Richard Doran-Sherlock Osteopathy

I’m very excited to be participating in the first international Environmental Physiotherapy Association Festival taking place next week. These events will be free, online, open for anyone to access. Description and zoom link for my presentation below:

Shinrin Yoku and the role of Nature Therapies in Musculoskeletal Care

There is a growing interest in the role of nature based interventions for managing different aspects of health. As the management of musculoskeletal pain moves towards a biopsychosocial model, it may be useful to explore the research on the effect of nature therapies on complex conditions such as pain and depression and to address problems and challenges which emerge from the literature and in real-world applications. In this talk, Osteopath Richard Doran-Sherlock will give an overview of these challenges in relation to the practice of Shinrin Yoku, or ‘Forest Bathing’, what they may mean for clinicians seeking to incorporate nature therapies in the management of health issues, and why environmental activism is an essential aspect of evidence-based care. The presentation will include a Q&A session in which critical engagement and reflection is encouraged.

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/91526688418
Friday 10th November
16:00 Greenwich Mean Time
17:00 Central European Time
https://environmentalphysio.com/events/ept-festival2023/

The International Environmental Physiotherapy Festival 2023 | Environmental Physiotherapy Asscociation Header image by David Clode on Unsplash The first international Environmental Physiotherapy Festival 9-12 November 2023 Environmental physiotherapy has gone through an incredible evolution over the last four years. The EPA will soon have over 1000 members, planetary health, environmental and sustain...

Thanks to everyone at the Institute of Osteopathy conference who was kind enough to pop by and ask thoughtful questions about this research!

The intersection of environmental issues and musculoskeletal care may not seem like an immediately intuitive match, but I'd argue that it's essential for two key reasons. First, conservative care has the ability to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of the health industry. Second, from a biopsychosocial model we know that social and environmental factors can be major determinants of health.

I will be presenting a talk on Friday 10th of November as part of the first international Environmental Physiotherapy Festival (Zoom link to follow shortly). If you have any idea you'd like to contribute - a presentation, a performance, or something totally different, you can submit ideas through the below link.

The International Environmental Physiotherapy Festival 2023 | Environmental Physiotherapy Asscociation Header image by David Clode on Unsplash The first international Environmental Physiotherapy Festival 9-12 November 2023 Environmental physiotherapy has gone through an incredible evolution over the last four years. The EPA will soon have over 1000 members, planetary health, environmental and sustain...

Some more news coming shortly, but a journal article I submitted is currently in press!

https://lnkd.in/gtVQAPUg

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Happy to say that my new business is launching on the 1st of March! I will be taking appointments in two convenient locations - Dundrum, and Dublin City Centre.

Get in touch if I can help you to manage and overcome acute injuries and persistent pain issues.

Richard Doran-Sherlock Osteopathy Booking and information for Richard Doran-Sherlock Osteopathy.

Exciting announcement coming soon ...

It's good to see some evidence-based coverage about the apparent increase in back pain during the Covid pandemic. Back pain can be a complex condition, and we always have to consider the social, psychological, and environmental contexts in which it occurs.

https://www.irishtimes.com/health/2022/08/14/more-young-people-seeking-help-for-back-pain-as-working-from-home-gets-bedded-in/

More young people seeking help for back pain as working from home gets bedded in 'Covid back' may not be linked to posture but more likely to reduced exercise and increased stress during pandemic, say physiotherapists

The Guardian is running several articles this week on chronic pain conditions, and this is the first in that series. It's a timely and well written piece, and it shows just how important it is that patients are believed, and that clinicians are listening to them.



https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/28/sufferers-of-chronic-pain-have-long-been-told-its-all-in-their-head-we-now-know-thats-wrong

Sufferers of chronic pain have long been told it’s all in their head. We now know that’s wrong There’s a growing realisation that pain can be a disease in and of itself – and the pandemic could be making it worse

This is an excellent article, and it's exciting to see approaches to pain which are strongly supported by science entering the media. While there are a few terms which we wouldn't really use anymore (discs don't slip!), it's informative and a sensible approach to back pain.

In very rare cases, back pain can indicate an underlying health issue. If you're unsure, osteopaths are rigorously trained to examine and diagnose these underlying conditions, and will refer you on to an appropriate medical professional should further investigation be needed.

When we can be confident that there's no serious issue, we can help by getting you back to the kinds of movement your body evolved to do, and the things in life you enjoy doing.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/30/dont-freak-out-why-keeping-calm-and-carrying-on-exercising-can-help-back-pain

‘Don’t freak out!’ Why keeping calm and carrying on exercising can help back pain When it hurts to walk, bend or even sit, it’s tempting to lie down until your spine sorts itself out. But moving can be the key to getting better

An excellent video by evolutionary biologist, Professor Daniel Lieberman, exploring five common myths about movement and exercise.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1DeAfn9b50

5 Common Exercise Myths Debunked | Daniel Lieberman Author & professor Daniel Lieberman debunks 5 common exercise myths - from sitting being bad for you, to slowing down when you're older and running causing a...

