We’re in week 4 of lock down in United Kingdom due to Covid 19 but I suspect the confinement and restriction of movement will continue. I stopped client sessions nearly a month ago before the official government announcement following their guidance about safe social distancing; also I could not operate without PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) which was impossible to obtain. Initially I was feeling very conflicted in my decision as at the time I wasn’t aware of anyone else (chiropractors) closing their clinic.

Within days I knew it was the right decision, my clients were happy that I had taken this route once I explained to them the reasons why; their “whole health” was my main priority, not just their backs. Also I emphasised to them that I was always at the end of the phone to advise in their care even if I could not physically administer it. Currently I’m not sure when the clinics will reopen so I’m not able to treat till then.

It took a few days to get my head around all the changes that were going on in my daily life at home. The Chiropractic Community was on full steam ahead coming together to try to find solutions and work out the best route for their clients as well as themselves, many choosing not to close. Everyone was responsible for their own risk assessment in doing sessions. Of course all of this came to an end when Boris Johnson announced lockdown at which point everyone had to shut their doors. There were many heated debates on the forums that I’m a member of about why we should have been able to continue to work but I felt very opposed to do so. This later was revised by the government and we are allowed to continue; I’m not even going to try to articulate how I feel about that in this blog.

I was busy trying to establish a new routine of being at home, making plans for the future, catching up on chores, clearing out, joining in webinars related to work, meditating, going for afternoon walks (my 1hr of outdoor exercise), being part of a 21 day happiness challenge, cooking some delicious nutritious meals, and talking to my family and friends on a daily basis as it kept me connected to everybody and the outside world. I was trying to be focused, upbeat and stay busy. However, I was also getting caught in the media frenzy about the virus whether it was through the news or social media and this subconsciously was making me anxious and worried.

“Courage dear heart” – C S Lewis

So you can imagine my absolute shock when I started to feel unwell 10 days into my new routine, it started with a sore throat, muscular aches and pains, headaches, coughing, tiredness and temperature fluctuations. On the first day of symptoms I was strongly advised by a family doctor to self-isolate and monitor the situation. The symptoms were gradual so I felt certain it was seasonal flu.

By day 7 my energy was totally sapped and my headaches became blinding, my aching was unbearably painful and I lost my sense of taste totally, everything tasted vile. I struggled to walk, the muscular pain is indescribable. I was taking muscle relaxants and doing hot epsom salt baths; it’s the first time neither helped. My heart rate was high which I think was an absolute fear of the unknown. I couldn’t tolerate anything or anyone near me. I totally withdrew and didn’t want to speak to any one including my husband who had escaped with some mild symptoms. It felt such a long drawn out day unrelenting in giving me any peace. I couldn’t see anything positive and I was beginning to feel very low and vulnerable. It was definitely the worst day for me as I had reached a breaking point. Eventually, I did fall asleep after I begged my husband to massage my feet and legs breaking all Covid 19 guidance but at this point neither of us cared. I would have done anything for some relief.

All I remember of day 8 is being wiped out; I couldn’t make sense of anything and felt in a very surreal place, very sleepy so I just slept an entire day.

Day 9 I saw a glimmer of hope, the muscular pains were less and the headaches were abating, this was such a huge relief.

By day 12 all my symptoms had gone except the extreme fatigue.

I’m now on day 16 and I’m still exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally and am still spending a lot of time resting/sleeping. I’m not fighting against it and have just surrendered trying to take each day as it comes. Even writing this blog has been over numerous days as I struggle to express and focus.

Did I have Covid 19 or seasonal flu? I couldn’t get a test done and currently as it stands there is no reliable antibody test but I’m fairly certain it was the virus.

Throughout all of this my family and close friends were my saviours; they tried to keep me buoyant by sending me regular text messages or voicemails. Their kindness, love, compassion, prayers, blessings, healing vibes and even their humour touched me. Thank you to each and every one of you for being by my side and looking out for me, reminding me that this too shall pass.

“To heal is to touch with love that which we previously touched with fear.”

Stephen Levine

So here I am in paradise in the beautiful Maldives with acute low back pain and no McTimoney Chiropractor in sight. I arrived here a few days ago via Sri Lanka which consisted of an 11 hour flight and then a connection to Male the capital, before an ongoing boat transfer to the resort. My pain is central to sides with the right side being worse, going into both hip flexors, and radiating into the back of the right knee. On waking up most days I’m waddling like a duck and on occasion the pain is taking my breath away.  Leading up to my vacation, I was flat out with client sessions and pushing hard in my own fitness workouts with cardio and weights; and YES I was being lazy and not stretching out as much as I should have so not heeding my own advice that I give to my clients. The warning signs were there before I left with twinges and stiffness in the low back, tight hamstrings and tight calves. Sitting in the plane just brought it out fully.

