From Family Hands to Healing Hands, This is my Journey of how I became osteopath
“Osteopathy chimes with my natural instinct to see the bigger picture, as it is only then that a pain or a condition can be properly fixed – so it does not come back again”.
The world of healing has always felt like a natural place for me. I was born into a family where massage wasn't a “spa treatment”, but a way of life. Since I was young, I'd watch my parents use their hands to ease tension and bring comfort. Helping others came as naturally as breathing, and learning massage techniques became a cherished part of my childhood.
This came into it’s own when my mother suffered three debilitating slipped discs. Seeing her struggle with back pain firsthand sparked a deep desire in me to understand the complexities of the body’s skeletal system. From this moment I knew I wanted to be an osteopath.
In 1986, I entered the University College of Osteopathy (as it is known today). I will always remember my tutor who asked us to observe a person bending forward, and then asked us what we saw. Some said the person bent to the side, others said they could only go halfway down. My tutor said in 4 years time you will not only see that, but you will be able to see each spinal vertebra move as the person bends. How right was that – and then some!
The path to becoming the best osteopath I could wasn't always easy. I am a scientist at heart and very soon I was to realise that osteopathy is an art-form, albeit rooted in science. It is much more than stretching a muscle or releasing a trapped nerve. To be the best osteopath demands not just a deep understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathology but also human nature. Emotional and anxiety can attenuate pain up or down, and in some cases preventing the healing cycle from completing. But these challenges to be the best osteopath is the very thing that has fuelled me throughout my osteopathic career.
My love of osteopathy only grew and grew. Exactly 30 years later in 2016, whilst my own daughters were completing their degrees, I competed an intensive one year post-graduate qualification in Osteopathy – graduating as a Specialist Paediatric Osteopath. This serves as another example of my love for learning and my desire to add more flesh to my healing skills.
Today I hold special training in paediatric osteopathy, cranial osteopathy, jaw problems (TMJ syndrome), headaches, migraine prevention, sinus problems frozen shoulder, as well as trapped nerves, slipped disc, muscle pain, and of course joint pain. I love attending advanced postgraduate courses and I actively follow science and science-based medicine. On a personal level I have an active interest in maths and physics as I really do love solving problems, any problems!
As anyone who has been treated by me would be know of the scope of my osteopathic skills and care. I truly do bat for you, even after almost 40 year in practice. The magic of healing brings togther more than “rubbing a back”. For me it’s the rewarding in unravelling the complex puzzle of a patient's pain, their medical history and lifestyle habits.
So here's the secret I've learned after nearly four decades of treating patients: the body will heal itself if you let it. As an osteopath I help identify what you can do that means what you are doing that is working against healing and what you should do more of to improve it. For my part I work to kick start that process by releasing pain and getting the healing cycle to start up again.
It's about empowering people to take charge of their well-being, not just appeasing their pain.
Perhaps you're reading this because you, or someone you know, is struggling with pain. Let me assure you, there is hope. Osteopathy offers a natural, non-invasive approach to pain management, and it might just be the key to unlocking a life free from discomfort. Don't hesitate to reach out and explore your options. After all, sometimes the path to healing starts with a single touch.
