Dr Sarah Cipollone in Alstonville, New South Wales | Osteopath

Dr Sarah Cipollone

Locality: Alstonville, New South Wales

Phone: +61 477 163 659

Address: 78A Main St 2477 Alstonville, NSW, Australia

Website: alstonville-osteopathy.cliniko.com/bookings#location

Likes: 341

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Doctor
• Medical and health
• Alternative & holistic health service
• Osteopath

25.01.2022 Do you have chronic pain? #IOHW2021

24.01.2022 Whoever negatively stigmatised the idea that pain comes from brain is a big goose, because WHERE ELSE would pain come from? Of course it comes from your brain. No brain, no pain. Don't let anyone de-validate your experience! Pain is always real, and is often very helpful to protect ourselves...but pain is also complex. A much wiser man than me suggested that pain is your brain’s opinion of how much danger your body is in. Pain is a very, very useful tool to protect ourselves.... When we can acknowledge that although pain is always a REAL experience, it does not necessarily indicate accurate damage in our tissues. If this interests you, Lorimer Mosely’s Ted Talk Why Things Hurt is much more eloquent than I can be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwd-wLdIHjs He tells a story about once being bitten by a snake while bushwalking, an experience that nearly killed him. The next time he went bushwalking, he endured a small scratch from a twig in a similar area on the side of his leg and immediately experienced piercing, burning, crippling pain. Similarly, recently I fell over while fishing on some rocks and thought I had shattered my wrist into a hundred pieces. My helpful brain assessed the situation, knowing that would mean losing my job, causing a lot of financial burden and guilt for my clientele. Like Lorimer, I was very embarrassed about my Drama Queen reaction when it turned out to be nothing. If you can concede how the intensity of your pain may be contextual to your personal experience; that it is your brain’s OPINION, we may be able to change the way we experience it. As always, please feel welcome to contact me with any questions!

24.01.2022 Sharing this artwork I created to celebrate International Osteopathy Awareness Week. You can be a little bit crooked and still be very beautiful and healthy! I'm more concerned with how you move. Move better with Osteopathy ;) #IOAW2021 #osteopathy

24.01.2022 The beautiful Bec Bertram was one of my first patients at Alstonville Osteopathy and with pleasure I was involved in her elopement yesterday! Congratulations, I wish you both a lot of love, health and happiness!

23.01.2022 Good morning Alstonville, Goonellebah and surrounds! My first week treating at Alstonville Osteopathy - Alstonville & Goonellabah has been a real treat so far. The weather has been spectacular, the staff are all incredibly welcoming and I have been nearly fully booked with a great mix of interesting cases and beautiful personalities. I can't wait to get to know you all more and immerse myself into this beautiful community Please feel free to send me any advice or hot tips, I'm very fresh to the area!

22.01.2022 It's Migraine Awareness Month and today is Shades for Migraine day! Chronic headaches are the pits, so if you suffer with migraines seek out a practitioner who will treat you holistically. Migraines tend to respond well to treating any tension on the neck, head, face or jaw, but also by looking at your stress, your sleep, your diet and lifestyle! #ShadesForMigraine #mam2021 #stateofshades #NSW

22.01.2022 We (my osteo, physio, GP buddies) are pushing for a cultural change around pain management! Here from the Physio Network (November Issue) is a proposed list of principles, a roadmap that should be adopted across the board into healthcare. Have a gander and let me know if you disagree, or have any comment on what we suggest is best practice for pain. Let's get the discussion going, and leave behind out-dated ideas that perpetuate fear. 1. In the absence of trauma, DO NOT assum...e that pain indicates tissue damage. 2. Do not refer for imaging unless suspicious of serious pathology, or when imaging directly influences care. (As per my previous post) 3. Explore bio-psychosocial factors that may contribute to pain. **This is a biggie; psychological and social factors have been shown time again to be just as important to our experience/intensity of pain as biology. 4. Deliver positive messages about pain during examination and treatment. *Pain can be very helpful to protect us! I also like to think that the occasional sprain or strain can be a helpful kick up the bum to take better care of our body. *The edge of discomfort is also where we grow, and we don't necessarily need to be afraid of it. 5. Improve tissue tolerance to load. * We definitely want you to return to sport or your activities, so it is important to grade exposure to movement and loading with realistic and sustainable goals. 6. Use passive treatments only as an adjunct to active management. *This can be controversial as an osteopath, but I believe my entire generation of therapists would agree that this means an active participation by the patient in their care is absolutely essential for best outcomes. No amount of passive therapy is going to change the habits that likely predisposed your injury. 7. Use shared decision making to build self efficacy. *Patient centred approach to healthcare 8. Use an inter-disciplinary approach to deliver a united message. *Build a supportive team! https://www.physio-network.com For any fellow therapists reading, I find Physio Network to be an excellent research resource. Luke Abels

