My Osteopathy journey: The missing piece
Today we're sharing Ruth's personal experience with osteopathy at Yew Tree Clinic. Individual stories like Ruth's offer valuable perspectives on health journeys. What follows is Ruth's account in her own words.
Discovering Osteopathy in Bristol after trauma
I first stepped into this Bristol osteopath clinic in December 2019 after being knocked off my bike. The sciatica that followed was excruciating, but little did I know this accident would lead me to discover a form of medicine that would transform my life.
The first treatment was more than just physical healing
Before my first appointment, I was like many others – I'd heard of osteopathy but had no real understanding of its scope. What happened next amazed me. Claire, my osteopath, took one look at me and identified issues I'd been struggling with for years – TMJ in my jaw, chronic pelvic pain – before I'd even spoken a word.
For the first time in my medical journey, I felt truly seen.
The first treatment unleashed something unexpected. An emotional release of trauma that left me feeling lighter than I had in years. This was my first glimpse into how osteopathy works on multiple levels – physical, emotional, and spiritual. It's not just about bones and muscles; it's about the whole person.
Finding answers for chronic pain
My journey with chronic pain hadn't been easy. After being diagnosed with endometriosis and undergoing two laparoscopies, I sat in my gynecologist's office, desperate for answers about my persistent pelvic pain. The second surgery showed no returning endometriosis, yet the pain remained. When I asked what could be done, my gynecologist had no answers.
Now, I wish every gynecologist knew about osteopathy's potential for helping women with pelvic pain. I used to have pain most days and now it is just a few days a month.
Healing deep-seated trauma through osteopathy
Years of trauma had left their mark on my body. My fascia – the connective tissue throughout the body – was tangled and tight, something another osteopath had noted with sadness but felt unable to address. Under Claire's care, however, this too began to improve through gentle, patient treatment.
A collaborative approach
One of the many things that sets Yew Tree Clinic apart is their collaborative approach. Working alongside Claire, I also see Joad, whose detailed explanations of my body's processes have become crucial to my healing journey. Understanding what's happening in my body has empowered me to take an active role in my recovery.
Managing Fibromyalgia
Living with fibromyalgia, I can say without exaggeration that osteopathy has been life-changing. The constant pain and tension had taken over my life – there were days when I couldn't sit at my desk for work, nights when lying down was impossible, and mornings when my body was so stiff I could barely move. Every touch felt like fire on my skin. Medication had never worked and I'd started to lose hope.
Through consistent osteopathy sessions, these seemingly impossible challenges began to shift. Claire and Joad's gentle approach helped release the tension patterns that were amplifying my pain. They taught me how different areas of tension were connected, and how gentle release in one area could bring relief throughout my body.
Most importantly, they showed me how to recognise when my body was heading toward a flare-up and what I could do to prevent it. Through consistent treatment, I've regained abilities I thought I'd lost forever – like being able to sit through a movie or sleep through the night.
While fibromyalgia is a lifelong condition, regular maintenance treatments keep me functioning and living life fuller than what I could ever have imagined.
The journey to whole-body wellness
I've learned that healing isn't a quick fix. Alongside my osteopathy treatments, I've had to look at my whole life – my work, how I move, even how I process stress. Claire and Joad have guided me, but they've also empowered me to take charge of my own healing. Sometimes that means gentle exercises at home, other times it's about listening to my body when it needs rest.
What still amazes me, even after all this time, is how everything in our bodies is connected. A problem in your hip can affect your jaw, emotional stress can tighten your fascia, and trauma can reshape your entire body.
Finding practitioners who understand these connections, who see you as a whole person rather than just a collection of symptoms has transformed my understanding of what medicine can be.
When I think back to that scared, pain-filled woman who first walked into the clinic in 2019, barely able to move without wincing, I want to tell her this:
The journey ahead will reach far deeper than your physical pain. You're about to discover parts of yourself you never knew existed, and find strength you never knew you had.
Thank you, Ruth, for sharing your story with our community.
If you're interested in finding out more about osteopathy or would like to book an appointment at Yew Tree Clinic, please contact us on 0117 946 6882.