Osteopaths are registered therapists who treat many conditions related to muscles and joint pain. Most people think of us as ‘lower back specialists’. Back pain is what many osteopaths treat a lot of the time, but we can address problems in necks, elbows, shoulders, knees, pelvis, hands and jaws. Wherever there is a joint in the body that moves, we can potentially help.
Osteopathic treatment does not just target symptoms, but treats the parts of the body that have caused the symptoms. Osteopaths have a holistic approach and believe that your whole body will work well if your body is in good structural balance. Imagine, for example, a car that has one of its front wheels not quite pointing straight. It may run well for a while, but after a few thousand miles, the tyre will wear out. You can apply this example to the human body, which is why it is so important to keep the body in good balance. Osteopaths at Crossway Clinic use a wide range of techniques, including massage, cranial techniques (sometimes referred to as ‘cranial osteopathy‘) and joint mobilization – this breadth of approach allows us to focus on every patient’s precise needs.
Osteopaths assess and treat people of any age from elderly to newborn and from pregnant women to sports people.
Osteopathy can be an effective way to treat most muscle and joint pain such as:
- Back and neck pain
- Shoulder, knee, hip, ankle, elbow, hand, wrist or foot pain
- Posture-related pain
- Sciatic pain
- Tension headaches and migraines
- Minor sport injuries
- Accidents and falls
Osteopaths are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council. Our Osteopaths are members of the British Osteopathic Association
**We provide cover for major insurers such as BUPA and AXA PPP, please contact the practice on 0161 445 1018 for further details.
The Osteopathic Team:
Melissa Lodge B Ost MScPO Registered Osteopath
Melissa Lodge, B Ost, MScPO believes osteopathy can optimise the health of the whole family. Whilst she enjoys treating patients of all ages, Melissa has a special interest in the treatment of babies, children and women during pregnancy.
She believes passionately in the benefits of osteopathic treatment to ensure a child has the best start in life. She has experience in helping expectant mothers through the physical stresses and strains of pregnancy to prepare the body for labour and beyond, as well as treating newborns to resolve the physical stress of labour. She also strongly believes in providing osteopathic treatment for growing children to release tension and strain in the body which if unresolved can not only lead to aches and pains, but unsettled behaviour and sleep patterns as well as compromising general health.
She has been privileged to work with some of the most experienced Paediatric Osteopaths in the UK at the Osteopathic Centre for Children (www.fpo.org), a charity that treats children, from newborns to teenagers, for a wide variety of conditions. She also has experience of working in the children’s ward and with premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at North Middlesex and Barnet Hospitals, London, as part of the ‘flying osteopaths’ team with the Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy.
Melissa has a Bachelor of Osteopathy with distinction from the British School of Osteopathy (2004). Her postgraduate qualifications include a Diploma in Classical Osteopathy (2006) and a Master’s of Science in Paediatric Osteopathy (2010). She is registered with the General Osteopathic Council (www.osteopathy.org.uk) and a member of the British Osteopathic Association (www.osteopathy.org).
Jose Fernandez, BSc(Hons) Ost is a registered osteopath who graduated from the College of Osteopaths and Keele University. Jose has also undertaken further training in the field of cranial osteopathy, with the College of Osteopaths, the Upledger Institute and the Sutherland Cranial College.
Introduced to manual therapy through massage more than a decade ago, Jose keeps developing a broad approach to the treatment of injury through osteopathy: combining very ‘directive’ and ‘structural techniques’ such as massage, stretching and ‘joint manipulation’, with the very subtle and soothing cranial work.
Originally from Barcelona, Jose has lived in Manchester since 1997 and worked as a librarian at the City’s Cervantes Institute for many years. A keen sportsman, he is a member of the Manchester Frontrunners club, trains regularly at the gym and is a qualified scuba diver. His other passions include film, architecture, fine food and meditation.
To arrange an appointment with a registered osteopath, or for further information on osteopathy, please contact The Crossway Clinic in Didsbury, Manchester on 0161 445 1018.