Blog

Shoulder Pain is a common complaint and is treated regularly at our clinic at Not Just Backs. In fact, it can be caused by a number of conditions and is one of the largest reasons for people seeking osteopathic treatment.

For many of us, exercise is part of our everyday lives and we benefit from it in terms of our general health and well-being. If you are someone who has stopped exercising, perhaps it’s time to revisit your regime, because a sedentary life can put us at greater risk of injury.

Vitamin D is such an important hormone. It is responsible for over 300 processes in our body. It is best known for bone health and optimises calcium metabolism and assisting in reducing your risk of osteoporosis.

Did you know that back pain in teenagers is on the rise? Most people who enter our practice complain of back pain, but a growing number of our patients are teenagers with bad backs.

Good posture is such a vital component of our lifestyles, and can have more of an impact on health than one might think.

There is a very good chance that at some point in your life, you've experienced back pain. In this blog, we discuss preventing frequent bouts of back pain.

We're looking for a Part Time Receptionist to join our dynamic team in our friendly Salisbury Osteopathic Practice.

If you’re heading on holiday anytime soon – or making plans to do so – one of the things to consider is the effect that sleeping in an entirely different bed will have upon your low back and neck area.

Now that the weather seems to be picking up, many of you will be out in the garden Gardening certainly does have many health benefits.

Many of you will have read the title of this blog and thought to yourself “yeah, actually I do have achy shoulders, how did they know?” Well it's an easy guess. The majority of people that have worked a desk-based job, for an extended period of time will have achy shoulders. And it all starts with the shoulder blades (or scapula).

As an osteopathic clinic we regularly try to motivate our patients to improve their health to encourage healing and better function of the body. This can be through exercise, diet, weight loss or just allowing more time for oneself.

The spine is made up of several bones called vertebrae which are stacked upon each other, with a disc in between.

For some people, the winter weather means cosying up indoors and waiting for spring to arrive. For others, it’s the best time of the year to enjoy the great outdoors. It’s vital to stay active throughout the year, but as with any kind of physical activity, it can come with its share of risks.

There is an enormous amount of confusion around the use of heat or ice to help with different kinds of pain. Thankfully, it’s really quite simple for most people in most situations.

It’s common for patients to come into our clinic and blame the weather for their elevated pain levels. Find out more here.

Good posture is such a vital component of our lifestyles, and can have more of an impact on health than one might think.

Spinal stenosis is condition in which the bone channel that carries the spinal nerves narrows. In most patients it is a degenerative condition, though it can be congenital, which is why it’s most commonly found in older people – generally above the age of 60.

While it is better to try and keep your spine healthy through your younger years to prevent spinal stenosis from occurring, once we reach the age of 60, it is considered normal to find degeneration in both the discs and the spine – much like those grey hairs that keep popping up and other hormonal changes that can occur with ageing!

At times we’re all guilty of dismissing aches and pains, simply hoping they’ll go away on their own. However, it’s important to recognise when those signs could be pointing toward something more serious.

Often creatures of habit, we find ourselves doing the same things day in and day out. One of the main reasons for pain persisting is the development of faulty movement patterns and postures which create repetitive stress on the back.

As osteopaths, we love looking after members of the same family throughout the generations. It’s why we love our jobs. Find out more.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we thought that now is as good a time as any to talk about a subject that many of our patients find themselves too embarrassed to talk about…

Bone mass in humans start declining from the age of 30-35 years old. In some people, the rate of this decline will occur more quickly. Nutritional deficiencies can amplify the process, but genetics are said to have the strongest impact on bone health. Though osteoporosis isn’t, strictly speaking, inherited, it does tend to run in families.

There are many ways of treating an intervertebral disc prolapse/herniation. It is generally accepted that during the first six weeks of experiencing symptoms, a conservative osteopathic approach to treatment is followed.

If you’ve become a victim of back or neck pain it can be difficult to know who you should turn to. Many people simply don’t understand the differences between various types of treatment available to them and have various misconceptions which can make the first step on your road to recovery somewhat puzzling.

