Lower back that locks up
Bending, lifting or a long drive sets it off, and the first ten minutes of the morning are the worst. We test movement direction by direction to find which one provokes it.
- Usually
- 4–6 visits
Chiropractic care on Keel Street
Your back has a reason for hurting.We find it first
A small, unhurried clinic for stiff necks, tender lower backs, nerve pain down a leg and jaws that will not settle. Every plan starts with an examination and an explanation you could repeat to someone else.
- Monday to Saturday
- 45-minute first assessment
- Plans reviewed every fourth visit
What we help with
Six things people usually arrive with
If your complaint is not listed, it is still worth asking. Chiropractic suits some presentations well and others not at all — we will tell you which yours is before you commit to a plan.
Neck stiffness and desk tension
Limited turning, an ache at the base of the skull, shoulders that creep up by mid-afternoon. Treatment is paired with two changes to how you sit and hold your screen.
- Usually
- 3–5 visits
Sciatic pain down one leg
Sharp or burning pain past the knee, sometimes with pins and needles. We check reflexes and strength first, because this is the group most likely to need a medical referral.
- Usually
- 6–8 visits
Tension headaches from the neck
A band of pressure that builds through the day and eases when you lie down. Often driven by the top three neck joints, which respond to gentle, specific work.
- Usually
- 3–6 visits
Jaw clicking and clenching
Tight chewing muscles, a jaw that catches when you yawn, morning soreness. Treated hands-on, and alongside your dentist when a night guard is part of the picture.
- Usually
- 4–6 visits
Rib, hip and mid-back strain
Sharp catches when breathing deeply, a hip that grumbles on stairs, mid-back pain after a new sport or a growth spurt in a teenager.
- Usually
- 4–7 visits
Appointments & fees
What each visit costs and how long it takes
Published so you can plan. Nothing is added on the day without telling you first, and you are never asked to pay for a block of visits in advance.
Assessment & hands-on care
First assessment
History, physical and neurological examination, an explanation of what we found, and first treatment if it is suitable the same day.
Follow-up treatment
Re-check, adjustment or manual work, and one thing to practise before the next visit.
Extended treatment
For several areas at once, or when soft-tissue work needs more time than a standard follow-up allows.
Progress review
Every fourth visit. We re-test, compare against the first examination, and decide whether to continue, change or stop.
Under-16s are seen at the follow-up rate with a parent or guardian in the room.
Rehabilitation & support
Movement screen
No pain, but something feels off before a season, a race or a return to lifting. You leave with a written summary of what to strengthen.
Exercise session
Loading and control work taught properly, filmed on your own phone so the technique survives the walk home.
Desk & workstation review
Bring photographs of your setup. We work through chair height, screen distance, and the two habits most likely to be feeding your symptoms.
Maintenance visit
For people with a long-standing condition who have chosen a planned interval. Optional, and only offered where it has clearly helped.
Move or cancel an appointment up to 24 hours ahead at no charge.
Your first visit
Forty-five minutes, in four parts
Most people have never seen a chiropractor and are not sure what they have agreed to. This is the whole appointment, in order.
The history
What happened, what makes it better or worse, what you have already tried, plus general health and any medication. Roughly fifteen minutes of talking before anything else.
The examination
Posture and movement, joint-by-joint testing, muscle strength, and reflexes or sensation where the symptoms suggest it. You stay in comfortable clothes.
The explanation
What we think is happening, what we are not sure about, whether chiropractic is the right answer, and what a realistic plan and timescale look like.
The first treatment
If it is suitable and you are happy to go ahead, treatment starts the same day: adjustment, soft-tissue work or traction, then one thing to do at home.
Between visits
Treatment is the shorter half of it
Joints respond quickly to hands-on work and slowly to changed habits. You will leave with a short list rather than a programme, because a short list actually gets done.
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Daily
One movement, twice a dayChosen for your direction of ease, not a generic stretch sheet. Two minutes each time.
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Weekly
One load to buildUsually a hip, mid-back or grip exercise that protects the area we treated. Added once the pain has settled.
