A few days ago I got a distressed call from a client aged 23 after she was involved in a severe car accident where the car had flipped over on to its head.

It was rush hour and she was commuting on her regular journey to work that she was familiar with. As she crossed a roundabout where she was heading straight a car cut her up turning right totally oblivious to what their actions would lead to. In order to avert the car my client hit the high kerb after the roundabout and her Audi 3 Cabriolet overturned. Fortunately she was extremely lucky and alive to tell the tale, walking out with shock, cuts and bruising. The German car had most definitely helped in protecting her too and thankfully the sunroof was not down otherwise the outcome could have been very different.

“We only have what we give.”
― Isabel Allende

6 hours after the accident I was treating the client with McTimoney Chiropractic as she was aching from the jarring and the bruises were coming out. She had been having treatments with me since she was young as she was gaining height fast so getting the odd episode of back pain and muscular aches too. It’s at times like these that I feel incredibly privileged with my skills and that I am in the position to be able to help someone out quickly.

I must emphasize that she was only treated by me after she was medically checked out in hospital with X-rays being taken and given the all clear. She wasn’t concussed or had any fractures and was advised to take a few days rest and paracetamol if there was any undue pain or discomfort.

It was imperative to treat her swiftly after the accident as her alignment would have been affected by the jarring of the impact and being suspended upside down in the car. She was out of alignment in particular in her neck, rib cage, and spine. All of this was corrected with McTimoney Chiropractic, a method renowned for its singularly gentle manner and for treating the whole body at each session. The adjustments are exact, skilful and very quick, resulting in the minimum of patient discomfort; hence the client could receive the session immediately in the aftermath of the accident.

In nearly 28 years’ of clinical experience I have found that trauma to the skeleton can often manifest in problems many years later after the incident. Incidents such as skiing injuries, horse falls, cycle collisions and tripping over pavements head first can all have a detrimental effect on the alignment. I have seen all of these in my practice and have treated them with varying degrees of success with McTimoney Chiropractic.

Thankfully, the client was very aware of the importance of being treated early on after the car accident and hopefully as a result she will have saved herself from being affected by it in the long term. I have checked in on her daily and will continue to do so for a week. Currently she is fine and without any pain post treatment. Also she is extremely grateful to be alive and convinced that her recovery was accelerated by McTimoney Chiropractic.

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.”
― Meister Eckhart

It is with her permission that I have written this piece and used her photographs.

I was inspired to write this blog by Mark, a client of mine who has been having McTimoney Chiropractic sessions for the last 21 years. In his session this week he stated that in his professional career (he works in the City) of the last 20 years he has flown 5 million “air miles” with just one airline alone and he wondered about the effects of that on his alignment. The “air miles” didn’t include other airline travel through work, or any personal travel; so in reality he had travelled over 5 million miles. We discussed the effects that flying has on the body and how to counteract some of these effects during the actual flight. Mark came to the conclusion that McTimoney Chiropractic has been a way of life for him and a lifesaver on numerous occasions when he has walked off a plane in pain due to the prolapsed disc in his low back. We recalled how he once came straight from the airport having come off a flight from Japan as his back had seized up en route. He has combined his sessions with Pilates, a stretch routine, tennis, cycling, skiing and cycling.

So a few days later after Mark’s session here I am at 38000 feet in an A380 plane on my way to Phuket, Thailand. I have always loved travelling to distant shores discovering new cultures, beautiful landscapes enriched with the most breathtaking scenery, colourful temples and roaming wildlife, meeting warm and friendly local people along the way and sampling their cuisine. My senses are fully awakened when I experience such delights, some new and some old and familiar. I am truly happy to be alive soaking in all that can and creating memories to be treasured. Most people that know me including the majority of my clients know my passion for travelling is as great as my passion for McTimoney Chiropractic and thankfully I’ve been able to combine the two successfully over my 27 year career in which I’ve been fortunate enough to visit over 50 different countries spanning over 4 continents. I have taken McTimoney Chiropractic to Bahrain, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal and Europe.