20.01.2022 Can you tell I'm smiling under my brand new masks, homemade by my lovely patient this week! I tell you what...they are much more bearable when they are fun

20.01.2022 Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) - What is it, and could it be the reason you are DIZZY? This weekend I had the pleasure of participating in BowerBird's course BPPV: Diagnosis and Treatment run by "Spin Doctor" Dr Rudi Gerhardt. BPPV is one of the most common causes of vertigo, and can often be treated very simply after a thorough and accurate diagnosis. If you or a loved one is experiencing vertigo, book in with a specifically trained osteopath to identify the c...ause and get you back on your feet! #bowerbird #CPD #osteopathy Bowerbirdcpd.com

20.01.2022 Pain is like a smoke detector! "It’s there to warn us of danger, but isn’t always totally reliable. Sometimes there’s a fire; sometimes it’s just your toast burning again. And sometimes the detector fails to go offthere can be damage to the body without any pain at all." The goal of Pain Education is to teach patients that they can CONTROL the smoke detector. Understanding your pain is the foundation to moving more and participating in activities that are important to you. ... Move better with osteopathy! #ioaw2021

19.01.2022 ~ CHRISTMAS CHIP TIP ~ Practice gratitude! It is a tradition in my household (often begrudgingly on my house-mates part!) to decorate Christmas baubles with sentiments of gratitude, which I hang around the house in lieu of the traditional tree. Whatever you religion, culture or feelings towards this holiday season...the end of the year (especially THIS year) is a great opportunity to take a beat to reflect on what we have. ... The empirical evidence is finally catching up to the widespread popularity of advising gratitude journalling to patients. I can't speak on behalf of all pain practitioners, but I certainly dole it out as homework a lot (along with expressive writing). Gratitude has been shown to enhance social relationships and improve subjective well-being. Hugh van Cuylenburg through The Resilience Project teaches how Gratitude is a pillar of happiness, with Empathy and Mindfulness. These are skills that don't necessarily come naturally to us, but can be taught and practiced, and I choose to practice it every day of December! We would all benefit from seeking resilience; from financial hardships, social relationships (or isolation this year!), our employment, recovering from an injury, dealing with pain etc. Today I am grateful for my cute Christmas Shirt, the beautiful sunrise, the AC in my lovely clinic room, my house-mate made me curry for lunch and a pretty amazing looking client list today! What are you grateful for today? https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-04367-005 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-017-9931-5

19.01.2022 My beautiful associate Belinda has an important message about preventative care. You don't need to have an injury to see an osteopath. We are more interested in promoting wellness than treating dis-ease!

19.01.2022 100! Thank you to everyone for supporting my little passion project. Love and health to you all ;)

18.01.2022 ~ CHIP TIP ~ Video cred to The Inspired Unemployed boys down in Kiama! Systemic reviews of literature comparing exercises for low back pain continue to suggest no or very limited statistical significance of one form of exercise over another (although Pilates, resistance/strength and aerobic are all found to be beneficial). That means that whether you enjoy weights, walking, F45 or yogga I will just be one happy Chippy to empower you to move more and without pain!... Flick me a message or call your local osteopath to find out how we may help get you out of pain and living your best life. It can start with only 8 minutes a day of activity that yu find enjoyable or meaninful. Ask us how! https://bjsm.bmj.com//early/2019/10/28/bjsports-2019-100886 #bonesandstuff

17.01.2022 A beautiful friend of mine bringing us more easy techniques for calming down our (often stressed or over-stimulated) bodies. Tonnes of research has shown the correlation between stress levels and intensity of pain. If you are in any type of ongoing pain, maybe head over to her FB page or Insight Timer and try some of her ideas or meditations. Let me know what you think!

