Welcome to the Autumn 2010 newsletter of the Harpenden Osteopath & Sports Injury Clinic . The aim of these quarterly newsletters is to provide useful topical health advice for you & your families, clinic news & latest offers. Please feel free to pass on to anyone you feel may benefit & please email your questions for future newsletters.

I trust you all had a great summer. It’s amazing how some nice heat on the body can make you feel fit & well. This newsletter is all about how to keep our bodies feeling good by having a regular service.

Clinic News
It was a busy summer for the clinic taking part in Harpenden Carnival & the Highland Gathering. What great events for Harpenden in bringing together the local community & there was even some sunshine. I was fortunate to meet the major at the Highland Gathering & get my picture taken which was a great privilege.

Upcoming events
The clinic will be involved in Harpenden Health Fair on 2nd October ran by Davenport House doctors surgery. This will be a great event to gain lots of expert health advice & taster sessions. For more info, www.davenporthouseppg.org.uk.

Are we maintaining our bodies as well as our cars?
Most of us get our cars serviced every 10-1500 miles as well as regular oil, water, & tire pressure checks. Do we give our bodies any regular physical servicing? Whether you are feeling good physically or not day to day pressures of life can take its toll on our bodies so why not keep your body running at optimum condition & get into the habit of a regular service.

Regular maintenance checks, just like servicing a car can check for sub-optimal joint function, vertebrae mis-alignment & areas of tightness in the body. All of which could become future areas of pain & injury if left un-checked. Regular maintenance checks can:

• Improve mobility in stiff joints
• Loosen areas of tightness in muscles
• Prevent injury & pain
• Monitor your exercise programme & posture to improve your physical well-being

Patients that come for regular maintenance report feeling more energised, have less episodes of pain, take less painkillers, have improved well-being & exercise adherence.

How often do I need maintenance checks?
The average person can benefit from between 1-3 months. However, as we are all different this depends on your present condition, activity levels, lifestyle, age, previous injuries & health. This is worked out specifically for you following a consultation. It is likely that you will need less frequent maintenance sessions over time.

What if I am very active – do I need more?
If you are very active or you are training for something specific like a marathon & you know your training will increase its worth giving your body more regular maintenance so your body can remain injury free & optimise your physical well-being.

What our clients say
“Gill has provided an excellent service over the past 18 months and been consistently able to address my immediate issues and more importantly diagnose the root causes of the injuries so that I can get back to health in the short term – and stay that way.” Steve, Harpenden.

"Maintenance treatments help me during times when I am doing a lot of running. Areas that are beginning to tighten can be identified and treated before they get too tight causing injury. I can also then focus on them when stretching to keep me fit to train". Sarah, Hemel.