“A good traveller has no fixed plans and has no intent on arriving” 

Lao Tzu

My flight times have varied from 1.5 hours being the shortest to 14 hours being the longest and despite having travelled in business class twice, sitting for long periods in a confined space have had a negative effect on my own body resulting in back strain. My worst travel experience was 3 years ago from Delhi to Kathmandu where the plane took off 5 times as it could not land in Nepal due to adverse weather conditions so it kept returning to India before making another attempt. I kid you not – 5 times in total just to do that leg of the journey!! If it wasn’t for my calm travelling companion, Sachin, I don’t think I would have ever flown again as my nerves were shot to pieces on that flight and my body had tightened up due to the anxiety of all those attempts at trying to land the aircraft. The airline saying ” We hope you have had a pleasant flight” did not help the situation! We landed the next morning after the flight was finally aborted having spent the night at Delhi Airport. At that point in my life I was not meditating on a regular basis otherwise I’m convinced my reaction to the situation would have been rather different and more positive.

So here are a few tips for comfortable air travel that I use:

Stretch every few hours if you’re not able to walk up and down the aisle. The following stretches can be done standing or seated. Simply raise your arms and interlock the palms over your head. As you inhale stretch and extend the arms straight up, you should fill a movement from the shoulder blades over your head. As you exhale release the stretch. Follow this by doing the same stretch but taking the arms slightly back so getting a backward bend and stretching the abdominal muscles at the same time. You can add a side stretch in the same position so getting a side extension. Repeat all a few times.

Stretch the neck by taking chin to chest and then reversing by taking the head up. Go from side to side so chin to shoulder, followed by ear to shoulder on each side. DO ALL MOVEMENTS SLOWLY!! Repeat a couple of times.

Rotate your ankles clockwise and anti-clockwise. Alternatively flex and point your toes. Do calf raises by going on your toes.

Place a small pillow or rolled up towel in the small of your back supporting the natural curve of your lumbar spine.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and carbonated drinks.

Keep in flight meals light to help reduce bloating.

Try meditating as it can be very calming helping immensely if you’re feeling confined or anxious. I love meditating in flight at such great altitude. It actually helps me to combat fatigue on the plane and after the meditation I often feel invigorated and revitalised.

If it’s been a long haul flight I will get a massage within a few days of arrival to help with releasing any muscle tension and combat jet lag. If I’ve arrived really late I will have a warm bath with Epsom salts or aromatherapy oils as this always ensures a good night’s sleep and helps to adjust the body’s rhythm to the new time zone of my destination. In my travels I’ve gone off road on dirt tracks on safari, hiked up mountains, ridden elephants, walked on ice glaciers, or paraglided I will have a McTimoney Chiropractic session on my return home to make sure my body alignment is good.

I can vouch travelling widens the horizons and can be done in comfort despite the confined space by following any of the above.

“Not all those who wander are lost”  J.R.R. Tolkien 

I’m often asked by my clients how I implement into my life what I’m recommending them in regards to maintaining a level of optimum health and well-being physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and not just in regards to a good body alignment. Good body alignment tends to follow when one’s life is in balance. My answer is simple and probably not unique and may even seem selfish to some. For some years now I have tried to practise a consistent morning ritual that is focussed on “Me rather than others.” What I mean by this is that I serve myself first before serving anyone else whether this is family, friends or clients. Sounds selfish right or even incredibly over indulgent? Let me explain my thoughts.

For my morning ritual to be successful I have to wake up on most days between 5am – 6am. This is the only way that I would accomplish all that I want to do before work whether work is client sessions, administrative tasks, client calls/updates, research, networking with other therapists and other projects that are non-Chiropractic related that I am involved with. My day starts with a visualisation exercise or meditation of 15/20 mins, a gentle yoga stretch at home or the gym for 1hr, shower, followed by a healthy breakfast or sometimes a simple fresh extracted juice. On some days I may be fortunate to listen to an uplifting podcast or read an inspiring passage from one of my favourite books that just gives me that extra enthusiasm for life.

“When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully” ~ Steve Maraboli

Now why would I sacrifice extra hours of sleep for the above; especially in the cold and the dark? The only rational reason for waking up consistently early is to do something that I genuinely would love to do. Otherwise it’s not going to work. I know from experience I’m more likely to stay motivated doing something that is going to directly benefit me and ultimately benefit all those that I interact with. Additionally I love the stillness and peace in the mornings, making it a favourite part of my day as I have always found this time to be exhilarating and creative.

