The Gatefield Clinic
Osteopathy
Osteopaths believe everyone can benefit from a tailored, whole-person approach to health. We are Allied Healthcare Professionals who take time to understand your individual history, circumstances and unique physiology, to provide you with a personalised health improvement plan.
Osteopaths provide safe, effective treatment and care that aims to promote the health of patients. Using manual therapy, health advice and sometimes exercise, tailored to the needs of the individual, people of all ages see osteopaths, from babies to the elderly.
As highly trained healthcare professionals, we are experts in the musculoskeletal (MSK) system – that is the muscles, joints and associated tissues and their relationship with other systems of the body.
What do Osteopaths do
Osteopaths will use a wide variety of gentle hands-on techniques that focus on releasing tension, improving mobility and optimising function, together with providing useful health advice and exercise if required.
They will also work with, or refer you to, other healthcare professionals as needed to ensure you receive optimum care. They take the time to understand each patient – your unique combination of symptoms, medical history and lifestyle. This helps to make an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your issue, (not just addressing the site of discomfort), and formulate a treatment plan with you that will achieve the best outcome.
How can Osteopaths help?
People commonly visit Osteopaths for MSK (musculoskeletal) conditions, such as back, neck, joint, muscle and arthritic discomfort. Osteopaths have a well-deserved, evidence-based reputation for expertise in the treatment of these conditions.
People also visit osteopaths for a variety of other health reasons including neuromuscular conditions such as sciatica, digestive issues, headaches and migraine prevention.
Vanessa Darlington,
BSc(Hons)Ost, DO, PGCHE
Senior Osteopath / Clinic Director
Vanessa graduated with an honours degree from the European School of Osteopathy. She also works part-time as an a lecturer and examiner at The European School of Osteopathy and as an international lecturer during the summer months and attends regular professional development courses. She works also as a clinical supervisor in a teaching clinic, specialising in women's health and childbirth.
Vanessa is a member of the Institute of Osteopathy , and registered with the General Osteopathic Council .
Vanessa treats a wide variety of complaints from postural strains, sports and work related injuries to headaches. She uses both structural and fascial techniques and tries to adapt each treatment to the individual patient. She will advise on appropriate exercise and lifestyle changes to enable her patients to regain full fitness as soon as possible.
In recent years, Vanessa has had a keen interest in sport and has taken part in several sprint and Olympic triathlons raising money for the Brain tumour Charity as well as being a keen cyclist in her spare time.
As part of her recent continuing professional development, she has attended a course in Cognitive Behavioural hypnotherapy. She completed this in order to specialise in helping people with chronic pain.
Nathan Allon,
M.Ost, DO
Associate Osteopath
A Masters graduate from the European School of Osteopathy, I am skilled in a broad range of conditions from sports injury and rehabilitation, cranial and treatment of all ages.
I listen to you and then conduct an examination, developing a holistic plan to help bring your body back into a state of perfect balance.
My path to osteopathy was a profoundly personal one. When my father was suffering with senile dementia and Parkinson’s disease, I saw how manual therapy enabled him to gain some respite, and how he benefited mentally, for as long as the disease would allow him.
I have also been privileged to work in the mental health sector and have taken the skills acquired in this field and combined them with osteopathy. The line between mental and physical health is very fine and therefore, by marrying the two disparate disciplines there is a better chance of success.
In my own time I love to read, meditate, draw portrait art, go to the gym, cook, have a go at gardening, but most of all I love singing for my band Tundra.
Claire Bradley,
M.Ost, Biodynamic Traditional Osteopathy, Western Acupuncture for MSK pain,
Sports Therapy Level 3 & BTEC HND Childhood Studies
Associate Osteopath
Claire recently qualified as an Osteopath having worked at the European school of Osteopathy clinic in Maidstone for the last two years. There she has worked alongside some leading specialists in sports, headache clinic, women’s health and in the children’s clinic.
She enjoys treating adults of all ages but has special interests in maternity, babies and children and working with the family as a unit. Using a patient centered holistic approach allows her to have a clear understanding of the whole patient, including their choices over treatment and how their wider environments and relationships relate to their health.
Treatment options include a mixture of structural, functional and cranial techniques that are best suited to the patient and their health, wellbeing or conditions. With the addition of acupuncture for some patients as an adjunct alongside these therapies. Claire also plans to undertake further training in paediatrics alongside Biodynamic osteopathy
She previously worked as a nursery teacher for 15 years, has run her own restaurants and has a keen interest in renovating period properties.
Since 2016 she has been working as a rehab support worker within multidisciplinary teams for clients with acquired brain injury. In 2016 and 2018 she supported some of her clients to go to Namibia working on outreach projects at rural schools with The Silverlining charity.
Memberships/Professional Registrations:
Claire is a member of the institute of osteopathy and is registered with the General Osteopathic Council
Specialist areas and interests: Paediatrics, Women’s Health and Maternity & Cranial and Visceral Osteopathy
Vera Lorenz
M.Ost, DO
Associate Osteopath
Vera graduated from the European School of Osteopathy.
In the teaching clinic of the ESO she enjoyed treating patients of all ages, from toddlers to the elderly.
During this time, Vera developed a keen interest in the physiology of pain and chronic pain conditions (headaches, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis). Especially, stress as well as life stage and lifestyle related triggers and maintainers of headache conditions like migraine and chronic tension type headache are in Vera´s focus.
She plans to undertake further education on the effects of hormonal changes especially in menopause on the body's function and healing.
Before changing her career to Osteopathy Vera worked for 20 years in the IT-branch and learned from own experience as executive manager how much toll a 60-hour working week can take on the body and mind and the help that Osteopathy can provide.
Having played Tennis and Volleyball for 25 years, Vera made her own experience with sports induced injuries and long-lasting discomfort even though the injury had healed off months ago.
She incorporates all these experiences into the understanding of the patient’s background, the diagnosis, and the following treatment. Her treatment approaches encompass functional techniques like cranial osteopathy, structural approaches like mobilization and manipulations as well as visceral techniques.
Training and Registration
Osteopaths are regulated by law and recognised as an allied health profession by NHS England. This gives them a similar status to dentists or physiotherapists and guarantees the equivalent high level of care.
By law, an osteopath must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) to practise in the UK.
Before an osteopath can obtain registration, they must attain specialist degree-level training, either a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) or integrated Masters (MOst.), plus complete over 1000 hours of clinical placements (direct patient contact time).
To maintain their registration with GOsC, which is renewed annually, osteopaths must meet mandatory continuous professional development (CPD): keeping skills and knowledge up-to-date and maintaining high standards of professional development.
