If you’ve ever spent months stretching the same tight muscle — your hamstrings, your hip flexors, your neck — and found that it just keeps coming back, this article is for you. You’re not doing it wrong. The problem may be that stretching isn’t actually addressing the reason the muscle is tight in the first place. The Common Approach — and Why It Often Falls Short When a muscle feels tight…
Summer brings more movement — walks, bike rides, swims, sports in the park, activities we haven’t done since last year. And with more movement comes a higher risk of strains, sprains and soft tissue injuries. Whether you’ve twisted an ankle on a trail run, pulled a shoulder muscle kayaking or strained your back moving furniture in…
Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are among the most commonly misunderstood conditions in musculoskeletal practice. Despite their names, the majority of people who develop them have never played tennis or golf in their lives. And despite being treated as simple, straightforward conditions, they are frequently mismanaged — with many people spending months or years dealing…
Regular physical activity is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health. The evidence is unambiguous: people who move regularly live longer, feel better and have significantly lower rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers and depression than those who don’t. And yet, according to the World Health Organisation, 31%…
One of the things I find most interesting about osteopathy is how often it reveals connections that patients haven’t considered. Lower back pain linked to tight hamstrings. Knee pain that improves when the calf muscles are treated. Headaches that originate in the neck rather than the head. The body is a complex, interconnected system — and understanding it that way, rather than treating each symptom in isolation, changes what’s…
Frozen shoulder is one of those conditions that tends to arrive uninvited, progresses on its own timeline and — frustratingly — doesn’t always respond to the usual approaches that work for other shoulder problems. If you’ve been told you have frozen shoulder, or if you’re experiencing a gradual onset of shoulder pain and stiffness that’s…
A hip fracture can turn life upside down in an instant. One moment you’re steady on your feet — the next you’re facing surgery, weeks of rehabilitation and a lot of unfamiliar territory. If you or someone you love is navigating this, you’re not alone. Hip fractures are one of the most common serious injuries…
It’s another one of those questions I’m often asked by people who aren’t sure which profession to approach first and it’s understandable why people can get confused, especially by patients who’ve previously seen a physiotherapist and want to understand how osteopathy differs. I think it’s important to mention that there is more common ground between…
It’s one of the questions I’m asked most often — sometimes by new patients who weren’t sure which profession to choose, sometimes by people trying to explain to a friend or family member what I actually do. The honest answer is that there are more similarities than differences. But the differences are worth understanding —…
Some of you may have come across the terms “fascia” or “myofascia” — Perhaps it’s been mentioned by a healthcare professional, or something you’ve looked up after struggling with persistent pain that doesn’t seem to have an obvious explanation. Let me try to explain what fascia actually is, what role it plays in the body,…
Low back pain — sometimes called lumbago — affects millions of people every year. If you’re living with persistent discomfort, stiffness or sharp pain that limits your daily activities, you’ll know how quickly it can affect your work, sleep and overall quality of life. What I find most important to say at the outset is…
That gradual hunch forming in your upper back has a name—kyphosis. Here is what drives it, what the science says, and what you can do about it before it becomes a daily limitation. You catch a glimpse of yourself in a shop window. Shoulders rolled forward, head jutting ahead of your body, upper back curving…
Understanding Spinal Disc Herniation — and How Osteopathy Can Help ByJohn DodsJune 3, 2026 Back pain is one of the most common reasons people come to see me, and one condition that often causes real distress is a spinal disc herniation — sometimes called a “slipped disc.” It can sound dramatic, but it’s actually a lot…
As an osteopath, I regularly see patients dealing with muscle tension, poor sleep, low energy, persistent pain and stress — often without any obvious explanation. One thing that surprises many of them is how frequently magnesium sits quietly in the background of all these complaints, largely overlooked and rarely discussed. Let me explain why I…
In our modern world, many people in Chelmsford spend the majority of their day sitting — whether at a desk in the town centre, working from home in Great Baddow or Moulsham, commuting or running a business. As an osteopath, I see the consequences every week in clinic. What feels like perfectly normal desk life…