17.01.2022 Exciting news!! I will soon be working Mondays at the beautiful Brunswick Heads Osteopathy clinic. I can't wait to service the community north of Byron Bay!

17.01.2022 This week is International Osteopathic Healthcare Week, an opportunity for the global community of osteopaths and osteopathic physicians to come together to cel...ebrate and promote osteopathic philosophy, to thank registered osteopaths for their work and contribution to the profession, and to raise awareness of osteopathy in the broader community. #IOHW2021 Click the link to find out more: https://bit.ly/3aX1Z3y.

16.01.2022 Trick or Treatment! I'll be working all day today, and then enjoying the spooky blue moon in the thunderstorms tonight!

16.01.2022 ~ CHIP TIP ~ Don't get spooked by your imaging this Halloween! An MRI will show a disc bulge in almost 1/3 of PAIN FREE 20 year olds, with those stats increasing 10% every decade. So nearly 1/2 of people aged 40-50, again totally asymptomatic, will have a disc bulge. ... Radiology reports are (generally) written without the clinical context and diagnoses are often made from an abnormality on the scan that strong evidence suggests can be perfectly normal. Absolutely nothing is worse for your pain than fear. Speak to an osteopath if you are in pain, for they will assess you thoroughly, holistically and informed by evidence. Alstonville Osteopathy - Alstonville & Goonellabah

15.01.2022 Move Better With Osteopathy! #IOHW2021

09.01.2022 Who is a lucky osteopath who keeps getting spoiled rotten from the amazing clients at Alstonville Osteopathy - Alstonville & Goonellabahl?! Hint; she has a blurry camera, she loves wine and it's me! . I love my wine coasters, thanks Jan and Gary! #homemadepresents

08.01.2022 Last night I joined in to the local Dancing in the Dark Happy Mountain. Having a 1 hour social distance boogey in the dark with a bunch of strangers to retro bangers is the most fun I have had in months! There are not many (nay, zero) situations that I am comfortable not wearing my specs in public, but last night I let my hair down, turned my phone off and just had a good blurry, sweaty boogey. It was grounding, cathartic and in a weird way gave me a real (much needed) sense... of connectedness. Dancing is not a vocation reserved for the athletic or talented. Dancing is good for your body, your mind, your soul. It is evidenced to reduce stress, improve memory, diminish depression, lose weight, increase your energy. It gives you the biggest endorphin kick of any exercise, promoting happiness. It's also super dooper fun. #CHIPTIP I can not highly enough recommend seeking out / creating a local Dancing in the Dark event, or (if COVID prevents it!) turning the music up at home and having a good lounge room dance party.

07.01.2022 To all my Southern friends, please remember to stay connected during isolation. I am always available for a chat, laugh or grumble at the end of the line. Please never hesitate to reach out, and don't forget that it IS OK not to be OK!

07.01.2022 The beautiful Freddie Mercury passed away on this day 29 years years ago. He is famous for many reasons, but these words of his always resonate with me. The most important thing is to live a fabulous life. As long as it’s fabulous I don’t care how long it is. I also once saw a quote in a park in Sri Lanka (correct me if I'm wrong Joel Maffei) that stated "You can't do anything about the LENGTH of your life, but you can about it's WIDTH and DEPTH". ... What I really take from these words is that there will always be things outside of our control that impact our lives, but it is how we choose to react to those stressors and adapt, grow, thrive, that makes us truly incredible. Let me try and help you with the width and depth of your life. I want to help you move with greater ease, participate in the activities that you love, push you to live with more fabulousness! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXw8CRapg7k

05.01.2022 ~ CHIP TIP ~ Are you 60 years or over and looking to get fit and active in 2021? NSW Health’s FREE Healthy and Active for Life Online program could be perfect for you! REGISTRATION CLOSES SUNDAY 27th! Healthy and Active for Life Online is a 10 week healthy lifestyle program that you can complete in the comfort of your own home. All you need is internet access, a computer or tablet and some space to exercise! ... The program includes: Access to 2 online home exercise programs for 12 months An exercise manual and log to help keep you on track Weekly phone support from our trained phone coaches Access to 10 weekly online learning modules focused on healthy eating and lifestyle, and more! Sign up today at www.activeandhealthy.nsw.gov.au See more

