I use CranioSomatic Therapy in the clinic to release cranial patterns that hold your body in an incorrect position. The cranial techniques help restore muscle balance and shift the whole body into a more comfortable and functional alignment.

At my Clinic I place a huge emphasis on how your feet contact with the floor and footwear when I assess your gait (i.e. how you walk) in the clinic. Poor footwear can lead to improper foot and ankle function, which can lead to compensations and pain or injury elsewhere in the body.

My Approach at Martin Higgins Physio Clinic is to consider the alignment and position of the whole body and use an integrative neuro physiotherapy treatment approach for musculoskeletal dysfunctions.

My approach works by improving the correct position of the head, ribcage and pelvis to enable the individual to walk, run, rotate, breathe and rest more efficiently.

I see the body as a complex integrated system. Compensation or instability in one area will directly affect another. I take the whole body into account and look at how all the parts interact with one another, resulting in better outcomes and more efficient movement throughout your body.

Myofunctional therapy uses a program of specific exercises that target the facial muscles used to chew and swallow.

These exercises also improve the resting position of the tongue in the roof of mouth which is vital to balance and provide stability to the whole body.

I work together with dentists to help patients who are dealing with injury and pain in multiple areas; not just the head and neck and TMJ but the rest of the body as well.

Some patients require input from a dentist to help balance the nervous system if they have significant malocclusion.

We also help professional athletes and non-professional athletes to reduce pain and improve performance as well.

In my clinic I recognise that the visual system can have a huge effect on your body. Since vision is the dominant sensory input in to the brain, changing that input can completely change how the whole body functions; from the muscles and joints to how the floor or ground is felt by the feet.

I work hand-in-hand with behavioural optometrists in the UK and Europe to successfully treat patients with all sorts of musculo-skeletal injuries including back and neck pain and sports injuries.

I place a huge emphasis on correct nasal breathing with my patients. During nasal breathing, the tongue is in the correct position (in the roof of the mouth) which acts as a natural jaw expander during childhood and will help grow and expand the upper jaw (maxilla) resulting in an improved head, neck and spine position.

Conversely, mouth breathing leads to the tongue being in an incorrect resting position and altered jaw development and position. The resulting malocclusion then has a knock on effect on the muscle balance around the head and neck, body position and likelihood for problems with chronic pain and recurrent injury.