Osteopathy vs. Chiropractic

The outspoken critic of Complementary Medicine - Professor Edzard Ernst - recently commented in a blog on the 'Pulse Today' website.  Although I don't often agree with Ernst's findings, there is some interesting information below:

Osteopathy - how different is it to chiropractic?

31 October 2011

In the past, several commentators have suggested that I repeatedly single out chiropractors and attack them continuously and unfairly. My critics argue that osteopaths do more or less the same things as chiropractors, based on the same, poor evidence, yet I never seem to make a fuss about osteopaths.

This, they believe, is unfair. Chiropractors, in particular, seem to feel that I have an axe to grind. I think these allegation are misleading – and here is why.

According to their own General Chiropractic Council (GCC) survey¹ the vast majority of UK chiropractors believe that they can treat non-spinal (visceral) conditions effectively. For instance, 63% of them claim to be able to treat infant colic¹. According to the corresponding General Osteopathic Council (GOC) survey², very few UK osteopaths seem to believe they can treat such conditions.

The GCC survey² also reveals that close to 100% of all chiropractors use high-velocity thrusts regularly. By contrast, the GOC survey³ suggests that this is done by only 47% of the UK osteopaths. As it is this technique which is suspected to cause the dramatic complications⁴ which continue to be reported e.g.⁵, the difference is, in my view, highly relevant.

Independent evaluators of the existing data will arrive at the conclusion that the evidence-base for the effectiveness of osteopathy is not much different from one for chiropractic³. But, at least, osteopaths treat non-spinal conditions less frequently, and – most crucially – they use hazardous techniques less often than their chiropractic colleagues.

What follows, I think, is obvious: GPs who feel that a patient might benefit from spinal manipulation/mobilization should consider the above evidence carefully when deciding whether to refer this patient to a chiropractor or to an osteopath.

Reference List

  (1)   General Chiropractic Council. Consulting the profession: A survey of UK chiropractors. (http://www.gcc-uk.org/files/link_file/ConsultTheProfession.pdf). London: General Chiropractic Council; 2004.

  (2)   General Osteopathic Council. Snapshot Survey 2001 Results. 2001.

  (3)   Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2nd edition. Edinburgh: Elsevier Mosby. 2006.

  (4)   Terrett AGJ. Current concepts in verebrobasilar complications following spinal manipulation. Iowa, USA: NCMIC Chiropractic Solutions; 2001.

  (5)   Kelley A. Ada man, 29, dies of stroke after chiropractic treatment. 2011;www.newsok.com [Accessed 26-06/2011].

Bowen Therapy helps roll away chronic pain

[Extracted from Vitality magazine Sept/Oct 2011]

The Bowen Technique is a natural, drug-free, non-invasive complementary therapy, invented in Australia and introduced to the UK in the 1990s. Bowen Therapy has a particularly strong record of success in the treatment of back pain. A national study, carried out by The Bowen Therapy Professional Association (BTPA) in the summer of 2006, showed that 95 per cent of back pain sufferers experienced either complete relief or a marked improvement, after a series of no more than three Bowen treatments.

The Bowen Technique prides itself on being able to trigger the body’s own healing systems. Rather than 'making' the body change, Bowen 'asks' the body to recognise and make the changes it requires.

With primarily fingers and thumbs, the Bowen practitioner makes small, rolling movements over muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue at precise points on the body, using only the amount of pressure appropriate for that individual. No hard-tissue manipulation or force is needed or used. Between each set of moves, the body is allowed to rest for a few minutes,

to allow it to absorb the information it has received and initiate the healing process.

Bowen is generally pleasant to receive, each session lasting 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the age of the client and the nature of their condition. Many clients become so relaxed they fall asleep during the treatment.

Short-term (acute) injury may be resolved in one to three Bowen treatments, while long-standing (chronic) conditions may require longer. A gap of five to ten days is recommended between Bowen sessions; so that the body can process the subtle information it has been given. As well as back pain, Bowen Therapy also may help with a host of other health issues

such as frozen shoulders, sports injuries, whiplash, migraine, hay fever, asthma, IBS

or fertility matters.