As I’m not able to get McTimoney Chiropractic out here, I’m left to my own devices to be creative in my self-healing and recovery so I thought that I would talk to myself as I would talk to a client with similar symptoms, stuck somewhere without any other help. Yoga would lead the way.

“Your body is an amazing self-regulating, self-correcting wonder! Access its wisdom.”  Amy Leigh Mercree

Below are some of the yoga stretches that I was doing on waking up, just to get moving but than a further two more times during the day. 4 days in and my pain is now more a discomfort and I’m hoping another few days it will be gone.

I did a combination of the following stretches holding all between 1-3 minutes.

• Child’s Pose
• Cat/Cow
• Downward Facing Dog
• Standing Forward Bend
• Sphinx Pose
• Knees to Chest With Slow Rock
• Reclined Supine Twist

Child’s Pose

Child’s Pose takes the pressure off your lower back by elongating and aligning the spine, which decompresses it and gives you a nice stretch.

• Kneel on the floor or yoga mat with your knees hip width apart and your feet together behind you. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, lay your torso over your thighs.
• Try to lengthen your neck and spine by drawing your ribs away from your tailbone and the crown of your head away from your shoulders.
• Rest your forehead on the ground, with your arms extended out in front of you.

Cat/Cow

• Start on all fours with your shoulders over your wrists and hips over knees.
• Take a slow inhale, and on the exhale, round your spine and drop your head toward the floor (this is the “cat” posture).
• Inhale and lift your head, chest, and tailbone toward the ceiling as you arch your back for “cow.”

Downward Facing Dog

Downward facing dog is a great way to stretch out the hamstrings and calves which can also give lower back pain and in my case were. If you’re extra tight, you can bend your knees a little bit to make the stretch more comfortable. For a more challenging stretch alternate from going on the toes of one foot and the heel of the opposite foot.

• From Child’s Pose, keep your hands on the floor, sit up on your knees, and then lift your butt and press back into Downward Facing Dog.
• Spread your fingers wide. Work on straightening your legs and lowering your heels toward the ground.
• Relax your head between your arms, and direct your gaze through your legs or up toward your belly button.

Standing Forward Bend

This is a great stretch for the hamstrings and lengthening the spine, aiding in easing the lower back. Again, keeping the knees slightly bent if straightening the legs hurts the back.

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Straighten your legs out as much as you can and let your torso hang down.
• Tuck your chin in toward your chest, relax your shoulders, and extend the crown of your head toward the floor to create a long spine.

Sphinx Pose

This pose gives a natural curve of the lower back, but it’s vital to do it correctly without hyperextending the back.

• Lie on your stomach, legs together and straight out behind you.
• Place your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor as you lift your chest up off the floor.
• Press your hips and thighs into the floor, and think about lengthening your spine while keeping your shoulders relaxed.
• Sit up just enough to feel a nice stretch in the lower back. Pull the navel in towards the spine to avoid hyperextending of the back.

Knees to Chest with Slow Rocking

This stretch is great at giving a gentle massage to the lower back.

• Lie on your back.
• Hug both knees into your chest.
• Slowly rock your torso back and forth while firmly holding onto your legs.

Reclined Supine Twist

This is my favourite stretch for the lower back because it gives me the greatest pain relief.

• Lie on your back.
• Hug your knees into your chest. Then, drop both knees over to one side as you twist your torso in the opposite direction.
• Try to keep your knees and hips in line with each other as you draw them toward the floor, and keep your chest as square to the ceiling as you can.
• Repeat on the other side.

In addition to all of the above I meditated daily, breathed in a healing colour to the pain, I swam backstroke and I walked on the beach. I made sure I got 9 hours a sleep a night which is a rarity for me and I had a couple of soothing massages. I listened to my body and its messages very clearly, not rushing, remembering that pain was the body’s way of telling me that something was out of sync. By the time I get back home I hope to be fully recovered following the above regime and I will book in to see my McTimoney Chiropractor too.

