I often joke with my patients that men turn into trees as they get older, with their spines gradually becoming more stiff until they begin to move like Treebeard from Lord of the Rings. It turns out that there is some truth to this tendency for men to stiffen up with age more than women, with 50 being a key age where things start to worsen. This article details a simple 3 minute at home stretching routine which can help restore spinal mobility in men and stop them turning into trees.

Following up on my previous blog from late 2023 about the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the body and nattokinase’s potential to help, I’ve reviewed the latest research since then to see if it sheds more light on how nattokinase may ease symptoms connected to spike protein accumulation.

Shin Splints is a widespread overuse injury that causes exercise-induced pain along the inner side of the shin. It is especially common among runners, jumpers, and military recruits. . Recovery time is long—4 to 18 months—with a high recurrence rate, making prevention and effective rehab critical.

What’s the difference between an osteopath and a physio?

Many patients are not sure of the difference, but in the UK, osteopaths and physiotherapists both treat the same types of musculoskeletal conditions, just differing slightly in their approach.

This is a question that I get asked a lot. Whilst there are some unrepeatable industry in-jokes about the difference between the two professions, here is (hopefully) a more balanced explanation

Calf muscle injuries are notoriously tricky to rehab,  and there is currently no universally agreed recovery protocol, even amongst the world's leading sports  injury specialists. If you have a calf muscle strain, it’s worth trying to get your rehab right, as calves are particularly prone to being re-injured.

This article will present some research-based advice on how to recover after the most common type of ankle sprain, the inversion sprain. It will also cover some rehab exercises to help reduce the chances of it happening again. 

The most commonly injured muscle in athletes is the hamstring, frequently occurring in sports that involve sprinting, jumping, or sudden stops. This article will cover what you need to do to rehabilitate yourself after a moderate to mild hamstring injury. 

There is now strong evidence that following SARS-CoV-2 infection the balance of our microbiomes (the bacteria in our digestive tracts) is upset, often on a long-term basis. Studies have shown that using probiotics can help address acute covid infections, and evidence is beginning to emerge that also supports probiotic use for long covid (Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS))

Great British Gardening injuries

Now that the constant winter rain has stopped (hopefully) lots of Brits are heading out to tend their gardens. As an osteopath I’ve noticed that this annual over-enthusiastic return to gardening brings in a fresh crop of patients.

It appears that overdoing certain gardening activities tends to produce predictable problems with people’s backs.

If you are someone who stands with more weight going through one leg then you run the risk of upsetting a small but important muscle called gluteus medius. This can lead to hip, pelvis and back pain. 

As well as general health benefits, intermittent fasting (IF) has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and trigger a process called autophagy which cleans up cells. These processes are potentially beneficial to people with long covid.

Research has shown that tractioning your low back can be a safe and effective way to relieve low back pain, particularly if you have an intervertebral disc injury, either with or without sciatica.

As red light therapy already has a track record of reducing inflammation in the body, scientists have been actively researching its potential use to treat long covid.

Many of my patients have symptoms that could be attributed to Long Covid, so I’m always looking for new information to help them. It’s now 2024, so what do we know about this condition?

There are many published studies (probably hundreds) that have looked at the role of different essential oils in treating neuropathic pain.

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that supports the foot arch and helps in shock absorption. Plantar fasciitis is a condition that causes debilitating pain to the the underside of the foot - normally towards the heel.

Spike protein is known to be persisting in people's bodies . In this blog I cover an interesting piece of recent research concerning the persistence of the spike protein in the brain.

One of the most promising natural potential antidotes to long covid is a product called Nattokinase, which is an enzyme derived from natto, a traditional Japanese fermented soybean dish.

The precise cause of Long Covid is still not clear, but research is beginning to point to the spike protein of the virus as being linked to the symptoms.