One of my favourite questions I get asked, is why did I become a chiropractor?  For me, the answer to this question is not a straightforward answer, but a journey of how I ended up studying chiropractic and then my journey into discovering how it could really change my life.

I first started seeing a chiropractor myself when I was experiencing some mild injuries from being a competitive swimmer.  I was lucky to be helped by a talented chiropractor who helped me though my injuries, but also help me learn how I could move better, look after my health better and prevent other issues in the future.  Throughout my swimmer career, I also experienced how seeing a chiropractor could reduce (both intensity and frequency of) the daily headaches that I was experiencing. Yes, daily headaches… as a teenager! Prior to realising that chiropractic could help my headaches, I had concluded (though my own, incorrect, teenager, deductions) that what I was experiencing, was normal.  Over 10 years on, I look back on my teenager self and, it is now as a practising professional, I clearly see how those headaches were truly affecting my mood, my body, and my life.

With all that professionalism and targeted adjustments, the care and advice my chiropractor gave me, and the changes I made to my own well-being, that is how I realised that I wanted to be a chiropractor. I wanted to help people re-connect with their own bodies and achieve better health (without the need for medication or surgery), and to never feel like there is nothing or no help for what they are experiencing; the power of chiropractic!

It was only when I entered university to train to become a chiropractic, that my eyes were really open to the power of chiropractic.  My ‘normal’ back ache that I had every morning and most days, was getting a bit worse, to the point I felt that something was not quite right. When I tell this story now, I have to stop myself shaking my head in disbelief at how I thought, and accepted, that daily back pain was normal. It is NOT, and will never be, normal. Back pain is (unfortunately) common nowadays, but it is still not normal.

The university chiropractor I was seeing, to help to keep my headaches stay at bay throughout the vigorous regime of university studying, advised me to have x-rays to assess what was going on.

To give you some context, the image below on the left is a normal lower back x-ray – the pelvis should be aligned and the spine straight. The image on the right is my low back x-ray…

Not surprising that I was noticing some issues, right?  The name for the severe curve in my lower back is called a scoliosis.  The curve creates huge amounts of biomechanical changes of force and demand in my back, ribs and pelvis, and of course, can create pain.

Over the 4 years that I was studying to become a chiropractor, I saw my chiropractor (a lot!), 3 times a week at the start of treatment and then regular, eagerly anticipated appointments. Before I ever saw a chiropractor, and realised I had a condition that could be treated and improve my life quality, it is now that I am so grateful for the real changes.  From waking up every morning with back ache and noticing the pain at some stage every day, I now am relatively pain free.

It is amazing to be pain free. I can now see the true power that getting adjusted regularly and consistently gives me. I notice how I can now jump out of bed and get going with my day, I can go on a run when I want, I can see my friends and family and not have to worry about making sure I’m not going too far or too fast! The power that chiropractic gives me, is simply being able to live my life better prepared. And that’s amazing, right?!

People often ask me about chiropractic and how it could possibly help them. And I get excited for them, explaining how the best changes are often the ones you don’t even realise are problems yet!

It has been over 10 years since my first, amazing adjustment. I still get adjusted every week and that’s something that I will always do. I am striving for my best health, and that isn’t a destination but a journey. The small choices that I can, and do, make every day, help me be the best version of me that I can be.

Heal > Adapt > Evolve