“Everything is within your power and your power is within you”

Janice Tractman

In the early hours of 23rd June 2019 I was in a car crash, where I wrote my car off on the M1. Fortunately no other cars were involved but my life changed dramatically in a matter of 12 seconds from when the car hit the central reservation of the motorway to coming to a standstill on the hard shoulder. I was doing 53mph; I know all these facts as I had a dash cam (a camera videoing everything) fitted in my car. Airbags were deployed and my steering column was wrecked. I was severely injured with pains in my rib cage that I’m still struggling with on a daily basis, bruising and cuts/lacerations on my right arm, collar bone and chest. The immediate weeks following I could barely walk or function, had a subsequent fall down the stairs as my legs gave way, and my memory was impaired. I had such highs and lows and I entered what seemed like a dark time in my life; all the effects of shock and trauma.

A chest X-ray revealed dislocated ribs and mercifully not fractures or a pneumothorax. The consequences of that accident could have been far worse and that realisation hit me a week or so afterwards when I totally broke down emotionally realising that I could have died.

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” Rumi

During this difficult time I withdrew from life not wanting to see anyone but I forced myself to do certain things no matter how painful and frustrating; pray, meditate, rehabilitation exercises and journaling, often in that order and often more than once a day. I slept more than I ever recalled doing before as I started healing, recovering and regenerating. There were times where I really thought that I would never wake up and in the strangest of ways that bought me comfort as the pain was beyond anything that I had ever experienced before and at that time not waking up seemed to be the better option.

I lost my independence overnight and was totally dependent on Mehul, my husband for everything from taking me to my medical appointments, as I wasn’t able to drive, to helping me get dressed, applying hot & cold packs to my injuries, organising my replacement car and dealing with my clinic administration.

4 days after the accident I went to see my body worker and myofascial release practitioner, Sue. I didn’t have McTimoney Chiropractic initially as the soft tissue damage needed addressing first so Sue was the perfect choice. Not a day went by the first month where I didn’t cry from the pain; it was excruciating, debilitating and I was getting exhausted on all fronts, physically, mentally and emotionally.

My personal trainer and friend, Michael Prentice, was tirelessly working out a rehabilitation program for me. He knew my fitness levels, my strengths and weaknesses better than anyone as we have been training together for 4 years. Before the accident I was at the peak of my fitness and naturally this came crushing down afterwards. I was devastated and totally inconsolable as I felt that I had lost everything that I had worked towards. 10 days after the accident I started gentle rehabilitation using my cross trainer, stepper, resistance bands and light weights combined with lots of stretching. In most sessions I was in tears from the pain and the frustration. 6 weeks in, I am already achieving personal best scores on my rowing machine, cross trainer and lifting heavier weights again. I would never have believed it was possible and all this with dislocated ribs. Michael put it down to the fact that I was so fit prior to the crash; otherwise progress would have been very slow.

“All of our difficult emotions are our signposts to freedom. Don’t ignore them; listen to them and amplify them. They are an invitation from your heart to come home.” Tom Fortes Mayer

I also realised that I needed help on the psychological front as I was and still am having nightmares, although less frequent about what happened. For me, this was the hardest thing to do as it meant I had to accept and show my vulnerability to a therapist. I sought the help of the experienced hypnotherapist and meditation teacher, Tom Fortes Mayer, whose mediation app FreeMind I was using already. The meditations were already having a huge impact on my life prior to the accident. Tom has the most calming presence about him and his sessions and words of encouragement have made me feel human again. He has helped me in surrendering and accepting what had happened to me instead of my denial and resistance to it which was affecting my recovery. It’s been really hard at times to feel these feelings but in doing so they are helping me to heal and find freedom again.

I would so highly recommend him and his unique meditations that for me have been life affirming and life changing. I’m including his link here www.freemindproject.org and www.freemindhub.com

My GP was also very supportive, promising me that I would make a full recovery; the physical recovery probably faster than the psychological one. When I went to see her again at 5 weeks she was astonished at how well I looked externally, my cuts and scars were healing well and I was much more mobile. She asked me what my routine was so I told her; pray, mediate, rehabilitate primarily combined with salt baths and eating anti-inflammatory foods. I only took the full dose of prescription painkillers (8 a day) and anti-inflammatory (2 a day) for 2 days; the side effects were horrendous so I gave up on them. She was surprised as she remarked that one would never have thought that I was in such a serious car crash. She also allowed me to travel and fly on a pre-booked break which was on hold after the accident so my husband and I headed off to Thailand to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. It was exactly the tonic that was needed, to get away, be looked after and be pampered, reflect on all that we were grateful for and to celebrate life.

