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Is my pain serious enough for a chiropractor?
The short answer is yes. Pain doesn’t have to be dramatic or constant to deserve attention. The small niggle you feel when you lift the kettle or when you get up from sitting can gradually increase in intensity and complexity. And the longer you live with that “small” pain, the longer it often takes to treat, because your body has spent more time adapting and compensating. How Small Pain Becomes Bigger Pain Take shoulder pain as an example. This tiny niggle when you reach for

Ruth
10 hours ago2 min read


What happens during an appointment?
Our appointments are guided by our clients and their needs. No two appointments are the same, and our approach may differ from other chiropractors. Arrival Once you are in the clinic, we take a moment for you to settle in. We talk about how you are feeling, any changes since your last visit, and what is improving or what is challenging. This gives us a clear view of how you are progressing from your view point, and helps us to shape the treatment for the day. Orthopaedic / n

Ruth
Sep 112 min read


Winter sports
If your house is anything like ours, you’ll know exactly what this time of year feels like. The evenings get darker, the air gets colder, and suddenly every bag by the door contains shin pads, muddy boots, and a half‑eaten cereal bar. Winter sports season is officially here. As a mum to two footballers and a coach I seem to have become the resident injury support person. I do have some non-negotiables for them to help keep them safe, strong and pain-free. Why training can be

Ruth
Sep 42 min read


What Is the Best Desk Setup for My Child?
As we get closer to the new school term, now is the perfect time to think about where your child will be doing their homework , and whether their desk setup is supporting them. As a McTimoney chiropractor and yoga teacher, I see how much a child’s homework environment affects their neck, shoulders, and back. A good desk setup doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to be supportive, and comfortable. 1. Desk Setup for Children Using Tablets or Phones Many pieces of homework a

Ruth
Aug 212 min read


Which School Bag Should I Choose? A Spine‑Friendly Guide for Back‑to‑School
With only two weeks until the children go back to school, many families are turning their attention to school bags, and as a McTimoney chiropractor, and yoga teacher, I see how much of an impact the wrong bag can have on a child’s posture, biomechanics, and long‑term spinal health. In our house, one child doesn’t care what the bag looks like as long as it has footballs on it. The other… well, let’s just say the decision is more complicated. And that’s exactly why choosing th

Ruth
Aug 142 min read


Summer Stress and Your Body: Why the “Relaxing Season” Isn’t Always Relaxing
Summer looks dreamy on paper, holidays, sunshine, BBQs, long evenings, social plans. But in reality, it can be one of the most stressful seasons of the year, especially for parents balancing work, childcare, travel, and constant social expectations. As a McTimoney chiropractor, and yoga teacher here in Hucclecote, Gloucester, I see the same pattern every September: a wave of mums arriving in clinic with headaches, neck pain, tight shoulders, and upper‑back tension, often wi

Ruth
Aug 72 min read


Running and Walking Without Back Niggles This Summer
Summer is the perfect time for early morning or late evening runs, enjoying those magical moments where it feels like you’re the only person alive. Walking at sunrise or jogging at dusk can be grounding, calming, and brilliant for your mental health. But as a McTimoney chiropractor and a yoga teacher, I also know how easily running and long walks can trigger back pain. The good news is that most of these issues come from predictable patterns — and they’re easy to fix with a

Ruth
Jul 313 min read


What to Do to Help Your Spinal Health This Summer Holiday
Summer holidays are here, and as a McTimoney chiropractor and yoga teacher, I want to share some of the simple things I do to support my spine, and why they matter. Summer often brings more activity, more lifting, more travel, and more unusual movement patterns, so it’s the perfect time to give your back a little extra care. 1. Check In With Your Posture Throughout the Day Posture isn’t about being perfect, it’s about changing positions often. You’ve probably heard the phras

Ruth
Jul 242 min read


Travelling This Summer? Here’s How to Keep Your Body Happy
Summer holidays are filled with excitement, however, they can cause the body to complain. Long drives, airport queues, heavy bags, awkward seats, rushing for trains, it all adds up. We are going to give you a few hints and tips to help make the journey more smooth. 1. Breathe fully — especially when things get stressful Travelling can be a bit of a whirlwind. Maybe you’re navigating the underground, trying to catch the right train, or juggling bags and tickets. When stress l

Ruth
Jul 172 min read


Why Does Wearing Flip‑Flops Hurt My Feet?
Shoes! We either love them or hate them, but one thing is certain, they influence foot, hip, and back pain, and it all comes down to biomechanics. Ask any serious runner where they bought their trainers and they’ll rave about a specialist shop (usually an independent one) that assessed their gait and matched them with the right shoe. Runners understand that good footwear protects the body, improves performance, and helps prevent injury. You don’t need to be a runner for foot

