Inflamed, bulging, herniated, compressed, or “slipped” discs are something that our practitioners see every week – whether they be in the lower back or neck (or the much rarer mid-back). The injured or bulging disc is never the issue itself, they’re simply shock absorbers that have been forced to take too much load in the wrong way. Issues with not just the motion and alignment of the spine influence the pressure on discs, but the tilt and position of the hips and pelvis is a huge factor for both lower back and neck spine curves and disc loading. Addressing these is always at the forefront of our approach, however this is always paired with detailed analysis of the muscles that support the discs to ensure we normalise pressure and maintain stable movement and alignment around them.

Sports and their injuries frequently involve muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and both the correct immediate and long-term management of these is essential for ensuring future function and performance. We frequently find patients who come to see us with knee, hip, and lower back issues from old, poorly-managed ankle sprains, knee injuries, and muscle strains. The same is common for patients with shoulder, neck, or head pain as a late-stage consequence of untreated shoulder, head, or whiplash impacts. We assess not only the immediate injury, but the numerous complex compensation patterns that typically arise.

Upper and lower back pain can come from numerous sources, such as joints, ligaments, discs, and muscles. These can cause issues locally, or even refer pain elsewhere. Spine or rib joints frequently become restricted and inflamed when their motion and stability are dysfunctional. We examine the entire spine, ribs, and their supporting muscles and assess for deficiencies in healthy motion, alignment, tightness, and strength. We always pair this with hip, pelvic, and leg assessments and treatments to make sure your back is supported by a healthy foundation.

Far from being just a back pain or aesthetic solution, postural health is linked to everything from improved breathing mechanics, to better confidence and mental health outcomes. While tight upper back, shoulders, and neck issues are often the first thoughts for posture, slumped spines, rounded shoulders, and forward heads begin at the hips (or sometimes even lower!). We use our holistic approach to remove the barriers that limit you from asserting control over your physical health and put in place strategies to improve your posture long term.

The process of progressing through the 40 weeks of pregnancy is a huge journey for the spine, hips, and pelvis. These changes can be hugely stressful to the curves of the spine, tilt of the pelvis, and to the ability of your core and hip muscles to support these dramatic shifts. We help support this process by maintaining the symmetry and alignment of these joints so they can function optimally under these changing loads, as well as performing detailed muscle testing to identify key weaknesses in the layers of the abs, obliques, lower back, hip flexors, and pelvic floor. This optimises for a smooth delivery and a fast recovery post-partum.

Neck pain can come from any combination of joint, ligament, muscle, and nerve issues. Tightness and pain here is not only commonly a result of things like injuries or postural stress, but often as a compensation for issues outside of the neck. Hip and pelvis misalignment, along with poor muscle stability further down the spine, can result in compensatory changes in head position, neck curve, neck joint motion, and neck muscle tension. Along with aiming to mobilise and restore neck joint function, we assess comprehensively for the many factors in and out of the neck itself that can cause repetitive neck strain.

The head, jaw, and upper neck are intricately connected and need to function optimally together to balance healthy motion, alignment, muscle tension, and nerve function. Issues with the mobility, symmetry, or tightness of the neck and jaw are huge contributors to headache and migraine for many people, and can target not just the head and neck, but areas of the face as well. When these change pressure in the inner ear located between them, or impair the signals of nerves in the upper neck, this can cause disruptions in balance and positioning, creating dizziness or vertigo. Improving the movement, tension, and balancing the activation of these many intricate joints and muscles can be hugely impactful for even patients who know they have other non-muscular or skeletal triggers e.g. hormonal, stress-related headache/migraine.

Burning, tingling, shooting, or numb sensations are typical of nerve issues. When in the neck and shoulders, these can refer symptoms from the neck to the fingers and anywhere between. When in the lower back or hips, these refer down the legs (e.g. sciatica). The nerve itself is rarely the issue – it’s the victim of dysfunctional movement, alignment, or stability breaking down nearby and leading to compression of the nerve spaces. These issues often arise as the result of compression by muscles, bones, or spinal discs, and most of these cases can be treated successfully without extreme measures like surgery, and with more lasting solutions than steroid injections.

The sciatic nerve is one of the most common to cause potentially intense pain anywhere from the hip to the toes. While the lower spine is the first suspect for compression of the sciatic nerve, there are multiple other sites that it and its many branches can become compressed. We always investigate potential spine and disc causes, but also the various muscles around the glutes, deep hip flexors, hamstrings, back of the knee, and within the lower leg where less-known problem spots can arise and cause or worsen sciatic nerve irritation. Even when compression is due to injuries like inflamed or bulging discs, there is still much we recommend for both in-clinic and home rehab treatment to accelerate disc healing, reduce nerve compression, and prevent re-injury.