Whilst my journey of recovery still continues I feel like I’m getting my life back thanks to the support and help that I’ve received from those mentioned here. I’ve had some very dark moments where I’ve not been able to see the light but I was continually reminded by loved ones that I was surrounded by it all the time except some clouds had got in the way for now.

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu 

Living our true nature and purpose can bring fulfilment, creativity, compassion, freedom, joy, happiness, a depth of understanding, prosperity, love and so much more. My career in McTimoney Chiropractic has brought me way beyond all of this.

My first long and physical journey was 15 March 1975, 44 years ago that my family and I travelled from Nairobi, Kenya to London, UK, approximately 4185 air miles. I remember it like it was only yesterday. We arrived from hot balmy weather to a snowy landscape and freezing cold weather. Everything was a new experience.

“You were born to make a difference, to contribute and to share your gifts with the world.” – Darren Hardy       

It was many years after that my journey or call to Chiropractic came. It began when I was 13 in biology lessons where I was constantly being admonished for staring at the skeleton that was standing proudly at the front of the class. Instead I should have been paying attention to “osmosis” and whatever else was being taught at the time but I was constantly distracted by the skeleton; so much so that I attended detentions as a result of it. Little did I know at the time that the skeleton was going to lead me to being a McTimoney Chiropractor 8 years later when I graduated at the age of 21.

My mind was made up at 14; I was definitely going to be a a Chiropractor as that’s all I could think of being in relation to working with the skeleton which I was still fascinated by. My careers teacher advised me against it which made me more determined to do it. Of course I now realise that it was a calling of some sort, a vocation even. It was extremely fortuitous that my aunt had started having McTimoney Chiropractic sessions at the time which led me to explore the idea further by writing to the college in Oxford.

I began my studies at 18, the youngest admission for McTimoney at the time. In truth I found Chiropractic College a challenge. My peers were “mature” and some could easily have been my parents; at times I found connecting with them difficult, I mean what does an 18 year old have in common with students in their 40’s and 50’s? However, it was just that – a challenge and one that I preserved with until I graduated at 21.

Have no fear, you will find your way. It’s in your bones; it’s in your soul.”

Mark Z Danielewski 

The journey has been bumpy at times but never dull. In my 30 years I have established clinics in Birmingham, Coventry, Barnes, and West London to include Kensington, South Kensington, Notting Hill Gate, Hampstead and Hertfordshire. I was travelling regularly to Bahrain, and have also worked in Europe, Singapore and in a children’s home in Nepal, which has undoubtedly been one of my most fulfilling roles to date. My greatest personal achievement is having raised the home, House with Heart, ( www.housewithheart.org) over £35000. I have had 4 of my patients visit and volunteer there.

I have had media coverage on Cable TV and radio too and I’ve been featured in health and women’s magazines, newspapers and been a consultant and contributor to 2 books. If I actually had a CV all of this may look impressive on it but it doesn’t really impress me these days!

Instead what inspires me is wanting to serve and be the best that I can be, to continually grow and learn. What has sustained me through my professional lows (and there have been a few) over the last 30 years is having the potential to make a difference to countless lives that I have come in contact with. Clients who come in horrendous pain and total despair often leave sessions more mobile, in more comfort and with renewed hope that they will improve and fully recover. It is a privilege to be a part of their journey.  I’ve never claimed to cure anyone but I do try to give them hope and a way forward even if the conversation may be that I’m not able to help them.

My recent Fellowship from my Association and Advisory Council Member to House with Heart mean more to mean than all the write ups and media coverage have ever done. I would not have achieved either if it wasn’t for the trust that my clients have placed in me and my work. This trust has given me the confidence to take McTimoney to new horizons.

Am I living the life I dreamed about? Yes I am!!! Is my journey over? Hell No!!

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Gandhi

There’s no doubt that every day is a gift, and the gift is an opportunity to live, to learn, to be kind and compassionate, to serve and to grow; that for me is living my true nature.

The last few months I have seen a rise in clients in my clinic after they have fallen. In some cases they have fractured bones and even sustained concussion. In ALL these incidents I have made sure that they have been checked out medically before treating them.

The majority of these cases have been amongst the older generation. As we get older, we are much more prone to falling and the danger and risks are greater. Fractures due to falls often can lead to a loss of independence and increased care needs. My Mum, aged 76 was one of these cases; she fractured 7 ribs from a minor fall and in her case developed pneumonia.

