Arthritis Treatment

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition of the joints most commonly affecting the lower back, neck, hips, knees, feet and fingers. The protective cartilage overlying the ends of the bones within the joint thins and breaks down, leading to a disruption of the smooth functioning of the joint. You may find that you feel stiff, especially in the mornings and after rest, and everyday activities that you normally carry out with ease, such as walking, climbing stairs and bending, are painful and limited.

“Well it’s my age, what else should I expect?”

We passionately believe that no one should have their aches and pains dismissed as simply a sign of getting older. We will give you the time to discuss your concerns and our expertise in creating a tailor made treatment plan designed to help you live your life to the full. Getting older needn’t mean giving up the things you love doing. We will work with you to help your body in as pain-free a way as possible.
“I am a sports enthusiast that has acquired many injuries over the years. I met Sophie in 2004 and have been seeing her regularly ever since because she is the only practitioner I have ever been to that has been able to help me even when doctors have encouraged me to be operated on. Health and strength is vital to all of us. Sophie is also a very kind considerate person.”

Martin Phelps

How we can help

Although we cannot cure it, we can help the pain and stiffness of arthritis so that you can get on with your life. Through a highly developed sense of touch called palpation, we can identify tight joints and their surrounding ligaments and muscles. Using gentle stretching and massage techniques we can help to ease tension from stiff aching muscles, reduce the restrictions within the joint and improve the overall health through improving blood circulation and drainage to the joint. We will also look for and treat other areas of the body that may be affecting the problem area.

At your appointment

During your initial consultation at Kingswood & Tadworth Osteopathic Clinic which will last 45 minutes to an hour, we will talk to you about your symptoms and take a thorough case history which will include questions about your general health, medications you may be taking, and any previous accidents, illnesses and tests you may have had. We will also ask you questions about your daily activities as these and how you carry them out may be affecting how your joints are wearing. You will then be asked to undress down to your underwear or you may wear loose comfortable clothing if you prefer. You will be asked to carry out some simple movements so that we can assess which joints and muscles are restricted and then we will examine you by feeling for tensions within the affected joints, surrounding tissues and adjacent areas.

We will talk to you about our findings and develop an individual treatment plan with you which will include advice on exercises, posture, diet and lifestyle, and simple adjustments you can make to your everyday way of doing things which may help ease the stresses within your body. If we feel that further investigation is needed, such as X-Rays, scans or blood tests, we will refer you back to GP or onto the relevant specialist with a report if appropriate.

If you are suffering from stiff joints and aching muscles and are concerned or know you have osteoarthritis, then call us on 01737 818000 to book an appointment or have a chat and see how we can help you get back to enjoying the things you love doing.

“Safe in our hands”

All osteopaths are regulated as are doctors and nurses and are registered with the General Osteopathic Council. We have to undergo rigorous training on a four or five year full time degree with at least 1000 hours supervised clinical practice. We adhere to a strict code of conduct and practice and undergo annually assessed continuing professional development.

Conditions We Treat:

  • Generalised aches and pains
  • Joint pains including hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis as an adjunct to core OA treatments and exercise
  • Arthritic pain
  • General, acute & chronic backache, back pain (not arising from injury or accident)
  • Uncomplicated mechanical neck pain (as opposed to neck pain following injury i.e. whiplash)
  • Headache arising from the neck (cervicogenic) / migraine prevention
  • Frozen shoulder/ shoulder and elbow pain/ tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) arising from associated musculoskeletal conditions of the back and neck, but not isolated occurrences
  • Circulatory problems
  • Cramp
  • Digestion problems
  • Joint pains
  • Lumbago
  • Sciatica
  • Muscle spasms
  • Neuralgia
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Inability to relax
  • Rheumatic pain
  • Minor sports injuries and tensions