05.01.2022 ~ Proud Moment ~ One of my oldest (and let's be serious, favourite) patients messaged me today. She first presented to my office with chronic, debilitating daily headaches and back pain. I am so proud to have been involved in her journey; to have seen and encouraged her dedication and passion to change her life for the better. I say it often, but the role of the osteopath (or any health care provider) is to motivate the person and encourage the body to find health. She isn't... the beautiful, strong, confident woman she is today because of any stretch, massage or manipulation I ever did, or any drugs she was prescribed. She committed to moving more, walking on the beach, jogging before work. She went to gym classes, she found meaningful activities that she enjoyed. She found an inspirational PT (also called Sarah!). It is an absolute HONOUR to have been a part of her story and I aspire, in any small way, to motivate and empower others to seek wellness in their lives. You go girl!

05.01.2022 If you are able to, give the Gift of Life this Christmas!! The centre at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is beautiful, the staff are beyond lovely and (even with my petrifying fear of needles) it was a really easy and surprisingly fun experience! Today I learnt that in the time it takes to bake a batch of the "world’s best biscuits" at Byron Bay Cookie Company, 43 blood donations will be required. Also, very proud of Taylor Ash for donating for the first time.... #lifeblood

04.01.2022 Hello and welcome to all my new followers! <3 I had a much needed RnR day today and while I was walking on the beach I listened to the first episode of INTERCONNECTED "The Power To Heal From Within". It's a 9 part series airing free over the next week only which explores the microbiome and how discontent or imbalance in our gut flora underpins many disease processes. While the concept of 'gut dysbiosis' being linked to chronic inflammation and disease is not new, it is far ...from being well understood and managed by our health care system. Every person's microbiome is vastly different, depending on endless factors including your mother's microbiome, your birth, every single forkful of food you put into your mouth, every drug, every environmental toxin you are exposed to. A very interesting watch for not only people with tummy issues, but for those suffering which any number of chronic disease processes including; obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases etc. I found it absolutely mind blowing to appreciate that we have an entire ecosystem living symbiotically within and on us. Actually we have more bacterial, viral and fungal cells in our body than we do human ones by about 10 to 1. By just giving these alian cells a home, they work tirelessly and THANKLESSLY in many health promoting processes including; synthesisng hormones, aiding in breakdwn of food products, creating micronutrients, detoxification, stimulating the immune system, preventing growth of dangerous bacteria and creating neuropeptides that regulate our mood. The list goes on and on. As hollistic therapists we look at your entire lifestyle to understand how happy all of your systems are functioning (cardiovascular, nervous, musculoskeletal, urogenital, reproductive, GI etc etc). We now know that that must include the vast and diverse garden in our guts. #ChipTip Happy microbiome = Happy Life! Flick me a message if you would like to discuss this concept more <3

03.01.2022 ~ CHIP TIP ~ It is OK not to be OK!! Those who know me, know that I'm generally a pretty happy person. What you might not know is that I feel low all the time, as a pretty understandable part of the human condition. I practice a lot of active grattitude, and I love my life. I am SO thankful for my incredible career, my beautiful partner, living in this amazing part of the world, all the travel I have been fortunate to do, the family that I was born into, the friends I have m...ade along the way. Etc. But I also feel overwhelmed and vulnerable ALL of the time. Sometimes I feel inadequate, like I should be doing more, giving more, exercising more. Sometimes I feel lazy, my skin is always blemished and my booty doesn't look as good in jeans as it used to. I miss my family and friends terribly and we have a lot of uncertainty for our future. Feeling occasional anxiety or depression is normal. But if you are not doing OK, I beg you to seek help. Seek help with a friend, via an online forum, with a counsellor, with your osteopath...I am always happy to listen. https://www.ruok.org.au/ Lifeline 13 11 14