Hopefully, the practice of these disciplines means that when “I show up” in all my interactions I will do so with a more thoughtful, insightful, patient and compassionate approach and a better capacity to serve others including my Chiropractic clients because I am demonstrating a commitment to serving myself first. Am sure some will view my behaviour as being “self-centred.”  However, I sincerely and wholeheartedly believe that this “self-service and looking after myself and my needs first” can potentially bring out the best in others including my clients.

“The trouble is you think you have time.” ~ Buddha

On the occasions I’ve continually failed to spend time on my routine, these are the days that I have made poor choices in my day to day life, where I tend to be less patient, irritable and my mood will be less upbeat. Thankfully as I recognise this and am aware of the effect I naturally try to avoid them. If I can’t manage the mornings I will find time during the day where I can manage one aspect of my ritual even if it’s a walk in some nature, or a hot aromatic bath and reflection at the end of the day.

Of course I realise not everyone will have the time that I have but I recommend them to find the things that they genuinely want to do and dedicate some time each day doing them even if its 10 minutes. In developing a daily valuable habit you will ultimately feel better in so many aspects of your life and at the same time nurture your soul. Trust me everyone around you will notice the difference in you and will want to know your secret.

“When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world” ~ Eckhart Tolle 

It’s been awhile since I have written on here as I’ve dedicated this year to a rehabilitation program for my injured feet and it’s finally paying off!  All my recent blogs have been very personal to me and this one shall be no different.

I returned to my clinics in January 2016 full of renewed energy after spending Christmas and New Year travelling with my family to Kenya – the place of my birth. It was the first time in 40 years that my 2 brothers and my Mum had returned together after having left. It was quite an emotional visit and made me think how my life would have turned out had we not emigrated. I definitely wouldn’t have been a McTimoney Chiropractor in a third world country as my father would not have been able to afford the training and it’s very likely that we would not have even heard of McTimoney in Kenya like so many of its residents.

The trip was an incredible experience where we travelled through the countryside on rough roads full of potholes in fear of being ambushed as we had heard so many frightening stories; ferry crossings of 15 minutes that were overcrowded with vehicles, passengers and poultry and the fear of the ferry capsizing. Fortunately there were no incidents on the roads or the sea crossing; we didn’t encounter a single problem apart from water shortages and power cuts which added to the whole adventure of being in Africa.

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

Nelson Mandela

On returning we all needed McTimoney Chiropractic to straighten us up as the journeys in the African plains were quite arduous and exhausting and at the same time exhilarating. The rest over the holiday season helped immensely with my feet and whilst I’m not 100% I’m continually improving. Progress has felt slow at times but I’m really beginning to understand that “ torn tendons” take time to heal – a year minimum if its severe, thereby confirming “healing is a process and not an event.”

So going back to the last 9 months – these have been continually about rehabilitation, rest and running my clinics with the same passion as always.

The rehabilitation has come in many guises from physiotherapists that have shown me specific stretches and exercises to strapping the feet in Kinesio tape, a “taping technique” that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion. Many professional athletes are using “taping” in their sports.

My sessions with my personal trainer Michael Prentice have primarily been about improving the functioning of the feet and legs, through improving proprioception in my ankles, overall balance, core strengthening to improve my posture further, learning how to walk again correctly and strength training in my legs using weights. Naturally as any brilliant trainer our sessions were about working the entire body but focussing on the legs.  By dedicating 3 hrs a week minimum to rehabilitation I was able to continue with treating my clients to maximum capacity – this was a dramatic improvement from last year when I had to reduce my work load due to wearing an air cast boot. Despite my injuries I have been able to swim 100 lengths straight in a 25 metre pool which equates 1.5 miles, (I prefer backstroke) as it’s great for alignment, cycle on an exercise bike (great for cardio and stretching/toning the legs), rowing (beneficial for endurance, cardio and upper and body workout) and amazingly I performed a “deadlift” of 80kgs – a wonderful boost for my confidence and morale as well as working the muscles of the back, glutes and legs.

