Adventures in Osteopathy

My work has, very generously, been stumping up for monthly visits from a personal trainer, to take us through some stretching and strengthening techniques that go some way towards offsetting the damage inflicted by sitting in front of a computer all day.

I've had problems with my back for a long time, mainly the result of a mild inherited scoliosis and a sciatic injury from time spent working in a supermarket as a teenager. And sedentary office work really doesn't help.

Various osteopaths over the years have had a crack. Some have been able to help, and some not.

Anyway, at about the time this personal training business started, I changed to a new osteopath.

In the first visit he had diagnosed that my problem was not my back, but my hip. Apparently I naturally twist to my left, putting most of my weight onto my left hip, and shrinking my left leg to the point where the resulting imbalance puts a heap of strain (but only muscular strain) on my back.

Not bad for the first 45 minute session.

Armed with some new stretches and exercises, I went away with the notion that it might actually be possible to fix this.

Fast forward to 4 weeks later (now) and the improvement is noticeable. The pain radiating down my left leg (which I've had for years and I thought was the sciatica) has all but disappeared, and my centre of balance has shifted. To the centre.

The stretching from the trainer has helped immensely too. It's nothing too drastic in the way of activity, but it's making me feel better than I have in years.