On the blog today we meet local osteopath Andreas Jochim, who is Clinic Director of the Strawberry House Clinic in Hayes, Bromley, where along with being a registered osteopath he is also a Medical Acupuncturist and Registered Perrin Practitioner.
Here, Andreas chats about his day-to-day working life, working with cars pre-osteopathy, and what he likes to do in the Bromley area in his spare time when he’s not treating people…
Hi Andreas, tell us a bit about your background- how long have you been an osteopath for?
After I left school I had a gap year, working in Germany, various jobs including packing parts at Mercedes Benz. Sadly no free Mercedes at the end of it!
I studied medicine at Newcastle uni for 3 years but decided it wasn’t the career for me. For 18 months after this I was a keyboard player in one of the top club bands in the northeast working several nights a week.
I still wanted to do something medical though and considered returning to medicine but in the end trained to be an osteopath. I have been practicing for 31 years, and set up the Strawberry House Clinic in Hayes in 2010. We have 2 osteopaths, a podiatrist, 3 psychologists, and a hypnotherapist.
Describe your typical day if you can? What is involved behind the scenes?
I always have a coffee from one of the coffee shops on the high street, about 7am. My first patient is at 7.30 am. I treat using osteopathic techniques and sometimes acupuncture. Also laser therapy, which helps with inflammation, sports injuries and even arthritis. I also practice cranial osteopathy for babies. So my work is very varied; I might be helping someone with long covid, then treating an injured knee, then an arthritic neck, then a baby with colic and sleeping difficulties!
What do you find is the most common injury/ailment you come across? Do you have any tips for people when it comes to maintaining good back/neck health?
Probably the commonest problems are neck or low back issues from working from home hunched over a laptop at the kitchen table, (or something like this scenario). I give lots of advice when people come to see me. ‘Movement is life,’ we all need to be active in whatever way we choose, gym, yoga, pilates, gardening, running, ti chi (I’ve taken this up again after a 20 year gap!). Too much TV, phone time, computer time, all are the enemy. There’s a place for these but they must not dominate too much. Find ways to relax. Social life and (mostly) good healthy food are very important.
Most interesting, unusual or surprising physical case you’ve worked on?
I treated a gentleman a few years ago who was 6’10” and weighed 37 stone. I managed to perform and HVT (where we click the lower back) on him. I impressed myself!
What’s your favourite thing to do/ place to visit in the Bromley area?
We have a cockapoo and walk her in Beckenham place park, Kelsey park and probably my favourite, High eEms. We’re so lucky in Bromley to have these great spaces.
Thanks Andreas! You can read more news and blogs HERE on the Bromley Property Company website
