Plate XIV
What we treat, and how urgent it is
Sixteen things people bring to the wharf, A to Z.
Sixteen things people bring to the wharf, in plain words: what it usually is, what to do today, and which door to book. The urgency is honest: most of it is routine, some of it is this week, and a few things are not us at all.
First visit £64, 45 minutes
- Routine12Routine
Book in the week that suits you; most of what we see.
- This week3This week
Book today; acute backs are seen the same day.
- Not us: same day1Not us: same day
A&E, 999 or 111 first. We see you afterwards.
Plate XIV, fig. 1A to Z
What it usually is, what to do today, which door.
Open any line for the symptoms and the honest urgency.
Acute low back painThis week Back & neck£64
The back that went bending, lifting or for no reason. Alarming, common and nearly always settles.
- Sudden pain across the lower back
- Stiffness getting up, bending, turning in bed
- Sometimes pain into the buttock
- Muscle spasm
Keep moving gently, avoid bed rest, use heat, and book today: we hold same-day slots for acute backs each morning. Most people need two to four visits.
Arthritis and stiff mornings over 60Routine Older adults & balance£220
Worn hips, knees and spines. Not curable, very manageable, and the right exercise does more than anything else.
- Stiff for the first half hour of the day
- Achy after sitting
- Reduced walking distance
- Fear of stairs or uneven ground
The Steady programme with Karolina, or a home visit if getting here is the problem. Gentle techniques; no manipulation where bones are fragile.
Back pain in pregnancyRoutine Pregnancy & postnatal£68
The lower back that aches as the bump grows, and rib pain as things move up.
- Ache across the lower back by evening
- Rib or upper-back pain in the third trimester
- Trouble getting comfortable to sleep
Pregnancy osteopathy with Mei Lin. Bleeding, severe headache, sudden swelling or reduced movements are your maternity unit, not us.
Cauda equina warning signsNot us: same day Back & neck
Rare, serious pressure on the nerves at the base of the spine. Not a condition we treat: a same-day emergency.
- Numbness around the saddle area
- New difficulty passing or controlling urine or bowels
- Weakness or numbness in both legs
- Severe back pain with any of these
A&E now or 999. Do not wait for an appointment with us. We will see you afterwards for recovery.
Children's aches: growing pains, schoolbags, sportRoutine Babies & children£58
Legs that ache at night, a neck from a phone, a back from a bag on one shoulder, knocks from sport.
- Aching legs in the evening or night
- Neck or upper back ache after homework
- A sore heel or knee in a sporty child
Ordinary osteopathy at a child's pace, parent in the room. Limping, a swollen joint or pain waking them every night is the GP first.
Desk-related neck and back painRoutine Desk & posture£85
Worse by Friday, better by Monday. The desk is the diagnosis.
- Neck, shoulder or lower back ache building through the day
- Better at weekends and on holiday
- A laptop with no riser or separate keyboard
- Eight hours sitting or more
Treatment at the wharf and a desk assessment at your desk, £140 together. Employers can book Daniel for a morning.
Headaches from the neckRoutine Headaches & jaw£68
Cervicogenic and tension-type headaches: they start at the back of the head and creep forward, and they come with a stiff neck.
- Headache starting at the base of the skull
- Tender neck muscles
- Brought on by screens, posture or stress
- Eases with movement or heat
Daniel's clinic on Tuesday or Thursday. A new, sudden or 'worst ever' headache, or one with fever, stiff neck or confusion, is 999 or A&E, not us.
Hip and groin painRoutine Older adults & balance£64
Arthritis in the joint, tendon pain on the outside of the hip, or referred pain from the back.
- Groin pain putting on socks or getting out of a car
- Pain on the outside of the hip lying on it
- Stiffness after sitting
- Limping at the end of the day
A first visit; for over-60s with arthritis the Steady programme suits. Sudden inability to bear weight after a fall is an X-ray first.
Jaw pain and clicking (TMJ)Routine Headaches & jaw£68
Pain or clicking in the jaw joint, often from clenching or grinding, often with neck stiffness and morning headaches.
- Clicking or catching when opening
- Ache in front of the ear or in the temple
- Sore teeth or jaw in the morning
- Neck stiffness alongside
The headache and jaw clinic. A night guard from your dentist works alongside; we write to them if you like. A locked jaw that will not open is a dentist or A&E today.