“Accidents happen. Our bones shatter, our skin splits, our hearts break. We burn, we drown, we stay alive.” ― Moïra Fowley-Doyle,

A large number of these falls are preventable and there are actions that can be taken to reduce the risk of falling. Some of these actions are set below.

If the weather is warm, remember to stay well hydrated to reduce the risk of infection, illness and falls. Aim to drink 6/8 glasses of water a day unless you have been advised by your Doctor not to.

Strengthening muscles, and improving balance and coordination are some of the simplest and most effective things that one can do to help prevent falls. It’s surprisingly easy to improve your strength and balance with regular exercise at home. Below are some simple examples that one can do. If in doubt please check with your medical advisor.

Heel Raises Sitting

Sit upright on a chair, with your feet flat on the floor. Slowly raise your legs up onto your toes. Hold, and gradually control the movement back down to the starting position. This is a useful calf pump exercise to improve circulation to your lower legs, as well as improving mobility of the ankle joints.

Knee Extensions

Sitting Sit upright with good posture. Slowly straighten your left leg out in front of you as far as feels comfortable. Slowly lower back to the floor, and then repeat with the right leg. You can also do bottom clenching exercises. As you sit there, tighten and release your bottom, to keep the gluteal (bottom) muscles awake.

The next few are slightly more advanced.

Single Leg Balance Standing with Support

Stand on one leg, and try to keep your balance. Be careful and hold on to a wall or table for support when you first start this exercise. A single leg balance exercise such as this is an enormously valuable exercise, and its benefits including strengthening the muscles and ligaments around the ankles and knees, and improving balance.

Calf Raises Standing Unsupported

Stand upright with good posture, next to a wall or table just in case you need support. Slowly raise up onto your toes, and control the movement back down. This exercise will strengthen the calf muscles and ankle joints.

Hip Flexion with Bent Knee Standing Unsupported

Stand upright with good posture. Stay close to a wall or table in case you need it. Put your weight through one leg and bend the other knee towards your chest. This exercise will mobilise your hip joint and strengthen the hip flexor muscles.

The above exercises are weight bearing which will help in protecting the bones from osteoporosis. If the weather is dry and sunny aim to go outdoors and get natural daylight as well as aiming to eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of calcium and Vitamin D. These include spinach, kale, oily fish (salmon), cheese and eggs.

Ensure your house is well lit as poor lighting will increase the risk of falling over. Have your eyes regularly tested and make sure you can hear as having any issues/impairments will affect your balance.

Clothes such as trousers and gowns should be properly fitted and not trailing on the ground as this again increases the chances of falling especially on the stairs.

If you’re on medication that makes you drowsy or uncoordinated ask your GP to review it.

Lastly keep moving; mobility is the key to keep strong muscularly. My Mum was virtually bed bound for 3 weeks after her fall, and in that time she lost her confidence, her independence, her memory, had hallucinations and at times lost the will to live due to the horrendous pain that she was in from 7 fractured ribs that caused bleeding in the lungs. Her pneumonia made her very ill and put her in the Critical Care Unit of the local hospital. Her after care at home was essential in her recovery. My family and I implemented most of the above. She had her first McTimoney session last week, nearly 3 months after the fall; her posture and balance are dramatically improved. She understands the value of consistency and routine and has made the rehabilitation exercises a daily routine; this will pave the way forward in reducing her chances of falling again.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill 

I’m writing this tribute at 37000 feet in an aeroplane at 3.25am in the morning; all my fellow passengers are sensibly asleep. I am on my way home from a break having disconnected with the world for a couple of weeks so that I could begin to grieve and to accept a loss. In my break I made myself a priority. I meditated, slept for up to ten hours a day, journaled, smelt the sea air and felt the warm breeze, walked on the beach, daydreamed, had massages and healing sessions, cried and mostly remembered a cherished friend who taught me so much about unconditional love and of being service to others. My tears were of sadness, anger and even joy. Sadness due to the finality of the situation, angry at the unfairness of it all and joy at having known someone so beautiful. I’m returning home not feeling so empty or sad but instead a bit more myself, less tired emotionally and physically virtually pain free. Whilst my grief has not suddenly disappeared forever, my loss has become less crushing and devastating. It was essential that I took time out for me and my health without feeling guilty.

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” ~ Shannon L. Alder

Last month I lost a very close friend of mine through a terminal illness.

