HANNAH ANGELL (NÉE KITCHEN)
OSTEOPATH IN SURREY & HAMPSHIRE
Egham | Claygate | Alton
OSTEOPATHY
What is Osteopathy?
Osteopaths consider each person as an individual. Utilising gentle techniques Hannah will work with your body to create the perfect conditions to encourage the healing process. Osteopaths assess and treat people of any age from the new born to the elderly and from pregnant women to sports people.
Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. Osteopaths work to restore the body to a state of balance where possible without the use of drugs or surgery.
Although osteopaths treat many conditions, most people think of us as ‘back specialists’. Back pain may be what osteopaths treat a lot of the time but it is only one condition from a long list that osteopathy is able to help treat!
Osteopathic treatment not only targets the symptoms but aims to find the causes of the pain and thereby preventing recurrence. Osteopaths have a holistic approach and believe that your whole body will work well if your body is in good structural balance and everything is functioning smoothly together.
Imagine, for example, a car that has one of its front wheels not quite pointing straight. It may run well for a while, but after a few thousand miles, the tyre will wear out. You can apply this example to the human body, which is why it is so important to keep the body in good balance.
Hannah uses a wide range of hands-on techniques, including soft tissue techniques, sports massage, joint mobilisations, manipulation and muscle energy techniques; this breadth of approach allows her to focus on every patient’s precise needs.
How can Osteopathy help?
Osteopathy can provide you with expert treatment for:
• Generalised aches and pains
• Joint pains, including hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis
• Arthritic and rheumatic pain
• General, acute and chronic back pain
• Mechanical neck pain
• Cervicogenic headaches/ migraine prevention
• Minor sports injuries
• Fibromyalgia
• Neuralgia
• Muscle spasms
• Sciatica
• Digestive and circulatory problems
• Cramp
• Frozen shoulder/ shoulder & elbow pain
What to expect at your first appointment?
The appointment will begin by your osteopath taking a thorough case history to find out the details and background behind your problem as well as your past medical history. It is then usually necessary for you to undress down to your underwear (or shorts/vest) so that your osteopath can examine the area requiring treatment and see how well your body moves. Treatment will follow if appropriate, osteopathy is very hands on and the osteopath will work on appropriate joints, muscles and nerves. Where necessary post treatment advice such as stretching and exercises will be given as well as a information on what not to do.
For more information please read 'What to expect at your first appointment'.
SPORTS MASSAGE
Sports massage considers a person’s lifestyle, past medical history and biomechanical movement patterns to understand the cause of the problem and enable treatment to be tailored to an individual’s needs. Hannah uses kinesiology taping techniques in conjunction with sports massage treatments.
Whether you exercise socially or compete at an international level sports massage may have something to offer you, you don't even have to be an athlete to benefit from sports massage! Sports specific massage can be beneficial at various levels of training: conditioning phase, pre-competition, inter-competition, post-competition, injury prevention and injury recovery. Hannah works with a range of clients to assist with preventative treatment and injury recovery.
Sports massage involves a combination of deep tissue and remedial massage techniques as well as neuromuscular techniques to re-introduce communication between the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
Pre-event massage can help to reduce anxiety and nervous tension in tight muscles, stimulate circulation and ease any stiffness and niggles.
Post-event massage will enhance your recovery and assist the cool-down process. It can help to relieve post-exertion muscle ache, fatigue and soreness as well as removing muscle waste and stretching the tissues.
Regular maintenance sports massage can help restore normal function to the muscles, tendons and ligaments therefore helping the body to maintain a healthy state of balance.
Sports massage techniques are also able to provide relief from stress or fatigue and promote rest and relaxation.
Kinesiology Taping
Kinesiology tape has been around for a number of years and recently it has been seen on a number of high profile athletes in major sporting events including the Tour de France, Wimbledon and the Olympics. It is very popular among sports massage therapists, physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors as well as amongst elite athletes and those that do not participate in any sort of exercise!
Kinesiology tape can have positive vascular, mechanical and neurological effects. It is comfortable and flexible allowing for full range of movement and can easily be worn under your clothes. It doesnt peel off and you can shower and swim and it will still stay stuck and be effective. Compared to conventional sports taping, kinesiology tape limits muscular atrophy, enhances restoration of normal kinetic chain function and decreases compensatory reactions. It comes in a variety of patterns and colours!
How does it work?
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Rocktape helps lift the skin thereby relieving pressure that is associated with swelling
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Assists in accelerating blood flow to the injured area to speed up the healing process
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Stabilises the area without compromising and restricting movement so you can remain active
Benefits of kinesiology taping
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Provides therapeutic benefits 24/7 for 5-7 days
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Pain relief
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Reduced swelling
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Posture control
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Normalises muscle tone/activation
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Delays fatigue & improves proprioception
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Improved recovery rates
Uses of Rocktape
Rocktape is a brand of kinesiology tape and is used in conjunction with sports massage and osteopathy. Hannah will assess whether you are suitable for taping and will tape where necessary during the appointment.
Rocktape can be used for rehabilitation, oedema, posture, pregnancy and performance. It is not just for sports people!
Kinesiology tape is reported to normalise muscle function, improve blood flow and lymphatic drainage, reduce pain/aid healing, and mechanically support weak and compromised tissues. The exact mechanisms by which these clinical effects are achieved remain uncertain.
