Are you familiar with videos that circulate social media showing someone ‘cracking” joints or the spine? But what makes that satisfying sound and what does it achieve? In this blog, I will explain what manipulation is, how and why it is done and briefly explore the other possible causes of back cracking. Contrary to the old wives’ tale, there is no evidence to suggest that this technique can cause arthritis. Another outdated belief is that the click is produced by bone rubbi

Here at Health First Osteopathy we are proud to be working along side football clubs here in Wales with Llanelli Town and Swansea University women's football team. In this role we encounter many injuries from Ankle sprains to hamstring pulls, to even a dislocated patella and a displaced AC joint in the shoulder (Not the nicest). But, one thing I have seen many times is a pulled hamstring, so this blog is going to explain what happens and how we go about helping those players

A common occurrence in the clinic is people coming in with knee or back pain and saying "my GP told me I shouldn't squat" or "I can't squat". This is "A Load of Old Squat", most people with knee or back conditions will benefit more from learning how to squat rather than avoiding squatting. Squatting is one of the most common daily movements we all do, even if we don't perform them as exercises. We squat when we get in and out of a chair, when we pick something up from the gro

Get your kids ready to go back to school with some helpful tips on how to protect them from back pain.

In clinic I have seen an increased number of new (and returning) parents with back pain, this is no coincidence as it is common for mums (and Dads) to develop back pain from lifting, carrying and moving their baby or child. When you become a parent your focus changes from you to your child. Caring for your child becomes your life, however caring for your ever growing baby/child can put added strain on your body. Many parents don’t have the chance, or as I can remember the men

A disk bulge or herniated disc occurs when some of the soft jelly in the centre of the disc slips out past the tough exterior. Up to 80% of individuals will suffer from an episode of back pain during their lifetime, currently Low back pain accounts for 11% of the total disability of the UK population and disc bulges/herniation is frequently the underlying cause. The highest prevalence of disc bulges is among people aged 30-50, with a male to female ratio of 2:1. In people age

Exam Stress!!! How can Osteopathy Help you? When we hear the word stress we think about daily adult stress, as adults we know how we can be affected by stress and worry – we may not sleep, we may not have an appetite or turn to food for comfort, we may get to sleep but wake with thoughts rushing around in our head at 3am – and it’s worth remembering that some children can also be affected in similar ways, especially at this time in the academic year. Yes, its exam season! We

Back pain is one thing that everyone associates with Osteopathy, and in most cases everybody has had a bit of back pain in their life span but what could it be? As the leading cause of work-related absence in the UK, back pain is having a major impact on us on both a personal and societal level. It can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort but is rarely serious, mostly manifesting as aching or pain in regions of the back and sometimes pain into the buttocks or the back o