Brighton Bowen therapist Sarah Yearsley has treated Channel 4’s Born Survivor Bear Grylls for many years now.  Grylls says of his Bowen treatments with Sarah, “It (Bowen) has helped keep my body together despite the continual bashing it takes. It’s a vital support in putting right a whole range of new aches and pains, making sure that old injuries don’t cause

me problems, and helping me fight stress and fatigue.”

As with many other alternative therapies, the success of a treatment mainly depends on visiting a legitimate, well trained practitioner, who is a member of an organisation like BTPA (The Bowen Therapy Professional Association). Members of this association are qualified in Anatomy & Physiology and First Aid. They are also fully insured, abide by a strict code of conduct and ethics and are committed to a programme of continuing professional development.

Free treatment on offer

Following on from our 'Groupon' offer, if you recently had an Osteopathy treatment, ask us for a voucher - introduce a friend and get one Osteopathic treatment free.


Our clinic relies on word-of-mouth referrals so we are always grateful if you can recommend us to your family, friends or work colleagues.


We are also looking for testimonials - if you have had a great treatment and would like to tell others what benefits you received, we will offer you a £5 gift voucher as a small 'thank you'.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

Repetitive Strain Injury

RSI is caused by repeated overuse and injury to the muscles of the hands, wrists, arms or shoulders. 


E.g. repeated movement of the fingers by a computer user or musician causes micro trauma in the tissues. Cells try to cope by releasing chemicals to limit or repair any damage. But sometimes the ability of the body to repair itself is outpaced by prolonged repetitive movement, causing chronic injury to the tissues. 

Symptoms of RSI may take months, even years, to appear. Initially, only a slight ache may be felt. As the problem gets worse, there's more obvious pain while performing the repeated activity.

Once the problem has become severe, pain may be felt most of the time, even with the slightest movement.

One or both arms, wrists or hands may be affected. As well as the pain, numbness and tingling may make daily activities even more difficult.

The risk of RSI is increased by spending long periods without a break, sitting on an uncomfortable seat, or at a poorly arranged workstation.

At work, the computer keyboard and mouse are often responsible for RSI. Home computers, video games and text messaging also increase the risk. Workers on factory assembly lines, musicians, dressmakers and cleaners are also more likely to develop RSI.

Treatment of RSI may include:

• Rest of the affected area
• Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs
• Heat and cold packs
• Elastic wrist supports or firm wrist splints
• Acupuncture, physiotherapy or osteopathy

You can reduce your risk of RSI by warming up and cooling down the muscles used, taking regular breaks throughout the day, having an appropriate workstation and seating position, and practising relaxation. If your job puts you at risk of RSI you should seek out expert advice on prevention.

How can Absolute Health help?

The Bowen Therapy Professional Association (BTPA) is currently running a nationwide study into the effects of Bowen Technique for sufferers of RSI. 

If you have a medical diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 RSI and have suffered 2 or more years, you could take part in this study, and receive 3 Bowen Therapy treatments at a reduced rate*.

For more information about BTPA, Bowen Technique or the RSI study, visit BTPA website.

Give the clinic a call on 0116 282 7766 now to enquire about the study or Bowen Therapy.

* 1st consultation and treatment £40, 2nd treatment £5, 3rd treatment £5

Pins and needles?

Acupuncture for 'pins and needles'

Pins and needles is a form of paraesthesia resulting in dysfunction or pressure on/around nerves.  This can be felt anywhere around the body.  Occasionally this will occur in the hands or wrists as part of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.


If you are not afraid of needles (very small ones!), you may wish to try a few sessions of medical acupuncture to see if you notice an improvement in symptoms.  A study in Taiwan [1] suggests that acupuncture could be considered as an alternative to steroid treatment for relief of carpal tunnel symptoms.


Acupuncture uses very fine needles (not like the needles used to take blood), inserted into muscles to trigger a reaction within the nervous system.  Some believe this acts as a distraction to the normal (or abnormal) signals being sent from a limb to the brain, interfering with the pain pathways, helping to relieve pain or 'pins and needles' sensations.


