Headaches and migraines aren't just a pain in the head. They're a pain in the butt. Suffering from daily, weekly or even random headaches can significantly interfere with your day and ability to do simple tasks.

Headaches and Migraines Can Affect Your:

• Ability to work
• Focus
• Decision making
• Ability to look after your kids

Although headaches and migraines are slightly different (see our post on Migraines) there are some basic tips to help prevent and manage them.

Top 5 Tips to Prevent Headaches and Migraines:

1. Keep your hydration up. Drinking at least 2 litres of water per day. If you have difficulty drinking water you can try sparkling water, a squeeze of lemon, or drinking non-caffeinated herbal teas. Herbal teas are a great option during the cooler months. Try peppermint, berry teas or relaxing blends. Avoid sweetened drinks, soft drinks or energy drinks.
2. Eat regular and small healthy snacks and meals. This helps to keep your blood sugar levels up and help sustain energy. Keep sugar content down in your snacks and meals to avoid a sugar crash and tiredness later. High-fat snacks such as avocado, salmon, nuts. It is also a good idea to identify if you have any particular foods that trigger headaches or migraines and avoid these.
3. Regulate your sleep and wake times (read our blog post on Benefits of Regulating Your Sleep Cycle). Sleep is an important part of winding down from your day and repairing from any stressors you may have encountered. Try and go to bed by 10pm and avoid screen time for 30- 60 minutes before bed.
4. Stress relief. Finding ways to let go of daily stress helps relieve muscle tension and wind down for a peaceful nights sleep. Meditation is one way. Going to a yoga or exercise class is another. If you have difficulty meditating there are guided meditation apps with some great sleep stories, such as Calm App.
5. Magnesium supplements are great for relaxing muscle tension and calming your nervous system and can aid with reducing frequency and intensity of headaches and migraines. Read more about Magnesium types and doses here.

We are here to help

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‘You’ve been told ‘just to live with the pain’

‘You feel like you've seen every therapist but you're still suffering'

‘You know you can feel a million times better but just need the right person to put it all together for you'

We're glad you haven’t given up and still searching for possibility. You’re exactly the type of person we love to work with. The MetaMed clinic was established by Dr. Jin Ong– Osteopath, Herbalist, Medical Acupuncturist and Psychosomatic Therapist a passionate Osteopath on a mission to liberate people of their pain and inspiring them to live to their full health potential. All of our Osteopaths strive for the same end result but have a unique set of skills to assist you on your health journey. To learn more about each of our Osteopaths and their areas of interest click here.

What’s involved?

When working with our Osteopaths we listen to what you and your body is telling us. Creating awareness of the mind-body connection in patients is pivotal to our approach. We help you acknowledge why your body is in its current physical state and to release these issues that may be inhibiting the healing process.
Our Osteopaths use an intuitive approach to treat the body, using mainly structural and direct techniques to treat the musculoskeletal system such as: soft tissue massage, manipulation, cupping as well as exercise prescription. With a focus on education and preventative health, when we work together you will learn how to take responsibility and action in your recovery and wellbeing.

What does treatment involve?

Osteopaths use a wide range of techniques that are safe and effective. These range from soft tissue massage, joint manipulation (articulation, mobilisation, high-velocity low amplitude cavitation ‘cracking'), muscle energy technique, stretching, cupping and prescriptive exercises. Some of our Osteopaths have extended scopes of training including acupuncture (click here for the difference between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western Medical Acupuncture (WMA) which includes), cranial osteopathy, herbal medicine, psychosomatic therapy and functional movement.

Each person is assessed as an individual and treated accordingly. Within the MetaMed clinic, we have Osteopaths with many different skill sets and collaborate with one another as well as other practitioners external to the clinic to provide the best possible care.

MetaMed Osteopaths have all undertaken university training to obtain qualifications and skills as an Osteopath. All of our Osteopaths have also undertaken extra post-graduate training in other areas that complement their treatment. Australian trained Osteopaths undergo 5 years of university training including an undergraduate bachelor degree and postgraduate Masters in Osteopathy. UK-trained Osteopaths undertake 4 or 5 years of university training and obtain an undergraduate bachelor degree in Osteopathy. As primary health care practitioners Osteopaths are trained to perform standard orthopaedic testing of the musculoskeletal system and are able to identify when conditions may need a further medical referral.

What do Osteopaths treat?

Click for more information on Therapies, FAQs or Fees.

The post What’s Different About MetaMed Osteopaths? appeared first on MetaMed.

There are four main Osteopathic principles:

• The body is a unit – mind, body, and spirit.
• The body has an innate self-healing capacity
• Structure and function are inter-related
• Treatment is based on the body’s self-healing mechanism and structure and function.

There are many techniques an osteopath may use during treatment, you will find that each therapist treats differently according to their own personal style.

Osteopathic treatment may include:

• Soft tissue massage
• Fascial release
• Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
• Stretching
• Joint articulation and mobilisation
• Joint manipulation where you will hear a release in the joint
• Intra-oral jaw release
• Gentle balancing

In addition to these other techniques such as cupping, pilates rehabilitation, and prescriptive exercises are integrated into treatment.

Osteopathy is often misinterpreted as the treatment for bones (osteo) its name is misleading as it can be applied to a range of conditions and injury. Here is a list of some reasons you may want to see an osteopath:

• Acute and chronic pain
• Grinding of the teeth- bruxism
• Back pain (upper and lower)
• Pregnancy-related discomfort– heartburn, sacroiliac instability, and pain or general wellness
• Disc injury- bulged or herniated
• Joint pain- shoulder, hip, knee, ankle
• Sprained joints
• Muscle Tears
• Tendonitis
• Pre and post-operative treatment (as early as 2 days after)
• Headaches and migraine
• Neck pain
• Jaw pain
• Ear pain
• Rotator cuff injury or tear
• Frozen shoulder
• Shoulder impingement syndrome
• Tennis/golfer's elbow
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Poor sleep
• Period pain
• Muscle weakness
• Biomechanical imbalance
• Rehabilitation

Structural versus Cranial Osteopathy

There two different fields of Osteopathy. We all undergo the same training however, some osteopaths decide to do further training in the cranial field. This is a gentle and effective way of treating. Many people know it to be used for babies, as their skull bones haven't fused yet, they are easy to manipulate with gentle pressure. Cranial osteopathy tends to involve gently holding the head and pelvis to affect fluid mechanics.

Structural osteopathy is a more direct approach using soft tissue massage, cupping, joint manipulations (cracking), stretching, dry needling and exercise rehab. If you like the feeling of being worked on you will tend to prefer a structural approach.

You don't have to be in pain to see an Osteopath.

Many people will present to a therapist once they have a problem, often the problem is there well before you actually notice any signs of symptoms. An osteopath is able to pick up on possible strains and treat them before they become an issue. You may feel fine now, but patients often report how much better they feel after a treatment.
Every person is different, there is no set treatment protocol for a condition. Treatment is an art taking an integrative approach using a variety of techniques to help you reach your full health potential.

Journal Articles:

• Evidence-based Management of Acute Musculoskeletal Pain
• Approach to low back pain – osteopathy
• Manipulation and mobilisation for neck pain contrasted against an inactive control or another active treatment
• Osteopathic manipulative treatment for low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

The post What is Osteopathy? appeared first on MetaMed.