The rehabilitation has worked beautifully and reinstates my belief as a McTimoney Chiropractor. It works on alignment, posture and confidence and all activities are balanced and not one sided. It helps to iron out any “compensating” effects of the body whereby I may be favouring one side of the body more – in my case the right side as I am right handed and also as my cast was on my left leg.

Exercise doesn’t have to come in the form of personal trainers or expensive gym memberships. It can come from walking outdoors, going to the local pool, and in some parks there are now out door gym equipment available. I’ve always felt that exercise and McTimoney work in tandem, side by side, used in prevention, maintenance and rehabilitation if injured. Throughout this year I have continued to have sessions myself so to aid my recovery from the torn tendon,  My clients that are still having sessions on maintenance and prevention twice a year confirm that their posture, mobility/flexibility continues to improve and more than anything they feel well in themselves.

When you are passionate about your life, your work and your health everything falls into place eventually – yes even my injuries start to heal. I was told by the surgeons that I would never recover and I would end up having surgery for the torn tendon and develop a permanent   “dropped foot”. Thankfully I refused to believe them and with the support of the right people, and having the right mind set of positivity I am proving them wrong. If I can do it anyone can!!

“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage even if we have to dig a little to find it.”

Tori Ames

As we are in the last month of the year all of us have the opportunity to reflect on the year gone by, being grateful for any personal growth and development which often is bought about through times of adversity and personal challenges. In my last blog I wrote about the intense pains that I had in both my feet, one foot I thought being a sprained ankle and plantar fasciitis in the other. Despite my visits to my GP she felt that a referral was not warranted and she concurred with my diagnosis.

After nearly 5 months of unbearable pain where towards the end I could barely walk I decided to take charge by seeking the help of a Consultant Podiatrist who worked alongside foot surgeons and physiotherapists. Prior to this I had been seeing my McTimoney Chiropractor regularly who kept me well aligned and helped in reducing many of my symptoms, was having myofascial release work, had taken up Yoga to keep all the muscles relaxed and stretched as much as possible, was doing homeopathy, rehabilitation exercises for the legs and strength endurance of the upper body with my personal trainers, spraying magnesium oil and taking magnesium baths, icing, rolling a golf ball on the underside of the foot, resting, eating nutrient rich food and had taken up weekly mentoring/coaching based on my gene profile – so naturally I thought I was doing all the right things and I was getting relief but I was never pain free. I was about to learn a very valuable lesson.

“CORRECT DIAGNOSIS IS THE KEY TO THE CORRECT TREATMENT”

 When I finally went to see my consultant at the end of August he asked me how I had managed to put up with such crippling pain?  I said “I thought that it was in my head as surely my plantar fasciitis pain can’t be this painful?”  At this point my “sprain” pain was slightly less in comparison – although both feet were in agony. He was astonished as he said it definitely wasn’t in my head and his concerns were quite worrying as the plantar fasciitis which was the correct self-diagnosis was the least concerning one even though the pain was so excruciating. I was sent off for 2 MRI’s, one for each foot and the diagnosis came in a few days later. It was definitely not what I or anyone that was treating me at the time was expecting.

I was immediately put in an “Air Cast Boot” – the one that footballers wear for 6 weeks as I was diagnosed with “Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction or PTTD” as well as a “tear” through this tendon – most likely outcome was surgery as the damage was quite extensive. To make matters worse I had “adult flat foot deformity” so I was beginning to lose the arch in my foot, which would eventually end up arthritic. All of this was bought about by “wear and tear”.  Recovery from surgery was up to 6 months. I was devastated at this diagnosis as I simply had not considered it to be a possibility especially the surgery.

6 weeks of immobilisation was going to be purgatory for me. My freedom was taken away from me immediately as I could not drive, or stand for long periods of time so treating clients was going to be difficult and I could not work out as I couldn’t get to the gym. I had to find the balance between rest and activity as total immobilisation was not an option in case I got a DVT (blood clot) in the process. At the time of the diagnosis, I felt that my outlook was bleak and I questioned why was I getting “injured” all the time? Last year it was a torn cartilage in my knee that took 9 months to recover. The consultant tried to reassure me by informing me that the only reason my tendon hadn’t totally ruptured was because of my fitness levels and that my pain threshold levels must have been exceedingly high to have put up with the pain for so long. A rupture would have resulted in immediate surgery, so there was a reason to be grateful that this had not occurred although in my shock I couldn’t see that at the time.