Did you know that one of the primary causes of pinched or compressed nerves is sleeping poorly? As most of us spend about the same amount of time sleeping as we do sitting at a desk, our sleeping posture is just as important as our posture when we’re sat down. And yet, we often attach little value to a good night’s sleep. Rather than investing in a new bed or high-quality pillow, we spend our money elsewhere, often neglecting our bedroom environment. A literal “pain in the neck” could also be referred to as a pinched nerve, or medically-speaking, cervical radiculopathy.

We're delighted to say that we now have the go-ahead to invite routine and non-urgent cases back into our Salisbury practice. Tisbury will be reopening on Monday 6th July 2020 and, as yet, we are unsure about Wilton.

Not Just Backs in Salisbury will be reopening a restricted service from Tuesday 26th May. Tisbury and Wilton will not be operating yet. Find out more.

Jo Brown is March's Patient of the Month. She has been regularly been receiving treatment from our osteopath Mike in Salisbury.

Want to finally deal with those pesky aches and pains? Here are the difference between an Osteopath and Chiropractor explained.

Mel from Salisbury is our Patient of the Month for February. We caught up with her to discuss her experience & treatment with Not Just Backs.

It’s common for patients to come into our clinic and blame the weather for their elevated pain levels. Find out more here.

The acromioclavicular (AC) joint is between the bony bit at the end of your shoulder and your collarbone.

Shoulder pain can be difficult to shift. Due to the highly mobile nature of the shoulder and the fact that the shoulder has less integrity than many other joints, there is an increased risk of injury to its structures.

Are you living with back pain? If so, we really sympathise with you. If you’re not used to pain then it can be a real shock and very traumatic not being able to move properly.



Like adults, children can also suffer from back pain as a result of a variety of different lifestyle activities; and like adults, there are a number of things that parents and carers can do to prevent issues arising…

It’s Bone and Joint Health Action Week! That means it’s an ideal time to learn how to keep your bones and joints healthy while taking steps to keep them in the best possible condition.

Spinal stenosis is condition in which the bone channel that carries the spinal nerves narrows. In most patients it is a degenerative condition, though it can be congenital, which is why it’s most commonly found in older people – generally above the age of 60.

Back pain can affect people of all ages. The best advice for everyone, whatever their age, is to keep fit, active and eat well. The longer pain is left untreated, the longer it will take to recover.

Everyone can exercise, even those who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, however if you have the condition then you must speak to your GP or osteopath before embarking on any activity, as there are several factors that need to be taken into account.

To avoid osteoporosis, there are several key nutrients you need to supply your body with to make your bones as strong as possible. Before we get to building your diet, you first need to know about the kinds of nutrients your body really needs and which foods to go for.

Studies have shown that greater milk consumption during childhood and adolescence contributes to peak bone mass, and is therefore expected to help avoid osteoporosis and bone fractures in later life.

May marks Osteoporosis Month, so it’s a great time to learn more about an important part of our body – our bone health.

When you’ve looked forward to that bank holiday weekend for so long, the last thing you want is back pain to ruin it – but the combination of being out of your usual routine, travelling and sleeping in a different bed, can often wreak havoc with your back.

This is an inflammatory condition in which the cartilage and area around the rib cage and sternum is swollen and sore. It can be a frightening pain – especially when it's on the heart side of the breast bone and you feel the accompanying palpitations.

In medical terms, the thorax is defined as the area of the body that is located between the abdomen and the neck. Within the thorax are the lungs, the heart, and the first section of the aorta (the largest artery in the body). In simple terms – it’s your chest cavity.

At the first sign of warmer weather, everyone is anxious to get outside to start or reinvigorate their exercise routine. Whether it’s going on a bike ride, enjoying a nice jog, or simply walking your favourite trails, it is important to ease into your workout program to prevent injuries.

As you may already know, here at Not Just Backs we have introduced our new series of treatment packages: Limbs, Tricky Spines, Babies and Maintenance.

