Curiously Connected

26/08/2026

Good to see the evidence supporting the experience 🌱

In patients with chronic pain, this meta-analysis suggests significant and robust effects of CST on pain and function lasting up to six months.
Ten RCTs of 681 patients with neck and back pain, migraine, headache, fibromyalgia, epicondylitis, and pelvic girdle pain were included. CST showed greater post intervention effects on pain intensity.
Secondary outcomes were all significantly more improved in CST patients than in other groups, except for six-month mental quality of life versus sham. Sensitivity analyses revealed robust effects of CST against most risk of bias domains.
In patients with chronic pain, this meta-analysis suggests significant and robust effects of CST on pain and function lasting up to six months.

Ten RCTs of 681 patients with neck and back pain, migraine, headache, fibromyalgia, epicondylitis, and pelvic girdle pain were included. CST showed greater post intervention effects on pain intensity.

Secondary outcomes were all significantly more improved in CST patients than in other groups, except for six-month mental quality of life versus sham. Sensitivity analyses revealed robust effects of CST against most risk of bias domains.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12891-019-3017-y

29/07/2026

19/07/2026

Highly recommended if you know someone with persistent post-concussion symptoms.

08/07/2026

Getting breathing right underpins performance. Breathe to Win is an annual event bringing together some of the great names in the performance breathing arena.
Small changes can have significant impact, the first step is awareness.

If you are interested in having your breathing pattern assessed and tweaked - ping me a message and get booked in

08/07/2026

The body adapts to what we ask of it at 30, at 60, at 80. If we ask less, it gives less. But when we reintroduce the right signals gentle strength work, balance practice, walking, loading done safely and progressively the body responds.

Yes, progress may be slower now.
Yes, recovery may take more care.
But improvement is still possible.

Strength can return.
Balance can improve.
Confidence can be rebuilt.

Fragility is not who you are.
It’s a state and states can change.

You are not too old to move.
You are not too late to get stronger.
Your body is still listening

05/06/2026

I’ve seen it time and time again throughout my career: a new patient walks into my office with knee pain, shoulder pain, or an MRI showing a meniscus tear, rotator cuff tear, arthritis, or “degeneration.” The implication is often immediate but that something is damaged, worn out, and in need of fixing.

But pain is rarely that simple.
One of the hardest and most important lessons I’ve learned in 30 years as an orthopedic surgeon is that imaging does not reliably tell us what hurts. Structural changes on an MRI do not automatically mean there is tissue damage requiring surgery. In fact, many of the so-called “abnormalities” we see on scans are often age-appropriate findings, not a sentence about your future.

I’ve seen far too many people rush into surgery because of frightening words on an X-ray report. But imaging alone should never guide the entire decision-making process. I run with people who have “bone-on-bone” knee X-rays and remain active, strong, and functional. There is far more to the story than what appears on a scan.

That realization changed the way I think about osteoarthritis. In the summer of 2025, I published a book here on Substack about knee osteoarthritis (OA), built from decades of clinical experience and conversations with thousands of patients living with knee pain. This series challenges the outdated “wear and tear” narrative and the myth that arthritis means you need to stop moving and start resting.

Instead, it explores what the evidence actually shows: how metabolic health, strength training, movement, recovery, and lifestyle profoundly influence pain, function, and long-term outcomes. It walks readers through the treatment process step by step and helps them understand if and when surgery should truly be considered.

If you’ve been told you’re “bone on bone,” that your joints are “worn out,” or that you need to stop being active, this is where I would encourage you to start.

The link is here: https://howardluksmd.substack.com/p/knee-osteoarthritis-book?utm_source=publication-search

24/05/2026

So good to back at The Dell of Abernethy and an honour to be invited to support Marie Williams Yoga’s ‘Grow’ retreat this week.

There’s something very special about supporting retreats through craniosacral therapy - individual attention, deeply personal, supporting process arising through skilled yogic tuition and guidance, particularly with a somatic focus, and the perfect environment to let go, unwind, connect with nature and Self 🌱

A time for deep listening, a time for feeling and sensing, for subconscious to become conscious…

Craniosacral therapy - held, safe, contained, deliciously connecting….

The eddy in the River of Life 🙌

14/05/2026

Craniosacral Therapy - the art of relational touch, supported by science 🌱

29/03/2026

During the process of her PhD to produce a validated outcome measure for measuring wellbeing interventions, craniosacral therapist Dr Nicola Brought, gathered data from members of the CSTA (Craniosacral Therapy Association). Here is a representation of the conditions / symptoms that people seeking craniosacral therapy presented with.

The work that came before the PhD established the benefits clients had experienced - a complex piece of work: what constitutes wellbeing? How can you capture or measure the benefits?
A 3 or even 4-dimensional mind map, connecting aspects of wellbeing in many ways on many levels along the Health Spectrum that is Disease through Wellbeing was established.

The conclusion?

The method of action (of craniosacral therapy) was concluded to be through Change in Awareness. An internal shift in awareness allowed one to view Self from an internal state opposed to from the external.

The outcome measure, Warwick Holistic Health Questionnaire (WHHQ-18) is now available to measure holistic change within any intervention for any complementary or wellbeing intervention through the Measure Well website.

If you are interested in how craniosacral therapy might be of benefit I’d love to hear from you. Many clients first come at the dis-ease end of the spectrum and continue their journey using the discovery of increasing self awareness to support a more embodied and robust sense of wellbeing.

Appointments available in the Aviemore area and Forres, also supporting retreats in the Cairngorm National Park ❣️

20/03/2026

If you’re having mobility issues or know someone looking for easier movement- this series of Feldenkrais lessons are highly recommended

https://www.feldenkraisaccess.com/essential-action?utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_id=120240938196770075_v2_s08_e7498&utm_content=120240939178710075&utm_term=120240939178720075&utm_campaign=120240938196770075&fbclid=IwRlRTSAQqADFleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqy5_s42Cm3NydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6BEWu6XcA9QcGM_-eNIRaE4OYrdIfa2am9a7G6siLRuuq2ItAUej9E9yNE_Q_aem_AtxBdfkwHa-sUsZ63ahBrw

Whether you have a new diagnosis or have been living with pain for decades, this Feldenkrais workshop will offer you reliable tools that you can use to change the habits that have prevented you from making lasting and meaningful progress.