Here is an article about Postnatal Massage from Hajni Varadi. Postnatal massage by Hajni Varadi, sports & therapeutic massage therapist Women often ask me how soon they can have a massage after giving birth. I usually recommend at least 3 weeks after having a natural birth, and 4-5 weeks after having a caesarean section. It is advisable to allow time for the body to recover, heal and adjust to motherhood, as there are all sorts of new aches and pains to deal with. During pregnancy it is usually the lower back that hurts. However, with breastfeeding and carrying a baby, the muscles between the shoulder blades can get tight and sore. The neck can also be painful from constantly looking down. On top of this, hormonal changes in the body can sometimes cause postnatal depression. I know it all sounds daunting, but on a cheery note, massage can help you feel human again. What's more, during the treatment you can have a well-deserved power nap! If you are breastfeeding and/or h...

We had our ninth PinkPower walk event yesterday-and the sun shone down on us. Friends and families gathered and supported walkers along the 16 mile route. The events committee are hoping to reach the Million pound target this year, supporting two two Breast cancer charities : Breakthrough breast cancer and the Caron Keating foundation.  I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part, volunteered or sponsored an individual/or the event. Gloria Hunniford gave a wonderful speech about the loss of beautiful daughter to Breast cancer, and why we are all committed to trying to eradicate this disease. One of  my team members in this photo was diagnosed with Breast cancer in September of last year-She has since had treatment and a mastectomy-she walked 16 miles yesterday and her bravery and courage keeps us all motivated. I would also like to say a big thank you to all the osteopaths and physiother...

Please watch this moving documentary; Neil Bulstrode is an amazing plastic surgeon who is both a friend, and a work colleague. He and his fellow professionals are changing peoples lives with their amazing surgical skills.  In a tiny hamlet in Colombia, six-year-old Didier has struggled with a huge burden: a rare condition called a Congenital Melanocytic Nevus: a giant mole that grew so much that it covered 40% of his body. It resembled a shell, and Didier was nicknamed Turtle Boy. There was a chance it could turn malignant. And Didier's mother Luz struggled with an additional burden: guilt. In this superstitious society, there was a belief that Didier's growth was a result of being conceived during an eclipse, which meant Luz and her family had to live apart from the rest of the village. Luz longed to be free to have her son baptised, to take him to school and see him grow up like any other boy. But there was no way she could raise the money for an opera...

After an exhausting few months and the official opening of our new clinic The Putney Clinic of Physical Therapy, my husband and I headed off to Wiltshire for some rest and relaxation. I have stayed at Bishopstrow House before and find it so relaxing. In its previous life, it was a country manor house, set in amazing grounds behind an old stone wall. It has the feel of another era, without the pretentiousness that some hotels of this ilk have. The staff at Bishopstrow House are fantastic. When the room we had booked wasn't quite right for us, we were promptly relocated without any fuss to the most beautiful Shaftesbury Suite, room service and 10 hours of the most refreshing sleep I have ever had. I headed over to the Halcyon Spa, while my husband swam for an hour in the outdoor swimming pool. Running a very busy clinic, and teaching yoga in London doesn't allow for much “pampering” time, so I booked myself an Elemis facial with the lovely Rachael in the Halcyon Spa. T...