Need help to stop smoking?

Stopping smoking can be a real problem.  There are many factors that keep you reaching for the next smoke, but if you're determined to give up, save yourself a load of money and help your lungs get back to health, hypnotherapy is one of the tools that could help you.

Celebrities such as Chloe Madeley, Derek Acorah, Linda Robson, John Burton Race and Paul Danan appeared in the recent channel Five reality TV show 'Celebrity Quitters', 

Hypnotherapy was one of the options to help them quit their addiction to nicotine.  Other celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, Courtney Cox and Kevin Costner have all attributed their quitting to hypnotherapy.

Inspired by these celebrity quitters? 

Follow these handy top five tips to help you on your path to quitting smoking:

1. Getting started won't cost you a thing. Order a free Quit Kit from 0800 169 0 169 to find out about the full range of NHS support available to help you quit.

2. Identify your smoking triggers and plan ahead. Try the Addiction Test at www.nhs.uk/smokefree.

3. Worried about going cold turkey? Use nicotine replacement products or other stop-smoking medicines to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. These are available on prescription from the NHS.

4. For extra incentive, find out how much cash you’re saving by using the calculator on www.nhs.uk/smokefree. That dream purchase will be yours in no time.

5. There are a range of therapies that can help you to stop smoking - speak to your local therapy clinic to find out which one may help you.  These include hypnotherapy, acupuncture, and emotional freedom technique (EFT).

Migraine award for Osteopath

Migraine and headaches helped through Osteopathy

Looking back through an old magazine, we found an article about a member of the British Osteopathic Association - Clifford Lomas - who won the 'Best in Complementary Medicine" category in the Migraine Association awards (2008).

His patient says: "I gave up traditional medicine around three years ago as these had never really impacted on my migraines.  I heard of Clifford's work and decided to give it a try.  He felt my neck and believed he could help, and I have not had a migraine since.  I know of others whose migraines have stopped or greatly reduced after treatment.  The fact that this is achieved without drugs is amazing."


There has not been a great deal of research into the benefits of Osteopathic treatment, so it is always good to see positive outcomes from pilot studies, such as the one below [1]:

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Migraine is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders in Europe, severely affecting ability to work and quality of life. Medical therapies are considered to be the "gold standard" of treatment. This study addresses osteopathic treatment for acute therapy or prophylactic therapy as an alternative to traditional therapies.

DESIGN:

Forty-two (42) female patients with migraine were randomized into an intervention group (n = 21) and a control group (n = 21). Outcomes were evaluated with three questionnaires before the treatment (t1) and 6 months later (t2).

INTERVENTIONS:

The intervention group received five 50-minute osteopathic manipulative treatments (OMT) over a 10-week period. The control group did not receive OMT, sham treatment, or physical therapy. Patients of this group only filled the questionnaires. Both groups continued with previously prescribed medication.

METHODS:

The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaires as well as a German "pain questionnaire" were used to assess pain intensity, the impact of migraine on daily life and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and the number of days subjects suffered from migraine.

RESULTS:

Three (3) of the eight HRQoL domains of the SF-36 form in the intervention group showed significant improvement (from t1 to t2), with a general betterment exhibited in the other domains. The total MIDAS score, pain intensity, and disturbance in occupation due to migraine as well as number of days of disablements were also significantly reduced. The control group showed insignificant differences in these areas.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study affirms the effects of OMT on migraine headache in regard to decreased pain intensity and the reduction of number of days with migraine as well as working disability, and partly on improvement of HRQoL. Future studies with a larger sample size should reproduce the results with a control group receiving placebo treatment in a long-term follow-up.


[1]  2011,Voigt K, Liebnitzky J et.al. Efficacy of osteopathic manipulative treatment of female patients with migraine: results of a randomized controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Mar;17(3):225-30. 

Knee problems and surgery

"Early management of acute knee injuries can prevent further damage and avoid a catalogue of problems in the future", says leading knee surgeon Mr Harminder Gosal.

The British Osteopathic Association journal recently discussed early management of acute knee injuries and advised that in some cases, surgery within a few weeks of injury can prevent long-term problems with degeneration in the knee joint.