Knee painRoutine Back & neck£64
Kneecap pain in runners and the young, arthritis in the older knee, and the knee that swells after a twist.
- Pain going downstairs or after sitting
- Swelling after activity
- Clicking or giving way
- Stiff mornings in older knees
A first visit, or sports massage for the runner's tight quads and calves. A knee that locks or swells hugely after a twist should see a GP for imaging first.
Neck pain and stiffnessRoutine Back & neck£64
Waking with a neck you cannot turn, or the slow ache of a screen week. Joints and muscles, rarely anything sinister.
- Pain turning the head
- Ache at the base of the skull or into the shoulder
- Headache from the neck
- Worse at the end of a desk day
Book within the week; sooner if you cannot drive safely. Two to four visits plus a look at the desk if that is where it comes from.
Osteoporosis: what changesRoutine Older adults & balance£64
Thinner bones do not stop you having treatment, but they change what we do. Say so when you book.
- A diagnosis of osteoporosis or osteopenia
- Long-term steroid use
- A previous fragility fracture
- Sudden mid-back pain in someone with thin bones
Book a first visit and tell us; we use mobilising and soft-tissue work, never manipulation, and the exercises follow bone-health guidance. Sudden severe mid-back pain with osteoporosis is a GP visit for an X-ray first.
Pelvic girdle pain in pregnancyThis week Pregnancy & postnatal£68
Pain at the front or back of the pelvis from about twenty weeks. Very common, very treatable, and nothing to put up with.
- Pain at the pubic bone or the back of the pelvis
- Worse walking, stairs, turning in bed
- A waddle
- Clicking or grinding at the front
Book with Mei Lin this week: side-lying treatment, a belt if it helps, and positions for sleep. Two to four visits usually.
SciaticaThis week Back & neck£64
Leg pain from an irritated nerve root in the lower back, often a disc. Painful, usually recovers over weeks to a few months.
- Pain from the buttock down the back of the leg
- Pins and needles or numbness in the foot
- Worse sitting, coughing or first thing
- Weakness in the foot in some cases
Book this week. Osteopathy or chiropractic, with dry needling for the buttock muscle; we refer for imaging if weakness is progressing. Saddle numbness or bladder changes are A&E, not us.
Shoulder painRoutine Back & neck£64
Rotator cuff irritation, a stiff (frozen) shoulder, or a neck problem in disguise. The examination tells which.
- Pain reaching up or behind the back
- Night pain lying on it
- Weakness lifting
- Stiffness that has crept on over months
Book a first visit. Frozen shoulder is a long game measured in months; cuff problems usually respond in four to six visits with the exercises.
Unsettled baby, or a baby who prefers one sideRoutine Babies & children£58
A baby who turns the head one way, feeds better on one side, arches or hates tummy time. We check the whole baby; we do not claim to treat colic or reflux.
- Head always turned to one side
- Feeds better on one breast or side
- Arching, stiffness, hating tummy time
- A hard birth: forceps, ventouse, very fast
Book the baby room with Mei Lin. A baby with fever, vomiting, a rash, floppiness or not feeding is 111 or the GP now. Colic and reflux: health visitor and GP first; we can still check the baby.
Not us at all
We would rather lose a patient than treat the wrong thing.
Cauda equina warning signs
Rare, serious pressure on the nerves at the base of the spine. Not a condition we treat: a same-day emergency.
A&E now or 999. Do not wait for an appointment with us. We will see you afterwards for recovery.
If the examination finds something that is not ours to treat, you hear it on the day, in plain words, with a letter for your GP written before you leave. Last year that was 4.8% of first visits. We would rather lose a patient than treat the wrong thing.
Not on the list?
Is it my back, my posture or my desk?
Seven questions name the first visit to book, its price and who you would see. Or phone Grace and describe it; acute backs are seen today.
Sudden severe back pain?
Acute back pain seen today.
Phone and Grace answers. Say where it hurts and whether you can do mornings.
01632 960440everything else within 48 hours. No GP referral needed.
Two doors, one green
Green door, Lock Lane (ground floor)
Step-free.
Back & neck Pregnancy & postnatal Babies & children Older adults & balance Second opinion
Green door, then one flight of stairs (rooms 2 and 3)
One flight of stairs; ask for the ground floor if you need it.
Desk & posture Headaches & jaw Sports massage
- Mon–Fri
- 07:30–19:30
- Sat
- 08:00–13:00