James Woledge BSc (Hons), BSc (hons) Ost
James Woledge is registered with the General Osteopathic Council and member of the British Osteopathic Association. Having qualified from the British School of Osteopathy in 2003 he moved on from a Harley Street based multi-disciplinary clinic and motorsports career and took an associateship at Stowmarket Osteopaths.

James Woledge is registered with the General Osteopathic Council and member of the British Osteopathic Association. Having qualified from the British School of Osteopathy in 2003 he moved on from a Harley street based multi-disciplinary clinic and motorsports career and took an associateship at Stowmarket Osteopaths. His time is now shared working within a GP practice, Stow Osteopaths, and his own clinic, Abbeyfields Osteopaths.

He has enjoyed periods of undergraduate and postgraduate lecturing, particularly in areas of sports medicine as he combines his clinical knowledge with his previous degree/career in exercise physiology and health management.

His interests include persistent and complex pain syndromes, sports injuries and biomechanics, childhood 'growing pains', headaches/pain, and foot problems.

He is also keen to emphasise the traditional mixed approach he uses in combination with evidence based practice gleaned from his 8 years in a GP practice and numerous postgraduate courses.

The focus of his day to day practice is making sure his patients leave having; a clear understanding of their problem, knowing how best to care for themselves, how long recovery might take, and what he might offer in addition to help the recovery. He works in a team environment at Abbeyfields utilising Pilates and Sports therapy/massage.

How can an osteopath help you?

To qualify, an osteopath must study for four to five years for an undergraduate degree. This is similar to a medical degree, with more emphasis on anatomy and musculoskeletal medicine and includes more than 1,000 hours of training in osteopathic techniques.

By law, osteopaths must register with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC). It is an offence for anyone to call themselves an osteopath if they are not registered. The British Medical Association's guidance for general practitioners states that doctors can safely refer patients to osteopaths.

Your medical history
Before we start to treat you, we will make a full medical assessment. We take time to listen to you and ask questions to make sure we understand your medical history and your day-to-day routine.

We'll ask you about things like diet, exercise and what is happening in your life, as these may give clues to help our diagnosis.

We may feel your pulse and check your reflexes. We may also take your blood pressure and refer you for clinical tests, such as x-rays, if we think you need them.

Your posture
We usually look at your posture and how you move your body. We may also assess what happens when we move it for you and see what hurts, where and when. We might ask you to remove some items of clothing to allow for better assessment.

We will of course ask for your permission with this. You are always welcome to bring a friend or family member as chaperone.

Using touch, we may also find the areas which are sensitive or tight and this helps us to identify what's going on.

When we have done this, we can diagnose your condition. We may sometimes feel that osteopathy is not appropriate for you and refer you to your GP or another specialist such as an orthopaedic surgeon.

Your treatment
Osteopaths use a wide range of gentle manipulations, depending on your age, fitness and diagnosis.

Treatment is different for every patient but may include techniques such as different types of soft tissue massage and joint articulation to release tension, stretch muscles, help relieve pain and mobilise your joints.

Sometimes, when we move joints you may hear a 'click'. This is just like the click people get when they crack their knuckles. We will always discuss treatment options with you and only proceed with your permission We may discuss exercises that you can do to improve your posture and movement in your workplace and everyday life.

Conditions we treat
The most common conditions that we treat are:

• back and neck pain
• shoulder and arm problems
• pelvis, hip and leg problems
• sports and other injuries

However, patients have found osteopathy helpful for many other conditions. If you want to find out more contact us.