My beautiful courageous loving friend Beverly Bronson lost her fight against cancer. From diagnosis to her passing it was less than 6 months. During that time on almost a daily basis I told her that I loved her way beyond anything that I could express in words. I dedicated my daily mediation’s to her and kept her close in my heart. I wrote her a letter in which I said everything that I needed and wanted to say and gave her my treasured purple and silver heart as a symbol of my love and admiration for her. The heart in a way also represented a medal of honour for all that she had achieved in her lifetime and she had achieved a lot.

I adored this courageous, dedicated, loving, selfless, kind, funny, compassionate, joyful, humble human being and felt a privilege in knowing her. She was Founder of House with Heart, a home in Kathmandu, Nepal, for abandoned children & a facility for educating impoverished women & children since 2001. I have supported this Home since 2010 and have volunteered there 5 times giving McTimoney Chiropractic sessions to the children, the training women, and staff as well as go into local schools to teach and play with the kids from the community. Some of my clients have even volunteered out there themselves which was something that I never expected when I embarked on this journey. In doing so they have supported something that is very dear to my heart and for which I’m very grateful.

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~ Marcel Proust

I like many others who knew Beverly lived in hope that she would survive and beat the cancer. After all hope is the last thing to die. Despite her putting up a courageous fight it was not meant to be. During the period she was ill I felt like I had started the process of grieving and was preparing for her departure. Unfortunately nothing can prepare you for it. In my case I had developed a cold that lasted for many weeks. I also started getting severe headaches and joint pains and had difficulty sleeping as I tried to “reason with God” and find answers as to why a woman who had done so much good in the world had to undergo so much suffering. No answers came. I continued to work and threw myself into other daily activities as a way of coping. In the past having a purpose and a routine during stressful times has always served me well and it gave a semblance of normality and at times a welcome distraction. In hindsight I realised I was doing far too much and not getting adequate rest.

Within hours of hearing the news of Beverly’s passing, my back started aching, my joint pains intensified and by the end of the week I had the worst migraine I could recall in a long time. My cold became a full blown chest infection. However I still wouldn’t take time off to deal with my loss. Three days later I went to see my Myofascial practitioner for a routine appointment which was fortuitous as by this time I had started to seize up with the pain in my back and neck and was on painkillers. She had to go very gently on me and treat me with cranial work. McTimoney Chiropractic is not always the appropriate treatment and any good practitioner would recognise this. To my astonishment ( although not hers ) she found a huge knot of tension in my stomach; very gently though her work and my breathing it started to release which in turn was going to help my lower back. My neck was like an iron rod with tension which was undoubtedly giving me the headaches and I was oblivious to this until I was worked on. I’m always in awe of how the body stores emotions as I see it in my clients and now my body was reflecting that too. It made me realise that I needed to collect my thoughts and grieve and take some time out. I have always tried to practice what I preach and try to be the best possible McTimoney Chiropractor that I could be to my clients. At times it’s meant I’ve shown my vulnerability not just personally but professionally also; I see this as a sign of strength and courage and not a weakness. My clients will always see me for who I am. Beverly always said be honest especially with yourself and always come from a place of an open heart. I owe so much to her. Am sure her influence in my life has made me a better human being as well as a better McTimoney Chiropractor.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain

If you would like to make a contribution to the home here is the link:

http://housewithheart.org/donate.html

Privacy is a fundamental human right but with the advancement of digital technology and social media being so mainstream individuals are revealing more and more personal and professional information than ever before.

With GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) coming into effect in May 2018 I wanted to reassure all my clients and any new clients that I will be compliant with what is required by law and by my regulatory body The General Chiropractic Council.

I am already registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office), United Kingdom’s independent body set up to uphold information rights. My registration reference is ZA346760.

Below is an outline of my privacy policy which may still get updated as changes may occur.

I need to collect personal and sensitive data in order to carry out my McTimoney Chiropractic sessions. This data is confidential and safely guarded by me, and is never released to anyone without your prior consent. All data is stored securely under a CCTV location that only I have access to. The CCTV is also used for the additional purposes of security, prevention and detection of crime.

You can request that your data be sent to you, for example a copy of your medical records for which a fee will be charged.

In addition to this you have the right to rectification and erasure of your data. Medical records can only be erased after 8 years from your last session – this is a statutory requirement. They can also be kept for longer with mutual consent between ourselves. In regards to Children’s data and sessions I will need a consenting adult present with them for sessions.

In regards to keeping you updated about my services via emails it will be on the grounds of you opting in for this option. If you haven’t opted in you will not be contacted by me.