Back pain is very common, and it's completely understandable that people find it scary. However, there are a lot of mistaken ideas about it in the world, and getting good quality information can help to reduce some of the worries that naturally creep in when the back is very sore. Here are ten back facts which are really worth knowing:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6770608496254840832/

I saw something in a pain management group which angered me. A statement which was highly judgemental of people experiencing persistent pain, and which has the potential to cause harm. These are some thoughts by way of response.



https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/judgement-belief-persistent-pain-doran-sherlock-b-a-mod-m-ost/?published=t

Judgement, Belief and Persistent Pain I recently came across a post on a particular social media group which aims to provide information for people experiencing persistent pain. The author encouraged those who were experiencing pain to reflect on ‘the darkness of their souls’ and encouraged them to follow the author’s particular b...

Exercise has definitive health benefits, but there can be barriers to starting to move, especially if persistent pain is an issue. This article looks at an evolutionary perspective on exercise, and why thinking about 'play' could be useful in a management programme.



https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pain-play-richard-doran-sherlock-b-a-mod-m-ost

On Pain and Play "Play is the ultimate expression of freedom for its own sake" David Graeber, 1961-2020 In the enormous field that is human health, magic bullets are rare. Interventions which have a significant effect on multiple systems are difficult to engineer, so the fact that there is robust evidence....

Back pain can be intense and distressing, but in most cases it is not due to any significant damage to the body. The spine is an incredibly resilient structure, though it is very complex and can be sensitive at times. Having a discussion with a qualified professional osteopath can reassure you by ruling out any underlying issues, and through developing a management plan in partnership with you to get moving again.

https://twitter.com/ChronicPainIRL/status/1359452311374946306

Pain is a remarkable, complex and unique phenomenon which is shaped by every aspect of who we are in the world. Our genetics, our neurology, our beliefs, our cognitions; all of this and more sculpts and moulds the experience we interpret as pain.

One lesser discussed factor which shapes our pain experience can be culture, and how societies can contextualise pain within frameworks encouraging resilience or fear. A fascinating example of this is the initiation ritual of the Sateré-Mawé indigenous people of Brazil.

The bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) has one of the most painful stings of all invertebrates, holding the maximum score of 4 on the Schmidt sting pain index. As part of the transition into manhood, Sateré-Mawé boys undergo a ceremony whereby they wear woven mitts laced with bullet ants for up to ten minutes, and are stung repeatedly while dancing and chanting with their peers and elders. The excruciating pain from extensive stings can last for more than 24 hours, and to be fully initiated, a candidate must complete the ritual twenty times.

These two videos of the ritual are worth watching in succession. In the first, a Sateré-Mawé youth undergoes the ceremony. He is focused, grounded and fearless - connecting the suffering he is experiencing with the admiration, love and veneration of his community. In the second, Steve Backshall, an explorer, martial artist and someone who we could safely regard as a tough guy, has a very different experience. Without being embedded in the same cultural framework, the pain he suffers is a very different phenomenon.

TW: If you have an aversion to insects, please do not view these videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwvIFO9srUw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VarqiOM4-Fg

Could You Pass the Bullet Ant Test? | National Geographic It's not much unlike sticking your hand into a nest of honeybees. It's a twist on a test of manhood in the Amazon jungle.➡ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSub...

This is a superb article - I will be ordering the book from which it is an extract shortly. Pain is a lot more than a phenomenon which occurs in tissues. It is a profound experience which can be influenced by wider culture.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jan/23/analgesic-culture-can-reframing-pain-make-it-go-away

Analgesic culture: can reframing pain make it go away? The way we think about pain could change how much we actually suffer

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To make sure that we adhere to best practice from the HSE, we are limiting appointments to 40 minutes so that the treatment room can be fully cleaned between patients.

Other measures we are taking include:
-Wearing three-layer surgical masks
-Taking temperatures of all patients on arrival
-Accessible hand sanitiser outside the clinic door, in reception, and in the treatment rooms

We now require our patients to wear masks throughout their session, if you are unable to supply your own, we will provide you with a disposable mask for the cost of €2.

We ask during this time that all patients arrive on time for their appointments, as we now are required to use a much more rigid schedule, and will be unable to go over the time scheduled for you.

Upon booking, you will be sent a consent form along with your appointment confirmation (via email), you will be required to complete this before your appointment

If you have any symptoms of Covid-19, or have been in close contact with someone who may be infected, we would ask that you contact us to rearrange your appointment to a later date.