Meet Ben
Southbourne Osteopathy Clinic was established by Registered Osteopath Ben Gottesman in 2003.
Ben graduated in 2001 with BSc (Hons) Ost. He is registered with the General Osteopathic Council (Osteopathy’s governing body) and he is also a member of the Institute of Osteopathy. As well as running his own clinic in Southbourne, Ben also works in clinics in Worthing and Bognor Regis.
Southbourne Osteopathy Clinic has a wide ranging patient base, including the very elderly and the very young. Ben has attended a large number of post-graduate training courses, and is able to adopt a wide variety of treatment techniques and approaches to suit patient’s individual needs.
He is well versed in both traditional and modern approaches to pain management and has experience in treating a wide range of conditions.
As a lifelong sportsman, Ben is well placed to diagnose and treat sporting injuries. He also has a particular interest in the causes and treatment of chronic head ache. His philosophy is simply to enable patients to keep doing the things they enjoy for as long as possible.
When not working, or spending time with his family, Ben can often be found on the cricket field, or rowing Cornish Pilot Gigs in Chichester Harbour. He has also been spotted taking part in international stone skimming competitions.
About Osteopathy
Osteopathy is the first complementary therapy to be recognised as a Primary Healthcare Profession and is recognised by the British Medical Council as a distinct clinical discipline.
It is an approach to medicine that emphasises the physiology and mechanics of the human body. It is a modern, scientifically based system of diagnosis and treatment of faults which occur in the muscles, joints and associated tissues of the body. These faults, as well as causing localised pain, can also have far reaching effects upon the well being of the body as a whole.
Osteopaths use a variety of treatment techniques to help the body overcome these faults in order to improve function and restore mobility to areas of the body that are found to be abnormal. In this way, osteopathy aims to treat not just the injury itself, but also the causes and underlying problems that may have led to a painful condition. This can help to speed recovery and reduce the chances of recurrent injuries.
Patient protection
Patients consulting an Osteopath have the same safeguards and rights as when consulting a doctor or dentist. Osteopathy is a Statutorily regulated Primary Health Care Profession, and as such all Osteopaths are legally required to be registered with the governing body, The General Osteopathic Council Re-application for registration is required annually, and very stringent guidelines must be met before acceptance.
Conditions We Treat
Osteopaths are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of most problems that occur within the musculo-skeletal system, problems with muscles, joints, ligaments and nerves.
Most patients who consult Osteopaths are suffering from back or neck pain, sometimes accompanied by Sciatica. Osteopaths are also able to treat a wide variety of other conditions. These include shoulder pain, arm pain, hip pain, knee pain, muscular and sporting injuries and the pain and stiffness of arthritis
Osteopaths are able to assess and treat almost any condition or injury that affects the musculo-skeletal system.
These include:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Trapped nerves
- Sciatica
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Elbow pain
- Hip pain
- Knee and foot pain
- Whiplash injuries
- Sporting injuries
- Strained muscles
- Postural problems
Appointments & Fees
Southbourne Osteopathic Clinic offers appointments during week days and some evenings.
All appointments and consultations including initial consultation are charged at £50.00. No further fees are charged for letters written (with patients consent) to doctors/specialists.
If you are not sure about any aspect of Osteopathy and whether it may be able to help you, Ben will be very happy to chat over the phone and answer any questions.
What To Expect
On your first visit to an Osteopath, he or she will ask you questions about whatever it may be that is troubling you. These may be quite in-depth, but you will always be given time to answer and be heard. A full history of past problems and medical conditions will also be needed to form a picture of what may be going on with your body.
This will be followed by a physical examination to determine the source and nature of symptoms and also to identify other factors which may be important (such as different leg lengths) You will usually be requested to remove some clothing at this stage, so that observations and biomechanical assessments can be made. At Southbourne Osteopathic clinic, we try to be as sensitive as possible and will request only the minimum amount of clothing necessary be removed. (It is always helpful if loose clothing is worn. It is particularly difficult to treat patients who wear jeans.)
Following the physical examination, the Osteopath will have a good idea of the diagnosis. This will then be discussed with the patient, alongside what treatment may involve, if indeed it is decided that osteopathic treatment is appropriate for your condition. Communication with your doctor may be necessary if it is felt that x-rays or blood tests are necessary to help with a full diagnosis. This of course will only be done with the patients consent.
There are a wide range of treatment techniques available to Osteopaths. Treatment needs to be tailored to each individual patient and will vary according to the nature of the problem, the patient’s age, medication, physical health, and of course patient preference.
Ben has been on many postgraduate training courses and this enables him to be varied in his approach to treatment choice. Aside from the more traditional direct manual approach, Ben is skilled in Acupuncture (Dry Needling) and also uses electrotherapy equipment including ultrasound and Interferential Therapy.
Most treatment sessions will be focused on gentle manual techniques aimed at easing pain, reducing swelling and improving mobility. In general treatment is seldom painful and while some patients may be aware of slight discomfort following treatment, this is usually only a very temporary sign of the body adjusting itself to changed circumstances.
In combination with treatment, advice will be offered on rehabilitation, posture, ergonomics and self-help.
As Osteopaths, we are not in conflict with Doctors. We believe that we can work together for the benefit of the patient and are always willing to co-operate with your doctor. Osteopaths are trained to recognise those conditions, which would not be helped by treatment and will not hesitate to recommend that the patient seek the advice of his/her G.P. An increasing number of Medical Doctors are coming to appreciate the treatment that osteopaths offer and will happily recommend this form of treatment.
As Osteopaths, we are not in conflict with Doctors. We believe that we can work together for the benefit of the patient and are always willing to co-operate with your doctor. Osteopaths are trained to recognise those conditions, which would not be helped by treatment and will not hesitate to recommend that the patient seek the advice of his/her G.P. An increasing number of Medical Doctors are coming to appreciate the treatment that osteopaths offer and will happily recommend this form of treatment.
Example Case Histories
A sixty five year old women broke her ankle four months previously. It had healed well, but remained very stiff, swollen and painful. This is a very common scenario. Having been immobile for some time, the ankle had naturally stiffened up. Because of the lack of movement, oedema (fluid swelling) had accumulated through the whole foot. This in turn had caused pressure and irritation to nerves and soft tissues and a painful cycle of events had set in, which despite physiotherapy exercises, was not resolving.
After two treatments of manual lymphatic drainage and mobilisation of the foot and ankle, most of the swelling had gone. The foot and ankle were mobile and the pain had resolved. The patient was now free to resume normal activity and to complete her recovery.
This is an example of how a relatively simple approach is able to intervene in a negative cycle and break down the barriers to healing , thus enabling a swift return to health.
A thirty two year old salesman suffered persistent headaches over six months that were not helped by prescription painkillers. In fact due to the ongoing nature of the problem, brain scans had been performed with no abnormality detected. On examination, the patient had very tense muscles across his shoulders and up into his neck. His neck was stiff and restricted in movement and some of the spinal joints at the top of his neck were particularly stiff and compressed.
Headaches can have many causes, but most commonly they have a musculo-skeletal cause. This is often brought on by sustained poor posture and may have a stress related component. Having conducted a neurological examination and taken the patients blood pressure, it was considered safe to treat the patient. Treatment focused on releasing muscular tension in the upper back and neck and mobilising the spinal joints in the neck.
Although the patient was a little sore following the first treatment, within three treatments, their headaches were resolved and there was greater mobility in the neck. Some simple exercised were advised, along with ergonomic advice.
Contact Details
Southbourne Osteopathy Clinic,
10 The Drive, Southbourne,
Hampshire, PO10 8JP