Think of your gut and the trillions of bacteria inside of it like a car engine performing various functions, for which it requires a regular supply of fuel. The quality of that fuel will determine how well functions are performed and ultimately how well the engine runs as a whole.This week we’re going to take a closer look at the factors that can affect our microbiome

Today we are challenged on many fronts: lifestyle and diet, deficient intestinal flora, stress, toxic chemicals in our food/water/environment, consumption of alcohol and frequent use of antibiotics all deplete our healthy supply of beneficial bacteria. This allows disease to take hold. This week we’re going to take a closer look at the factors that can affect our microbiome

Diet and gut health are hot topics these days and it's more than likely you will have heard about gut bacteria and how certain foods and lifestyles can make it healthier, but what does this actually mean and how does it affect us? Our expert team are dedicated to helping patients get back to optimum health and living a normal, pain-free life. In fact, it’s why we exist. Of course, every day we treat patients who are suffering from a wide range of different problems and, often, a full recovery takes time and a course of treatment is required over a number of months.

From the beginning of February - and for the first time ever here at Not Just Backs - a brand new and special range of treatment packages will be available to our patients. Our expert team are dedicated to helping patients get back to optimum health and living a normal, pain-free life. In fact, it’s why we exist. Of course, every day we treat patients who are suffering from a wide range of different problems and, often, a full recovery takes time and a course of treatment is required over a number of months.

If you're looking for a powerful way to boost your overall fitness and get some serious results – fast – from your workout routine, look no further than performing squatting exercises.

This is what we all know when it comes to aiding joint pain – exercise, weight loss and good nutrition! Altering your lifestyle to meet these criteria can be tricky, and there is nothing quite like the New Year to think about changes like these.

When people complain of a deep, penetrating pain, many people think they are referring to their muscle. In fact, the part of the body that can create these painful symptoms is the fascia.

The body’s ability to adapt to pregnancy physiologically and structurally is quite remarkable. The whole body has to accommodate the increasing size of the uterus and the increased weight and changes to a woman’s centre of gravity.

Although a commonly used term, ‘slipped disc’ is actually somewhat confusing and misrepresentative of what happens when a spinal disc is damaged. What is generally referred to as a ‘slipped disc’ is more accurately described as a herniated lumbar disc.And yet, we often attach little value to a good night’s sleep. Rather than investing in a new bed or high-quality pillow, we spend our money elsewhere, often neglecting our bedroom environment.

A “pain in the neck” is a common phrase used to describe that one annoying thing you are forced to deal with in your life. It could include a specific house chore, work responsibility, or a person you know… A literal “pain in the neck” could also be referred to as a pinched nerve, or medically-speaking, cervical radiculopathy.

Breastfeeding should be the most natural thing in the world, and for many new mums it is. However, when it isn’t working quite as well as it should it can be hugely distressing for both the mother and baby.

A bit of contention, but we all have big butts for a reason – or compared to your biceps, shoulders or calves anyway! This is because the glutes need to be able to do so much, with the main control being the extension of the hip (i.e. pulling your thigh behind you as you walk).

This week is BackCare Awareness Week. This year’s focus is back pain in older adults, so we we’ve written up a blog which discusses how back pain affects people in later life, and how osteopathy can help:

Last week’s blog proved rather popular with our lovely readers, so we thought we’d treat you with a part two of the most common problems we’re faced with here at the clinic.

This is a question we receive a lot, so in this blog, I’m going to address it.

Good posture is a good habit, which contributes significantly to wellbeing. Training in good posture from an early age decreases the prevalence of low back pain as we get older.

Taking part in sports and recreational activities is an important part of a healthy, physically active lifestyle for kids. But injuries can, and do, occur. Thankfully, there are steps that parents can take to help make sure their children stay safe on the field, the court, or wherever they choose to play.

Our longest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve travels from the lower back and buttocks into the legs. It is very common for people to have problems with the sciatic nerve, including sciatica. However, many people are unaware and misinformed as to what sciatica actually is. So we’re here to set record straight on the truth about sciatica…

Lower back pain affects a high proportion of expectant mums. The extra weight of your baby leads to additional strain on the back and the discomfort can affect not just how you stand, but walking, sitting and even lying down.

