Blog 124 – Chiro Live 2024: Moving Beyond Pain and the Bake off!

As president of the British Chiropractic Association, it was an absolute honour to be part of the national annual conference, Chiro Live 2024, held at the incredible St. George’s Park on October 12th. This event, the home of England football, is not just a place of sporting legends but also a fitting venue for us as we gathered to celebrate and push the boundaries of our profession.

Planning an event of this scale takes nearly nine months of meticulous work, and as rewarding as it is, it’s also an exhausting process. However, 21 years of working as a chiropractor, serving my patients, and leading the brilliant team at Cleve Chiropractic has helped prepare me for these complex and stressful moments. Of course Catherine planning it with me helps! The theme of this year’s conference, \”Moving Beyond Pain,\” could not have been more fitting, as it encapsulates what we strive for in chiropractic care—helping patients live fuller lives, free from pain, while improving function and preventing disability.

We were fortunate to have some of the world’s leading chiropractors sharing cutting-edge theories and techniques. Their insights continue to inspire us to be at the forefront of patient care. With research driving much of the profession’s evolution, it was refreshing to hear the latest findings that help guide us toward a future where chiropractic can impact lives in even more meaningful ways.

One of the most moving parts of the day was hosting Marcus Stewart, the Bristol Rovers and Premier League superstar, who graciously joined us to share his experience living with motor neurone disease (MND). Marcus’s interview was powerful and emotional, a true highlight of the day. I’m incredibly proud that we raised thousands of pounds for the Darby Rimmer Foundation in support of this vital cause.

The day wouldn’t have been as successful without the support of our incredible chiropractic team. Catherine was a superstar, acting as Conference Chair all day, ensuring everything ran smoothly. Her dedication was exceptional, and she even treated us to her talents as the lead singer of the band Audible Release, who kept everyone on the dance floor until the early hours. Luke’s nomination for Young Chiropractor of the Year, out of hundreds of candidates, was a huge accolade, and I have no doubt we’ll be seeing him receive more awards in the future.

Being able to share this experience with my colleagues, including Jack, Dele, Luke, and Catherine, was so special. However it wasn’t just the chiro’s who made to the home of English football! Kate, Mary and Sharon, our beyond fabulous reception team travelled all the way up to participate in some front of house training! I’m a huge believer that we can all reflect and improve and at Cleve Chiropractic that includes everyone! Our team returned to work more educated, inspired, and definitely a bit tired after all the fun! Chiro Live 2024 has left us not only more prepared to continue helping patients \”move beyond pain\” but also filled with enthusiasm for what’s to come.

I look forward to carrying the momentum of this incredible conference into the next chapter, and I’m immensely grateful for everyone who contributed to making this event such a success. Here’s to continuing to push the boundaries of chiropractic care and making a real difference in people’s lives.

On a more important note, in the clinic we have started our famous and extremely competitive bake off season! So expect each week to experience the smell and hopefully delightful expressions of our staff as we battle it out to be best baker! Each week we follow the TV competition and copy their week theme as a staff member has the gauntlet thrown to be the best of the best baker in Mangotsfield! I got the early bake as biscuit week, easily surpassing Catherines weak efforts (it’s my blog, I get to say that! ;)). Then we had a stirling effort from Mary for bread week with a caramelised onion effort…this week we wait for Angie…caramel week…it’s a though one…what would you bake?! Obviously I’ll keep you updated with how it goes!