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Knee osteoarthritisPut simply, osteoarthritis is the technical word for ‘wear and tear’ or the even more hideous words, ‘getting old’! Everyone eventually gets it and its pretty rare not to find it on an x-ray in anyone over the age of 50.

Osteoarthritis can occur throughout the body but is most commonly found in the big weight-bearing joints of the hips and knees, as well as the spine, and also the much used joints of the fingers. Symptoms can range from mild discomfort and stiffness that is generally worse after rest and eases once you start moving again, all the way up to severe pain and disability. The symptoms are generally worse in the cold and by being over-weight (especially if the hip and knees are affected).

Certainly, some people seem to get is worse than other.  To this we could blame bad genes or even more likely, how they have used (or abused) their body’s over a lifetime. Its also been found that an injury to a joint often makes that joint more susceptible to developing osteoarthritis sooner.

One of the most common side effects of having a painful arthritic joint is that the surrounding muscles tighten to protect the joint further. Unfortunately this can put more pressure on the joint surfaces, and thus lead to more pain. In many cases osteopathic treatment can help relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis by addressing the muscle tightness that often develops. To find out how we can help you please call us a the clinic today on 9948 9934.


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Well, that’s a pretty hard question for me to answer as I’m an osteopath and not a chiropractor and Ive never been to see a chiropractor for treatment. Some of my patients who have been to chiropractors in the past would probably have a better understand then myself. I should probably ask them.

What I do know is osteopathy, and as an osteopath I have been trained in the use of many manual therapy techniques including spinal adjustment, similar to what a chiropractor would perform. Osteopaths also use a whole range of other techniques including massage, stretching and other soft tissue techniques like counter-strain, functional technique, MET and exercise prescription and rehabilitation.

Osteopaths aim to examine, treat and manage our patient’s problems from a holistic perspective.  This means we do not primarily focus on a specific tissue or the alignment of the spine but examine and treat all of the tissues of the body that may be contributing to the patients condition or injury whether it be muscle, ligament, joint, fascia, nerve, artery or vein, etc….

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Osteopathy Awareness Week 2010

May 3, 2010

Most people, regardless of age or gender, will suffer from back or neck pain, headaches, sport injuries, stiffness or pain at some time. Osteopaths can help to identify the cause of the pain or injury and develop a safe and effective course of action to manage pain – so people can make the most of [...]

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Can my back being ‘out of place’ or misaligned be the cause of low back pain?

April 26, 2010

This is a bit of a chick and egg scenario. Are you in pain because your spine is misaligned or is your spine misaligned because you are in pain?
As yet, no studies have found spinal misalignment to be the cause of back pain. In fact, many people with obvious misalignment of their spine have been [...]

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We’ve been updating our site

February 15, 2010

The Harbour Osteopathy website is never complete or finished. In the last week, we’ve updated the following pages:

Low Back Pain
Upper Back Pain
Neck Pain
Good Posture
5 Tips To Manage Your Back Pain

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5 Tips to Manage Your Back Pain

February 2, 2010

As many as 9 out of 10 adults will experience back pain at some point in their life-time. Knowing what to do and when to do it can often make a huge difference in the recovery time for back pain. We recommend the following helpful international guidelines for the treatment of low back pain:

Go see [...]

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Osteopath Toby Francis starting work at Harbour Osteopathy

November 30, 2009

Hi, I’m Toby and I’m excited to be joining the team as an Osteopath at Harbour Osteopathy in Fairlight.
I can really relate to the landscape of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, having grown up on the coast in the Illawarra. The amazing  beaches, bike paths, walking tracks and sporting fields located around Manly and its surrounding suburb [...]

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Should I use heat or ice for pain relief?

November 10, 2009

When to use a heat or ice pack
Several times a week I get asked by a patient, ‘What should I use for pain relief, heat or ice?’ A straight forward answer is often hard to give, sometimes its one or the other or sometimes a combination of both. Confused? Lets try to clear this up.
 
To [...]

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What’s the difference between Osteopathy, Physiotherapy and Chiropractic?

November 3, 2009

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked that question, I could retire to the country and live off the interest. Most patients at some point during the course of their treatment ask this question, so instead of repeating myself constantly I thought  I’d put it on the blog so that I [...]

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Harbour Osteopathy in Fairlight

October 11, 2009

Hi everyone. Welcome to the new website for Harbour Osteopathy located in Fairlight on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. My name’s Clinton, I’m the osteopath here at the clinic. I’ve been working at Harbour Osteopathy for over six years now. In that time we have helped thousands of people recover from pain and injury, learn [...]

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