"I left teaching to become an osteopath and now help people in pain at my practice in Eccleshall"

She uses a wide range of hands-on therapy techniques to relieve or manage pain, helping patients to keep active and maintain the best of health.

Since qualifying in August 2019, after training for five years with the College of Osteopaths in Stoke-On-Trent, she has worked in both private practice and the NHS.

In September, Hannah opened her own osteopathic practice in the market town of Eccleshall.

The 35-year-old was inspired to enter the field after experiencing first-hand the benefits of osteopathy.

“Whenever we had a problem with back pain in my family, we went to see the osteopath and I always felt better after leaving,” explains Hannah.

Originally, Hannah trained to become a teacher but after a while realised her heart wasn’t in the job.

“I was teaching in Liverpool at the time and finding it a really stressful job,” she says.

“I come from a medical family and thought about becoming a doctor or a physio. 

“I went to see my sister get a second opinion from an osteopath and I thought this ticks all the boxes. It’s a profession, it’s a skill, it’s working with people and it’s life-long learning.

“I retrained with the help of my teaching degree and I haven’t looked back since,” says Hannah.

It’s a common misconception that osteopaths only treat back pain.

“I see back pain the most often but I also see pain in the neck, shoulders, knees and feet,” says Hannah, who is registered with the General Osteopathic Council

People may also seek treatment for changes to posture in pregnancy, postural problems caused by driving or work strain, the pain of arthritis and sports injuries.

When Hannah sees a patient for the first time, she will find out about the reason for their visit and ask questions about their health and lifestyle.

This is followed by an examination where Hannah observes posture and mobility and uses palpation – a highly developed sense of touch – to examine joints, muscles, ligaments and any other structures related to the complaint.

“I work across a lot of the body,” she says. “I’m looking for why people are in pain, travelling away from where the pain is.”

Hannah will then come up with a treatment plan for the patient tailored to their diagnosis.

The course of treatment depends on the individual circumstances with Hannah usually recommending four to six sessions in the majority of cases.

She aims to make treatments relaxing as well as effective, treating the whole body to include the postural and movement patterns that can cause pain.

Hannah has taken advanced courses in assessing and treating using cranial osteopathy, which involves using light touch to work with the internal pulls and strains in tissues.

And she is also trained in using visceral osteopathy, where touch is used to treat the pulls and strains between and within organs and other tissues of the body. 

In 2022, Hannah volunteered to work with athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where she was based in one of the polyclinics.

As well as housing a wide range of medical staff, there was also state-of-the-art technology such as ultrasound scanners and MRI’s.

“I saw the athletes before and after their events. We also saw coaches and officials, anybody who might have had an injury.

“It was a really special experience to be part of a dynamic and effective team,” she explains.

Using her knowledge and skills to help people gain insight into their problem and feel confident in their body again is Hannah’s favourite part of the job.

“It’s a real privilege to help with their pain and to make them feel better,” she says.

Hannah is keen to reassure anyone who may be unsure about seeking treatment from an osteopath for their pain that they “are here to help”.

“Please be assured that you will be listened to and your treatment will be tailored to you. The treatment is not painful, most people say it feels nice and it’s relaxing.

“People who have been putting up with long-term pain often say they wish they had come to see me sooner,” she says. 

For more information, see hbosteopath.co.uk