Acute knee injuries are commonly caused by injury to the medial collateral ligament, medial meniscus or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).  The ACL injury may happen during a sporting activity, where a pop is heard and the knee starts to swell up immediately.  This is seen particularly with football, rugby, netball, basketball and skiing.

A meniscus tear causes swelling, but it can take 24 hours before it is really noticeable.  More people have this problem compared to ACL tears, and there may be a gradual wear and tear occurring from playing sport on top of the injury itself.

Your osteopath can help to diagnose these conditions, but where the injury is complex (a mixture of the above structures injured), you are going to need a MRI (or X-ray) to see what exactly needs repairing.  A simple test of the knee will show if there is any instability in the knee joint.  Private MRI scans are more affordable these days (from £200 per area), and if there is a problem getting a scan quickly through your GP surgery, ask your osteopath for a referral.

"While an ACL injury on its own can wait a bit if necessary it is best to repair a meniscal injury as soon as possible - within the first two or three weeks if possible".  Waiting too long can cause meniscus damage to affect the joint surfaces in the knee (early onset arthritis may result).

If you think surgery could be the option for you, get a specialist referral as soon as possible.  Osteopaths can refer patients to the Cheltenham Knee Unit (a bit of a trek from Leicester, but this clinic has an internationally renowned MRI scanner centre and patients can get the whole assessment and MRI diagnosis at the same time).  Visit http://www.cheltenhamkneeunit.co.uk and http://www.cobalthealth.co.uk for more details.  Alternatively, there is a MRI clinic in Solihull which provides a very good service.

Bowen for your employees

Bowen therapy supports organisations of many kinds by helping to make sure that staff can carry out their tasks without interruption from physical problems or stress.

It is relevant in most working environments particularly those that carry a risk of musculoskeletal disorder, whether sedentary (e.g. office workers, checkout till staff), standing (e.g. shop workers), or physically active (e.g. production, warehousing and shelf stacking staff).  Bowen treatments can also help prevent, as well as treat, conditions caused when employees are 'at play': for example, the problems that can result from active pursuits.

Bowen helps many organisations to improve efficiency by reducing the incidence of staff downtime.  Sudden short-term and long-term absenteeism is reduced and employees' well-being is improved.  Treatment of staff's physical problems helps ensure that production schedules and staff assignments are not subject to unforeseen change. It can also have a positive effect on sick pay commitments and reduce the possibility of litigation.

Several organisations also regard Bowen as a responsible way of improving and maintaining the welfare of employees, for example in the context of the Health and Safety Executive's 'Better Backs' initiative.

Some also see an association with complementary therapy as demonstrating an enlightened, active commitment to drug-free therapy, an area in which public awareness is steadily growing.

How do orthotics help?

Your feet are the foundation of your entire body.  They do an incredible amount of work each day. The smallest imbalance can cause a great deal of discomfort, but properly fitted prescription orthotics help restore the normal balance and alignment of your body and bring relief from fatigue and pain. Orthotics are so comfortable, and help your feet work so naturally that you will want to wear them as much as possible.

Treatment discounts

New patient at Absolute Health?

Claim your 10% discount for chiropody or osteopathy.
Or claim 15% off your hypnotherapy first session.

Regular clients can request the Absolute Health loyalty card - bring it along at each visit to get it stamped.  When you have 6 stamps, cash it in for up to £6 off your treatment costs.

We are still offering discounted beauty treatment with Sarah on Tuesdays - ask about the offers on the day of your visit.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Osteopathy

Osteopathy is a hands-on manual therapy that can help with a range of musculo-skeletal problems.

If you're suffering from back pain, stiff neck, shoulder problems or similar, don't wait too long before seeking treatment.  The sooner you can start, the better.  When muscles go into spasm, this affects surrounding joints and tissues, reduces blood flow to the area, and can cause nerves to fire off pain signals. The quicker you can release the muscle spasm, the sooner the body can fully heal.

Pain killers will mask the pain, but won't necessarily help with a muscle problem.