Ruth
Jul 102 min read


Back Pain and Gardening: Why Summer Still Brings Gardeners Into the Clinic
Summer might feel like the “easy” gardening season, the spring jobs are done, the borders are full, and everything is growing happily. But every year, without fail, summer still brings gardeners into the clinic. Why? Because summer gardening is full of quick jobs, awkward reaches, repetitive movements, and those “I’ll just do this one thing” moments that catch people out. Deadheading the roses so they bloom again. Reaching into the brambles before they attack someone at the

Ruth
Jul 32 min read


What is the correct way to lift a suitcase.
During the summer months, people lift heavy suitcases. Its not just pulling them behind you as you walk through the airport, but its also the lifting and twisting when moving them around the house, popping them in the car and even into the overhead lockers. Why Suitcase Lifting Can Hurt Suitcases are awkward, heavy, and often lifted in a rush. The biggest issue isn’t always the weight, but the weight and twisting motion. When you twist from the waist while carrying a load, th

Ruth
Jun 262 min read


Why standing for a long time can hurt
Colurful football in a muddy goal mouth Football tournaments, music festivals, school sports days, long queues, BBQs, the summer if full of moments where we are standing or sitting still for far longer than our bodies enjoy. I know people will blame their posture, however humans are designed to move. When we hold one position for too long, a whole chain of processes begins in the body. These processes are normal, but they can create stiffness, aching, and niggles. Let’s explo

Ruth
Jun 192 min read


5 Summer Activities That Are Secretly Sabotaging Your Summer
Summer is just around the corner, and every year we see people in clinic who are concerned that their back is going to ruin their holiday. To help you stay pain‑free, we’ve listed the five most common causes of back pain we see in the clinic during the summer months. 1. Carrying a car seat or suitcase We all know we should lift with our knees to protect our back, but how many of us end up lifting and twisting at the same time? That combination is one of the quickest ways to

Ruth
Jun 122 min read
What Is Good Posture? (And Why It’s Not What You Think)
For years we’ve been told that good posture means sitting bolt upright, shoulders pinned back, chin tucked, core switched on. But that idea has been discredited. Good posture isn’t a shape. It isn’t a position you hold. It isn’t a military‑style pose you maintain all day. Good posture is your next posture. We’re humans, not statues. We’re designed to move, shift, fidget, lean, twist, perch, slouch, and readjust. The longer we stay in any position, even one that looks “perfect

Ruth
Jun 31 min read
Are All Patients Treated in the Same Way?
The short answer: absolutely not! One of the most common surprises in the clinic is this: People expect every patient to be treated in exactly the same way. But bodies aren’t the same. Histories aren’t the same. Pain patterns, nervous systems, mobility levels, and comfort needs aren’t the same, we are all individuals. So no, we don’t treat everyone the same. We follow the McTimoney protocol, working from top to toe, but how we apply it is completely individual. Real Examples

Ruth
May 292 min read


Why your body isn't broken
A gentle, science‑informed reminder for anyone who feels like their body is letting them down People often walk into the clinic and say, “My body is broken.” I hear it every week, but the truth is, your body is working. Your body isn’t broken. It’s responding exactly as it was designed to, based on the situation it’s in. Your body is constantly processing information, thi can be: stress, load, movement history, sleep, emotions, past injuries and experiences, and it is using t

Ruth
May 222 min read


National Walking Month. How to Make Walking Feel Easier
May is National Walking Month, a lovely reminder to pop your shoes on and walk a little more, whether that’s a stroll to the shops, the school run, or a five‑mile hike that includes a visit to a country pub. Walking is one of the simplest ways to support your physical and mental wellbeing. But for many people, it isn’t always straightforward. Common barriers include: aches and pains lack of strength lack of time not knowing where to go If any of these feel familiar, you’re no

Ruth
May 142 min read


How to support your back whilst gardening
This week in clinic, I’ve seen several clients whose backs “just went” after doing some gardening. If you’re anything like me, gardening is a must, that first mow of the year, planting out the seedlings, or bringing home a few too many plants from the garden centre. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures. But professionally? It’s one of the things I quietly dread every spring. Every year, without fail, we see an influx of people who’ve been gardening and suddenly find themselve

Ruth
May 72 min read
Should I Rest or Move When I’m in Pain?
A gentle guide for when your body feels sore, tight, or “not quite right” Before I ever stepped into a chiropractor’s clinic, I remember being told to lie flat on the wooden floor to rid me of my back pain. So I did. And then, I couldn’t get back up. A lot of people who come to see me for the first time have done exactly the same. They stopped moving because they were scared of making things worse. It’s a natural response when something hurts, we freeze. But here’s the truth

Ruth
May 12 min read
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