|
 Tom works in Salisbury on a Monday and Tuesday. He runs the late evening clinic on a Tuesday.
Tom graduated from the European School of Osteopathy in Maidstone, a college famous worldwide for the diversity and adaptability of its practitioners. He chose to study there for just this reason and as a result is equally comfortable treating standard musculoskeletal problems, more complex cranial dysfunctions and also visceral complaints i.e. digestive complaint
He comes from a long line of Doctors and Vets so healthcare was a natural choice for him, but he was always more interested in treating people practically, using his hands, rather than with drugs. Although he looked in to physiotherapy and chiropractic alternatives, once he had observed several osteopaths working he felt this was the career for him due to the holistic style of treatment and the greater contact time with patients.
Tom has had excellent results treating low back pain and enjoys the challenge of this very common complaint. It’s estimated that 80% of Westerners will experience this problem during their lifetimes and it is one of the most oft-cited reasons for missing work. Tom strongly feels that a large proportion of those suffering with this could experience partial or even complete relief with regular osteopathic treatment.
Tom has a strong love of sports, particularly snow-sports, and previously worked as a specialist ski-boot fitter for one of the market leaders in UK ski equipment sales. This gave him a passionate interest in the mechanics of the lower leg and foot which he has brought through in to his osteopathic career, as shown in his recent completion of a research paper on foot function affecting knee pain. He has presented this paper at an inter-profession conference along with the latest in osteopathic, chiropractic and physiotherapy research.
He also finds it very rewarding to work with digestive complaints such as IBS and constipation. These are complaints that people rarely think of going to see their osteopath about, but in actual fact most symptoms can be eased considerably with the correct treatment approach. This often involves the release of tension from the smooth muscle of the digestive system and pelvic organs and the promotion of venous drainage away from the affected areas. This is something that only a manual therapy such as osteopathy can achieve, and it can be done in a gentle and non-invasive way.
Tom also practices dry-needling, which is a Western form of traditional Chinese acupuncture. Although he doesn’t use this with every patient, some will benefit considerably from work of this type, particularly those in sudden acute pain for example a strong muscle spasm, where more conventional osteopathic mobilisation may not be possible. This approach will always be discussed beforehand and will only ever be used with the full consent of the patient.
|
