I became an Osteopath through my experience of being an osteopathic patient when I was a teenager. The results for me were profound, life-changing and life-enhancing and I’ve never looked back. It has been a great profession to be a part of, I love working with those who choose this system of hands-on medicine for treatment and I am still, after now 25 years in practice, as enthusiastic and motivated to work in this field as I was when I entered it.
When I qualified, I gained inspiring experiences from travels abroad, returning to Scotland to lay down roots in Ayrshire, I opened Loudoun Osteopaths in Galston, Ayrshire, got married and in between having 4 kids I have continued to develop the practice and my osteopathic skills.
At Loudoun Osteopaths we deliver a mixture of general practice (low back and spinal pain, joint problems, sciatica, headaches, digestive problems, recurrent infections) and specialist treatment for M.E./ CFS, Post-Viral Fatigue. We also see children with problems common to their age group.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
My journey to be an Osteopath began when I experienced multiple and recurrent sports injuries, whilst playing and representing the Scottish Under 16’s hockey squad. Following the often common pathways through G.P.’s, sports physios, amidst attempting varying degrees of rest and forcing through pain, nothing was working. Finally, I was advised to “Go and see an Osteopath”, like many others before me, it was my last resort.
The results were startling and deeply effective. An old childhood ankle injury was identified as the source of the recurrent leg and back strains, treatment led to resolution and I never looked back. I was back in the Under 18’s hockey team in good form and then I hot footed it down to the British School of Osteopathy.
GETTING SET UP
Graduating in 1992 with a BSc. in Osteopathy, my first job was at a busy, friendly and well-established clinic in Paisley. Following this excellent grounding, I set up a clinic in Airdrie before a trip to New Zealand unleashed my adventurous spirit and I had to leave my home town.
I felt that I still had more to learn and I wanted to visit, work and meet the most inspirational Osteopaths that I could find, so my search took me to the south of England, study tours to America to visit advanced practitioners; work stints with New Zealand’s foremost practitioners; locum foray’s in the sub tropics of Australia’s hot north; a maternity locum in Dublin with study days to their infant OCC.
Following a couple of stints in the West End of Glasgow upon my returns, and having gained invaluable experience from meeting so many great and highly skilled practitioners, I finally decided to lay down roots in Ayrshire and opened Loudoun Osteopaths in Galston, Ayrshire in 1997.
DEVELOPING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
Over the years my practice of Osteopathy has developed as a mixture of general practice (low back and spinal pain, joint problems, sciatica, headaches, digestive problems, recurrent infections) and then later towards M.E./ CFS/ Post-Viral Fatigue as I personally struggled through a long episode of fatigue. Inspired by the work of Raymond Perrin In Manchester, I often travelled there to learn more from his deep knowledge in this field, which enhanced my health and has helped me immensely to understand my patients who suffer from this often badly portrayed and misunderstood disorder.
I have also done a continuing run of post graduate courses in Cranio-sacral and biodynamic technique both of which lend themselves to the gentle and effective treatment of children.
SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE
Learning never ended after I left college in 1992, from one of the early courses at the newly founded Osteopathic Centre for Children, to the initiation of a cranial study group, which over the years was followed up with a much longer 7 year programme of study in Biodynamic technique in the Cranial field, to aid myself and my colleagues in further developing our skills in palpation and perception.
This study group evolved into Osteopathic Studies Scotland and more recently I have set up The Osteopathic Collective osteopathic-collective.com
Through these post graduate study organisations we have been able to secure many of the best and most inspirational practitioners and lecturers that are available in the UK and Europe and as part of these developing educational opportunities, I’ve been undertaking a Master’s degree in Education. It’s a 3 phase, project related course and having recently completed Phase 1, I now have a Certificate in Learning, I’m just seeking the time and space to continue this study and continue to marry up my skills in learning, therapy, and communication !
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