There are few contraindications to treatment and it has been reported that nearly 2/3 of patients who try acupuncture get a positive result.  This may only be temporary relief, but in some cases, pain can be resolved completely after a short course of acupuncture treatment.


If you want to try this therapy, mention the Absolute Health website to get 10% off the standard cost for treatment (new patients only).


Give us a call now and we'll do our best to help resolve your problem.
0116 282 7766




[1]  Yang CP., Hsieh CL., Wang NH., et al. Acupuncture in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Clin J Pain. 2009; 25(4): 327-33. 

ABSTRACT:  Taiwanese researchers investigated the efficacy of acupuncture compared with steroid treatment in patients with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). 77 CTS patients were randomly divided into 2 treatment arms – daily prednisolone treatment during 4 weeks for 39 patients and acupuncture administered in 8 sessions over 4 weeks for 38 patients. A standard questionnaire as a subjective measurement was used to rate the 5 major symptoms (pain, numbness, paresthesia, weakness/clumsiness, and nocturnal awakening) on a scale from 0 (no symptoms) to 10 (very severe). 
Results of the study showed that short-term acupuncture treatment is as effective as short-term low-dose prednisolone for mild-to-moderate CTS. For those who have an intolerance or contraindication for oral steroid or for those who do not opt for early surgery, acupuncture treatment provides an alternative choice.

Discount treatments at Absolute Health

Absolute Health will be promoting some of our services on group discount site Groupon.


In September, look out for a great health offer (Osteopathic treatments) - join Groupon to receive daily deals.




Check out their website for details: www.groupon.co.uk/

Inversion therapy for back pain

If you are suffering from back pain, one recommendation may be to try using an inversion table:

Anecdotal evidence suggests this may help relieve symptoms of back pain caused by compression of the lower segments of the lumbar spine (causing reduced space around the spinal nerves).

Little recent scientific research has been performed to back up the claims made, but if you're advised to try this method, you may benefit from short-term relief of your back pain.  It may be worthwhile using this traction method whilst having other treatment (e.g. Osteopathy), to assist your body's repair.  On its own, inversion therapy may not give significant long-term improvements.

One study showed some positive effects (but the study was funded by the inversion chair manufacturer, so this element of bias should be taken into account).  The title of this study is "Inversion therapy: a study of physiological effects", by Vernon, Meschino, and Naiman (published in J. Can. Chiropr. Assoc. 1985. September; 29(3): 135–140)

In this study, a set of physiological parameters including cardiovascular, biomechanical and radiographic were studied in a normal population using the Inverchair. Their results demonstrated a significant increase of forward trunk flexion, a general reduction of paraspinal EMG activity, a significant level of distraction of the L4-5 and L5-S1 disc spaces, as well as a lack of change in heart rate and blood pressure. These findings establish the physiological basis for the clinical effects of Inverchair Therapy and for its appropriate clinical utilization.

A Dr. Shelerud, quoted on the Mayo Clinic website, offers this warning:

Inversion therapy, which involves hanging upside down, doesn't provide lasting relief from back pain, and the head-down position could be risky for anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma.

In theory, inversion therapy takes gravitational pressure off the nerve roots and disks in your spine and increases the space between vertebrae. One form of inversion therapy involves full-body, head-first suspension from a horizontal bar in a stabilizing frame. Another form uses a similar inversion frame with supports that keep your knees bent and hips flexed. In a third form, you lie on an inversion table that gradually tips you into a head-down position.

Inversion therapy is one example of the many ways in which spinal traction (stretching the spine) has been used in an attempt to relieve back pain. Some people find traction temporarily helpful as part of a more comprehensive treatment program for lower back pain caused by spinal disk compression.

Your heartbeat slows and your blood pressure increases when you remain inverted for more than a couple of minutes. For this reason, you should not try inversion therapy if you have cardiovascular disease or elevated pressure in your eye.

If you don't have access to an inversion table/chair and have enough room to house one yourself, you may decide to buy one.  

There are many websites offering inversion tables.  One example is:

http://www.inversiontableuk.com/5-inversion-tables

These range in price from £130 to £180.

Have you tried using an inversion table?  Did it help?  Post your comments below...