Osteopathic self help for chronic and recurring 

muscle, joint and back pain

Back pain, especially lower back pain, neck pain, muscle and joint pain are bad news but you can help yourself if you know what to do.

If you have chronic or recurring muscle, joint or back pain I can help you understand and eliminate or reduce and better manage your pain.

Hello, my name is Bruce Sutton. I am an osteopath.

I've been treating, educating and helping people in pain for about 20 years.

This site is all about explaining to you

Why it hurts and what you can do about it.

This information is easy to understand, easy to apply and it works.

Damage and Strain

There are 2 main things that cause or contribute to chronic and recurring muscle, joint and back pain. They are Damage and Strain.

In my experience strain causes or contributes to the vast majority of chronic and recurring musculo-skeletal pain. The chances are your problem is most likely strain based. That means you have a really good chance of helping yourself with what you learn on this site.

Strain is generally caused by trauma (small or large) and poor postural habits. These 2 elements conspire to give us

Stiff joints, misaligned bones and tight or weak muscles.

If you understand and consistently do something about these 4 basic principles

you will be better off than you are right now.

You'll have less pain, more mobility and therefore a better quality of life.

It really is that simple for most people. And so is the solution.

Best Advice

That's the best general advice I can give you from what I've learned in 20 years as an osteopath. If you take it and apply it there is an extremely good chance that you will be able to eliminate or reduce and better manage your muscle, joint and back pain and debility.

The rest of the site and the DVD fill in the blanks and explain how things work, what causes the pain and exactly what you can do about it. 

I will be addressing the most common problems and issues that I've dealt with in the 50,000 or so consultations I've done during my 20 years in private practice as an osteopath, treating people in pain.

Sameness

Despite our differences we are all almost exactly the same. The bio-mechanics of our bodies and the mechanical forces working on them are the same for all of us. Always have been, always will be. 

It's this sameness that allows me to give you meaningful advice without having met you.  

The Big Picture

Despite the complexity of our bodies, the underlying principles that keep our muscles, bones and joints working properly are simple.

If you know what those principles are, you can use them to better manage your problems. That gives you an excellent chance of reducing your pain, improving your mobility and health and so have a better quality of life.

That’s what this is all about, your quality of life.

Flexibility Alignment Suppleness and Strength

These are the biomechanical elixir of youth.

Absolutely Guaranteed

If you maintain the flexibility of your joints, the alignment of your bones and the suppleness and strength of your muscles, it will make a huge difference to how well you age and therefore your future quality of life. Your whole future. Absolutely guaranteed.

The older you get the more important this becomes.

4 Basic Principles

These are the 4 basic principles I use as the foundation of all the treatment and advice that I give my patients. They are the crux of the matter for the majority of people with chronic and recurring muscle joint and back pain.

Learn them, use them and start reducing and controlling your pain.

Flexibility, alignment, suppleness, strength.

Check it out

If you have chronic or recurring muscle joint or back pain, you need to have it checked out by a professional to rule out serious problems.

My suggestion of course, is to see an osteopath, but if there isn't one close, go and see your doctor or other suitably qualified health professional. This is your ability to move, your quality of life we’re talking about so don’t keep putting it off.

Stretching and exercising

Stretching and exercising are two of the best ways for you to help yourself.

Exercise

Exercise is virtually anything that raises your heart rate, your respiratory rate and a sweat. Walking is the most basic exercise. You just have to stand up and start walking, at a brisk pace.

But don't just stop there, There are plenty of different ways to exercise. Whatever makes you fitter, stronger and more supple will usually be really good for your muscle, joint or back pain. Always start slow, light and easy and build up your flexibility, stamina and strength.

Stretch 

For stretching, the 2 most important things are knowing what stretches to do and how to do them properly. You need to learn how to get the most out of stretching. No one fully figures it out for themselves.

Ask your osteopath, masseur, chiropractor, physio, doctor, trainer, teacher or instructor what stretches would be good for you and how to do them properly. If they don't know, find someone who does.

DVD

I have put together a DVD of the stretches that I have found most beneficial to my patients. They are the handful I use over and over and over, year in, year out, because they are so effective. 

They are easy to learn, simple to do, and they work.

There are stretches for feet, calves, knees, hips, pelvis, lower, middle and upper backs, shoulders, elbows, forearms and neck. If you want to eliminate or reduce and better manage your pain and debility in any of these areas, these stretches are an excellent, proven way to go about it.  

There is also a 25 minute in depth discussion of what you most need to know about your body and your pain. It takes the best, most useful video this site has to offer and puts it on your TV.

Look around and learn

So have a look around the site and if you don't learn something interesting and useful, just let me know and I'll eat my shorts.

If you've got any questions about anything at all, feel free to drop me an email.

I really hope this information helps you to help yourself,

Bruce Sutton D.O.