Many people ask me how I became an osteopath. Is it something I had always wanted to do? Or had I experienced injuries or pain and wanted to help others? Both are true to some degree!
As a young child, my mum would take me to an osteopath to help with various issues. I was a very sporty child and very much into ballet. I was always pushing myself physically and for the most part managed to look after myself well but every now and again something would crop up that needed extra attention.
I had Osgood Schlatters Disease ( I don't like referring to it at a disease, but that's the technical name!) as a teenager which affected my athletics and my dancing, both of which I was taking more seriously at this point. The advice and reassurance from my osteopath allowed me to continue all my activities and I learnt how to manage them in my downtime.
Flying High at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the Southbank, London. Photo credit: Steve Tanner
Did you become an athlete or a dancer?
At the age of 15, I was offered the opportunity to train intensely in athletics. However, I decided to leave school at 16, to pursue a career in ballet and contemporary dance. So yes, I only had GCSE's under my belt, but it's what I really wanted to do.
Within that time I experienced my fair share of injuries - most not very serious, but one or two were potentially career halting, including an ankle operation to remove an extra bone and an awful sprain causing the same ankle to blow up to the size of a small football! Not to mention the hip impingement, knee bursitis, rotator cuff and rib injuries - to name a few!
I was so grateful for the help I received from osteopaths and physiotherapists over this time with rehabilitation and management, and was able to continue with a career lasting over 15 years!
So why osteopathy?
When the time came for me to pull back from being on the stage, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do. I received some treatment at the time which reinforced how amazing the human body is and how much I valued the help I was receiving. I had also trained as a Pilates instructor, which I enjoyed and wanted to take further.
So, apprehensively with only GCSE's and my Pilates teacher training under my belt (not to mention the 15 years of dance training, performing, injuries, rehabilitation and treatment) I applied for some courses and was lucky enough to be offered places to train. I decided to just 'go for it'. Needless to say I became completely absorbed by the whole topic. I finished the 5 year training at the London School of Osteopathy with a Masters with distinction.
Being an osteopath is such a wonderful way to 'give back' a little of what I received for so many years from the wonderful osteopaths I benefitted from. My experience of pain, injury and rehabilitation over many years has given me a great depth of understanding for people I treat. I am constantly learning and developing my skills each day and feel proud to help people in my community feel better and understand their bodies more in regards to pain and movement.
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