Hilary Nicholson - Complementary Health Expert

I work as a registered Osteopath. Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions for your body to work well. So osteopaths work to restore your body to a state of balance, where possible without the use of drugs or surgery. Osteopaths use touch, physical manipulation, stretching and massage to increase the mobility of joints, to relieve muscle tension, to enhance the blood and nerve supply to tissues, and to help your body’s own healing mechanisms. They may also provide advice on posture and exercise to aid recovery, promote health and prevent symptoms recurring.

I have previously trained in Swedish Massage, Aromatherapy, Cranial Osteopathy and as a Pilates teacher. I also have a keen interest in herbal medicine and work closely with practitioners from many different disciplines from Acupuncture to Homeopathy.

I think it is very important to take good care of your body from when it is tiny so it will last you a very long time! I try to help my clients to get well using methods that are as natural and holistic as possible whilst keeping in mind that there are many occasions when modern western medicine is life saving. Looking after the basics from nutrition, to getting enough sleep is often half the battle in getting well (though this is not always so easily achieved!). My philosophy is always to try the simple things first for minor ailments and I will try and help you with any questions you may have.

Question
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Q. Hi, Not sure if this is one for you or not. I'm a single Mum with four children (don't even ask!). My middle boy Josh (8) is just manic! Charging around and shouting all over the place. Constantly. Are there any herbal remedies for this sort of hyper activity - just to help him calm down a bit! Thanks
A. Hello Josh's mum,

First of all congratulations on managing 4 children. Amazing!

I'm not sure if I can help with this or not as there are many reasons why little Josh may be a bouncy sort:

I don't know anything about his diet but if he has too much sugar, additives or quick release carbohydrate it may make the situation worse. White bread turns into sugar almost as fast as eating sugar directly I believe. Many juice drinks, pre-prepared meals and sweets still have additives that your child may be sensitive too. If Josh lives on veg and wholemeal then ignore this bit but many children are radically changed by changing their diet. It may even be that he is sensitive to a perfectly normal foodstuff so keep an eye out!

It may just be how he is. In which case a good place to start finding out about supplements is on a website called www.victoriahealth.com If you type hyperactivity into the search bar you will find various products that explain what is in them and how they work. I'm not suggesting you buy from them necessarily but it is one of the more straightforwardly laid out websites. Products will likely contain magnesium, B vitamins and zinc which are all good for the nervous system and keeping it calm. Many will go on about fish oil or DHA (its active ingredient) - works well on some kids and makes no difference at all in others. Then there will be things like s-adenosyl methionine or 5 hydroxytryptophan which are natural products that promote serotonin as they suspect low levels of that in hyperactive children. These are stronger but mostly the side-effects are good such as sleeping well!

I hope that helps a bit for a start. Let me know if you need anything clarifying or have any questions.

All the best,

Hilary