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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discover the best pillow height for side, back, and front sleepers to reduce neck pain, improve spinal alignment, and support healthier sleep posture. Getting comfortable at night shouldn’t be complicated, but for many, the wrong pillow height quietly creates neck pain, shoulder tension, headaches, and that “why do I feel 90 years old?” morning stiffness. The good news is that improving your sleep posture is often as simple as choosing the right pillow for the way you sleep.

If you work in an office or at a desk, let me guess: you're reading this with your shoulders slightly hunched, neck tilted forward, and probably crossing one leg. You might have a dull ache between your shoulder blades, tightness in your neck, or a lower back that feels stiff after sitting for a few hours. You've probably thought, "This is just what happens when you work at a desk." And you've accepted it as the price of your career. But here's the thing: pain is not a normal

Image of an icy field with two long shadows When the temperature drops, many of us feel it in our bones, or more accurately, in our muscles. That stiffness on the school run, the tight calves halfway through a frosty jog, even the ache after bringing the food shop into the chilly house. Science shows that cold weather really does affect how our muscles work. The cold air makes blood vessels narrow, reducing the blood flow to our muscles. Less blood means reduced oxygen and nu

As a McTimoney chiropractor and yoga teacher, winter is when I see an increase in office workers in the clinic with neck pain, headaches, and that nagging ache between the shoulder blades. And here's what surprises most people: it's not just about how you sit, but also how we tackle that drop in temperature. The Winter Desk Trap When temperatures drop, we make small changes that can create huge problems. That extra jumper that feels tight around the shoulder is restricting yo