People invest so much time in finding great accommodation and speciality gear, but don’t always take the time to properly prepare their body for the rigours of skiing.

Exercise is vital for everyone. With sufferers of recurrent back pain, this is even more so the case, and regular stretching in the right way is an absolute essential.

It’s that time of year when we start to feel a little guilty about all of our Christmas and New Year eating and drinking excesses. It’s very common to pack on a few extra pounds of weight as the food consumption goes up and the activity levels go down…

Despite common belief, stress is very much a condition with causes, shape and symptoms. So how does your body react to this pressure?

If you’ve been living with chronic back pain, New Year's is the perfect time to make a few simple changes to try and get 2017 off to a good start.

Rhian and the team at Not Just Backs would like to wish all our patients a very Happy Christmas. If you require our help over the festive period then we are not going to be far away

We frequently see grandparents who have injured their backs and necks whilst lifting their grandchildren or playing energetic games in positions that can have adverse effects. Many grandparents become the daycare, which is of course a positive relationship, and creates a special bond between generations. But it can come with a price. Pain.

Sometimes injuring yourself can result in a broken bone. Sometimes not. Despite both types of injury frequently resulting in similar symptoms post-healing, they require very different methods of treatment. This blog will explain both.

As we get older, many of us become frustrated with the fact that we experience more aches and pains, muscle problems, strains and injuries.

With back pain awareness week still fresh on our minds, now is an appropriate time to address some of the unsung heroes out there: the carers.

On Sunday 12th June, we attended the charity event Race for Men. Race for Men raises awareness of prostate and testicular cancer, whilst also raising money to support research and the charities working hard to overcome them.

The summer holiday season is here so we thought we’d put our heads together to give you some travel tips about how to keep back and neck pain at bay and of course, to make sure you have a wonderful time.

The eternal question for someone in a bit of pain: “Should I use ice or heat?” The answer is, it depends on the type of injury, how long you have had the pain and to some extent what feels better.

Many of my patients bring in x-rays or MRIs showing ‘wear and tear’ or ‘degenerative changes’ in one or more of their joints. Usually this means they have osteoarthritis. It shouldn’t be a scary word though, because arthritis is actually a normal part of the ageing process, affecting all of us to some degree as we get older.

People often come to see us for pain caused by ‘sleeping a bit funny’ or sleeping on a different mattress. Others with pre-existing pain feel they can’t get comfortable in bed, or their pain is worse upon waking in the morning If this is you, or if you are generally prone to episodes of neck, shoulder or back pain, it may be worth re-evaluating your sleep setup…

What is kinesio tape? Kinesio tape was first developed by a man called Dr. Kenso Kase, a Japanese Chiropractor, over 35 years ago (believe it or not!). So even though kinesio tape is a fairly new addition to the medical world, especially for sports injuries, its effectiveness has been documented and proven time and time again.

Every week at the Not Just Backs clinic, we get patients complaining of headaches, neck strain, shoulder aches, tennis elbows, mid and lower back pain… but would you believe it if I said the most common root-cause is quite simply work stress?

Second only to lower back pain, knee pain is probably the thing I see and treat most often. Both acute and chronic knee problems can be quite debilitating and so often stop us from doing the things we love.

Here at Not Just Backs, after taking a health history from a patient, typically the first thing we do is take a look at them whilst standing. At which point, they often stand there rather stiffly.

It’s officially spring, which of course is great news for all you cyclists out there. Whether you’re in the saddle to commute, compete or just for fun, cycling is a fantastic way to get around and exercise.

We get asked a lot of questions here at Not Just Backs, but there is one that pops up far more than others: How is osteopathy different from physiotherapy and chiropractic? Our whole team here have the greatest respect for the chiropractic and physiotherapy professions. In many ways we are trying to achieve the same goals with our patients but we all use slightly different techniques…

Our bodies are not designed for a sedentary lifestyle, and they certainly weren't designed for sitting at a desk eight hours a day, five days a week. Headaches, back pain, RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome are all examples of musculoskeletal disorders that are almost always due to prolonged periods of sitting at a computer.