By Cate Jackson

One snowy night back in January 2013 I had my first McTimoney Chiropractic treatment and I have never looked back.

As a former international swimmer, British No 1, Commonwealth Games finalist and holder of 11 British titles, I was approaching my 50th birthday and starting to feel that the years of hard training in the pool, on the hockey pitch and on the athletics field, were catching up with me.

In the mornings my body ached from head to toe. My shoulders were heavy and sore. I had stopped swimming training and competing at Masters level as I had stopped enjoying it. I was getting slower in the water and my body was telling me it was time to hang up my swimsuit.

I had made an appointment with Kate Hutton from Aspire Chiropractic (in Welwyn, Hertfordshire) on the recommendation of a friend, and, as the treatment progressed, I was not really sure what to make of it. Having been to chiropractors and osteopaths before, a light touch here and a slap of the hands there all seemed a bit odd. I started to think it was a waste of time. Such a gentle treatment couldn’t possibly be effective. How wrong I was!

 

As I sat up at the end of the treatment I felt my shoulders drop back down away from my ears and there was no pain. My shoulder muscles had been so tight for so long I thought they would be like that for ever. To my great surprise and sheer relief, my shoulders were now moving normally again and without pain. I could feel my body continuing to change over the course of the next week and after a further three treatments my muscles had changed considerably. I had regular treatments over the next year and by the time my 50th birthday came around I was starting to feel much younger. I couldn’t believe the difference: fitter, stronger, pain-free. I started to think about swimming again.

A year on I was back in the pool. A challenge had been set. The World Swimming Masters in Montreal was six months away and I had to get fit and train to race in an Olympic size pool again. It felt good to be back racing and I was very happy to return with a medal and four top 16 finishes.

My next challenge was the British Masters in October 2015. I scheduled my treatments so that I would be at the peak of my fitness for the three-day competition and it worked. I came home with three British titles and a silver medal. I also took part in three relay races where we achieved a British record, a European record and a World record. All of which led to my world ranking of 8th and 10th in the 50m and 100m front crawl.

2016 started will with two golds and a silver at my latest competition. I like the winning feeling and it feels great to  be competing again. My muscles are much stronger and leaner, my skin tone healthier, and I generally feel brighter with no aches or soreness. I have also noticed that my sleep pattern has improved and I feel much calmer. I couldn’t have achieved all that I have over the last three years if it wasn’t for the McTimoney Chiropractic technique.

A note from Kate Hutton, Chiropractor:

Cate came to see me when I was just one year into my chiropractic career. I remember thinking that she didn’t look convinced during her first visit and she looked like she couldn’t wait for it to be over. Cate was then pleasantly surprised to feel the improvement in her shoulders and she has been a regular at the clinic ever since.  …

Working with Cate has shown me that McTimoney Chiropractic is not just a technique for getting patients out of pain but it is a powerful tool in helping to optimise the body, helping patients to achieve their goals whatever the may be. 

[This article first appeared in “Chiropractic Matters” magazine, issue 12]