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Ongoing
One habit to interruptThe long drive, the sofa evening, the bag on one shoulder. We agree on a single change at a time.
Who you'll see
Dawn Keel, practising chiropractor
I opened this clinic because I wanted to work at the pace an examination actually needs. There is one treatment room, one practitioner and no overlapping appointments, so nobody is moved off the table early to keep a diary running.
Most of my week is lower backs, necks, and the kind of headache that starts between the shoulder blades. I also see a steady stream of runners, gardeners, and people who have just discovered that a new desk chair was a mistake. Where something sits outside my scope — or where the examination raises a flag — I will say so on the first visit and write to your GP rather than start a plan.
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Examine before treating
No adjustment happens before the testing that justifies it, including for a returning patient with a new complaint.
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Plain explanations
You should be able to describe your own problem accurately to a partner or an employer by the end of the first visit.
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Finite plans
Care is planned in short blocks with a review built in. If two reviews show no progress, we stop and refer.
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Your choice of technique
If you would rather not be adjusted, say so. Mobilisation, soft-tissue work and traction are genuine alternatives.
Hours & preparation
When the room is open
Early and late slots go first; mid-morning is usually the quietest part of the week.
- Monday7:30 – 13:00
- Tuesday11:00 – 19:00
- Wednesday7:30 – 13:00
- Thursday8:00 – 18:00
- Friday7:30 – 15:00
- Saturday8:30 – 12:30
- SundayClosed
Before you arrive
- Wear clothes you can move in. Leggings or shorts with a t-shirt are ideal, and there is no need to undress for most examinations.
- Bring a list of any medication, plus any scan result or clinic letter about the area we are looking at.
- Arrive five minutes early for the health questionnaire, or ask for it by email and fill it in at home.
- Bring a chaperone or a family member if you would prefer one in the room — just mention it when you book.
- If you need to move your appointment, 24 hours' notice keeps the slot free of charge and usually finds you a better time.
Questions
The things people ask before booking
Is an adjustment safe?
For the great majority of people, yes — and the examination on your first visit exists to identify the minority for whom it is not. Where an adjustment is not appropriate, gentler mobilisation, soft-tissue work or traction is used instead.
The most common after-effect is mild soreness for a day, similar to the feeling after unfamiliar exercise. We tell you what to expect before you leave.
What is the popping sound?
It is gas moving within the joint fluid as the joint surfaces separate slightly — not bones cracking, and nothing going back into place. It is harmless, it does not indicate how well the treatment worked, and plenty of effective techniques make no sound at all.
How many visits will I need?
Most straightforward complaints settle in three to six visits, and the estimate you are given is based on your examination rather than a standard package. Longer-standing problems can take longer, which is why a review is built in every fourth visit.
If two consecutive reviews show no meaningful change, we stop and look for a different answer instead of continuing.
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
No — you can book directly. If your examination suggests the problem needs medical investigation, imaging or a specialist opinion, we will write to your GP with our findings and hold off on treatment until that is resolved.
Can I be treated during pregnancy?
Yes. Pelvic and low-back discomfort in pregnancy is a common reason people come in, and the treatment is adapted — side-lying positions, cushioned support and gentler techniques throughout. Tell us how many weeks you are when you book, so the right amount of time is set aside.
Do you see children and teenagers?
Yes, usually for sports strains, growth-related knee and back pain, or bag-and-posture complaints. A parent or guardian stays in the room for the whole appointment, techniques are adjusted for age, and we are direct about when a young person simply needs rest and sensible loading rather than treatment.
Can I claim this on insurance?
Many policies include chiropractic, though some require a GP referral first and most limit the number of sessions. Check with your insurer before the first visit, and we will provide a dated, itemised receipt after every appointment with everything a claim normally needs.
Book an assessment
Tell us what is going on
Send the form and we will reply with two or three times that fit the window you have chosen. Nothing is confirmed until you pick one.
- A reply the same working day, or the next morning for evening requests
- The health questionnaire by email if you would rather complete it at home
- An honest answer if chiropractic is not the right starting point for you