Nolan Osteopathy - Henley on Thames

Maria has a Masters in Osteopathy from the world renowned British School of Osteopathy in London and has also completed a course in Medical Acupuncture, which is a technique Maria incorporates into some of her patients treatment plans.

She is a registered member of the General Osteopathic Council and is fully insured.

Maria used to suffer quite badly with back problems when she was younger and the only thing that helped was osteopathy. After that she was hooked. She loves helping people and osteopathy has changed so many of her patient’s lives. In her own words "It is one of the most rewarding careers anyone could have"

Her treatment approach is primarily structural, which means she uses a variety of different techniques such as joint manipulation, articulation, stretching and soft tissue massage. It really depends on the patient and what is best for them. She also advises on postural and lifestyle factors to minimise the chance of the symptoms returning and enabling the patient to return to normal activities as soon as possible.

I trained at The University College of Osteopathy (formerly The British School of Osteopathy) in London. I am a registered member of the General Osteopathic Council and am fully insured.

Why did you decide to become an osteopath?

I have had a real passion for healthcare from a young age and initially I wanted to become a doctor. I was encouraged by family and friends to do as many medical and healthcare observations as I could in order to make my application stand out for medicine. However, the first and last observations I did was with a close family friend, who was an osteopath. Observing her treating her patients and getting wonderful results through hands on treatment was fascinating to me and that was the moment I knew I wanted to be an osteopath.

What's your treatment style like?

My treatments are mainly structural and include some gentle adaptations such as soft tissue massage for patients that I feel would respond better to that. I find that the body generally responds well to techniques where I help to allow more space within the joints and tissues and so I will often do a lot of stretches with my patients too.

Name a fun fact someone might not know about you?

I am an avid skier- I can't imagine not going every year!

What do you do to relax?

A walk through the woods … or the occasional gin and tonic!

Favourite movie?

I'm a big fan of Harry Potter- one day I might grow out of it.

Favourite travel destination?

Banff, Canada (in the Winter). Beautiful wide ski slopes, great food and gorgeous people.

What is one of your favourite quotes?

The older you get, the better you get…. Unless you're a banana!