The other foot in the consultant’s words was “nasty plantar fasciitis” with marked thickening and swelling of the plantar fascia – the underside of the foot. His opinion was that this had occurred as I was putting weight through this foot to avoid the pains in the other, a compensating effect. I was to continue with stretching and icing and staying off my feet as well as keeping mobile, a fine balance to try to achieve. I left his clinic in my new boot feeling quite dejected trying to accept the result.

Within a few hours of leaving I was receiving offers of help. The support that I have had during this time has been incredible and humbling as I began to experience the generosity of so many kind people, some of them listed below to demonstrate how important it is to have a support network at times like this and how each one of them has helped me on this arduous journey to recovery. Their contribution has been invaluable and much appreciated.

Initially on wearing the boot I wanted to quit and hide as it was a hindrance, cumbersome and fatiguing me and my self-confidence had taken a severe knock. The day after my cast, when I was feeling extremely low and self-conscious, struggling to find balance as I hobbled about, one of my personal trainers came to pick me up at 7am on a Saturday to do a training session at my gym. His attitude was very much it’s your legs that are out of action not your entire body! This was exactly what I needed to hear to get me out of the victim mode fast. If my trainer was committing to show up, pick me up and train me, then the least I could do was take some responsibility by being ready to do as he asked and trust his ability and guidance to help me over the next 6 weeks. In fact both my trainers have guided, trained and encouraged me immensely over this period and I am indebted to them for going beyond the call of duty. At times in my sessions I have been frustrated and tears have been shed and at other times personal best scores have been achieved – with my leg in a cast!!

My weekly health coaching sessions have been a lifeline for me and I am grateful to my health coach for being so patient with me especially when I’ve not delivered. I have given him countless opportunities to quit on me so that I wouldn’t have to take responsibility. Instead he chose to stand by me and not allow me to walk away. He has undoubtedly shown me what it means to take responsibility no matter what the circumstances are. He has instilled in me that despite the adversity that I was facing this was a time for opportunity, growth and new discoveries. His suggestions and guidance have helped my recovery on a physical, emotional and mental state and in the process I have rediscovered my passion for art, creativity and writing.

My McTimoney Chiropractor and Myofascial Therapist made sure I didn’t get any further imbalances/misalignments due to the compensating going on in my body. I was beginning to ache in my lower back as a result of wearing the boot. Their care was precious, nurturing and healing and they gave me hope at a difficult time.

Thank you to my clients who have been incredibly patient and loyal as I reduced my work load substantially – their loyalty to me has been astounding despite my recommendations that I find them an alternative McTimoney Chiropractor. It has been extremely hard for me to take responsibility by putting myself and my health first but they have understood and sympathised far better than I gave them credit for. Who better to understand pain and what I was going through than the majority of my clients?

Lastly the support my family and close friends have given me throughout this has been immeasurable. They have helped me see light at the end of the tunnel and provided the love, laughter and humour along the way.

Unfortunately my cast didn’t come off at 6 weeks and I was disappointed to say the least. Within days of wearing it the swelling had significantly reduced and the pain had started diminishing.  The consultant was happy with the progress and pointed out that I had been saved from surgery but wasn’t quite ready to remove the boot. He recommended another 4 weeks of immobilisation and to continue with all that I was doing with my support network as they were key players in my recovery having a huge positive impact on me.

Finally at 10 weeks my cast came off! I was ecstatic and ready to do cart wheels except I was warned against it. I have started a course of physiotherapy recently and am confident that through rehabilitation and functional exercises I will overcome this injury 100% and come out at the other end physically and mentally much stronger. Improvements are already on the horizon with the arch of my foot returning and my confidence in my ability to do things growing.

It’s been quite a journey of ups and downs which has taught me that when faced with such extreme pain, the challenge is to be resourceful, positive, determined and courageous, and find a way to carry on. I hope that my readers feel inspired in knowing that despite the challenges and the curve balls that are thrown at them there is always a way of getting up again no matter how many times they have fallen.

“Our Greatest Glory Is Not In Never Falling But In Rising Every Time We Fall.”

Confucius