03.01.2022 Humble Brag for a quick minute. Today I finish at my first associate position, Complete Health Clinic. It was an overwhelming final day, with every patient sneaking me a cheeky masked hug and a crazy abundance of presents, wine and beautiful words. What an honour is has been to serve the beautiful people of the Central Coast! I have learned so much during my years here; not just from my associates and the vast health community here but also from my diverse and beautiful pati...ents. I don't have the words to describe my gratitude eloquently enough, so I will just say THANK YOU! Please remember that it will always be a pleasure to be involved on your journey to health, in whatever way that may be. Stay in touch via my page, my email, drive 7 hours North and book into Alstonville Osteopathy - Alstonville & Goonellabah :P Love and health to all Sarah

03.01.2022 FIBROMYALGIA - The mysterious pain disorder Widespread pain, fatigue, poor sleep, "fibro fog" or concentration and memory problems, anxiety/depression, numbness, tingling, IBS, menstrual issues, morning stiffness, etc etc etc. The jury is still out on WHY it happens, but the winning theory is an accumulation of physical and/or psychological traumas and/or infection in genetically predisposed people. ... We understand that it is an over-sensitisaion of nerve pathways; inappropriately telling your brain that you are in danger so it then sends out strong pain signals and a bunch of other wacky symptoms. Pain is your brain's opinion of how much danger you are in, and in the case of this disease we suspect it is being sent lots of curly messages. FM sufferers tend to have faulty pain blocking pathways and an incapacity to filter out irrelevant sensory information (eg. how we don't notice wearing a watch after a while). They require less stimulus to fire nerve signals, processing harmless stimuli as noxious ones. They tend to have less opioid receptors in the brain. Functional MRIs also show that FM sufferers have much greater activity levels in the areas of the brain that process painful stimuli. This is a grossly simplistic explanation of an extraordinarily complex syndrome. I understand how frustrating and emotional it must be to have a disease that people cannot SEE, or UNDERSTAND, or BELIEVE. While we don't have all the answers yet, you should feel validated knowing that there is very strong evidence for pathology of the nervous system. My first priority with patients is education, as research shows us how much more likely we are to cope well with something when we understand it. That relates to acute sprains as well, my "bread and butter". My next priority is working together for sustainable and realistic goals to get you moving and living better. That may include drugs, passive therapies (like massage), counselling, exercises. The best approach is multi-disciplinary and holistic. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more, including how osteopathy may benefit you :)

03.01.2022 ~ CHIP TIP ~ "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" A gripping and surprisingly accessible read by neuro-endocrinologist and professor of biology Robert Sapolsky. He discusses the physiological effects of stress and why humans (and their primate cousins) have more stress related diseases than any other animal. That includes heart disease, cancer, auto-immune disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety. ... He insinuates that we have evolved to become smart enough to make ourselves sick; with prolonged psychosocial stressors like 30 year mortgages, trouble shooting the WIFI, traffic, pleasing your boss etc. Happiness and self esteem are important factors to reduce stress. Gratitude, empathy, mindfulness and human connection are the pillars of happiness. Seeking out these things may be our best chance of proactively seeking health and wellness, rather than chasing away or managing chronic disease. During COVID a lot of us are facing social isolation, but now more than ever we need to appreciate how human connection PROTECTS us from disease. Joel and I have been doing online trivia nights, FaceTiming our family for cuppa tea time or Sunday dinner. Physical isolation does not need to mean disconnectedness in the community. Please reach out if you are feeling isolated, and I'll be sure to include you in our next Kahoot Trivia night!

03.01.2022 OSTEOPATHY Where science meets art ~ CHIP TIP ~... For a long time physical therapists emphasised or catastrophised little structural abnormalities and assymetries in the body, but we now know that crooked bodies are often healthy bodies. We know that joints don't "go out of place" without serious trauma and things like a scoliosis or leg length discrepency (while they do add to our profesdional clinical understanding) are often not causes of pain. A tenant of osteopathy is that structure governs function; that anatomy and physiology are interrelated. While I believe that to be true, I don't think you need to focus on little assymetries in the body until you get them checked out professionally, and when you do I betcha it's probably A-OK. Your body is strong and compensates remarkably well. Flick me a message if you have any questions or concerns! #bonesandstuff

02.01.2022 As we navigate life with masks, try learning these easy signs to be more inclusive of our deaf community!

01.01.2022 Move more and better with osteopathy! #IOAW2021

01.01.2022 Happy NAIDOC week!