Curiously Connected

25/09/2026

I’ve followed Ian for sometime, admiring his dedication and recognising what a challenge his work must be in turning the tide of change in his profession. This post of few words is an indication of his deep compassion and empathy for the people he serves.
Ians work has threads the run parallel to my own. Understanding trauma. Understanding change can only happen when people start to feel safe, somebody has your back.
From a therapy POV, the level of regulation and compassion the professional has amid the chaos and dysregulation within a clients system, the more we can offer. To gain the clients (subconscious) trust having a settled, steady and unshakable nervous system ourself to attune to is what the client likely never had in childhood: the ability to self regulate in the face of adversity - fundamentally changing the decision making process in the split seconds that poor decisions are made - sometimes over and over again leading to life changing consequences whether that be crime, addiction or handing the same ‘lot’ to the next generation.

In my quest for mastery having my own therapy, a regular practice of noticing the awe in the ordinary and practicing being present no matter what, is a crucial part of this journey. These practices support my physiology to be super regulated, grounded, calm whilst at the same time also have the ability to be passionate, excited and hopeful in my work.

How does this relate to the post above?

If you’ve read this far and don’t have an awareness of the impact of trauma, how trauma affects us personally or your clients/patients/students - whatever group you may work with - I hope it piques your curiousity to know more. It affects us all one way or another - understanding how you may have been affected or being able to have compassion for another, understanding the physiology, understanding the impact your physiology has on others, especially understanding its impact working as the professional with a vulnerable community.

Thank you Ian Smith for advocating for your clients, for educating the next generation and for your tear…

Change is glacially slow. Be part of that change

Over the past few weeks I’ve been engaged in interviewing potential candidates for a job with Keegan Smith Criminal Defence as a Trainee Lawyer. Several candidates spoke with knowledge & depth of their awareness of the massive part childhood trauma plays in the Justice System & Addiction. As I sat...

13/09/2026

Quick story for you from a time when I was in grade 8 (maybe grade 7):

I remember when I first got contact lenses. The optician said to me: "Do you brush your teeth every night?" I looked at her like she was idiotic and said, "What do you mean do I brush my teeth before bed? We are supposed to do that. Who would NOT do that?"

(My parents did a good job at instilling in me good dental care, probably because both of them had false teeth at a young age due to inadequate access to modern day dentistry when they were young, but I digress...)

So I asked her WHY that was important. She said it wasn't about my teeth, but she said a lot young people forget to brush their teeth at night and then they forget to take their contact lenses out at night which can be disastrous (especially with the old lenses).

I share that story to remind everyone that this nervous system "work" - taking care of it, healing it, gaining greater capacity, building solid regulation, and doing ALL THE THINGS to make this happen, is a daily—whether you like it or not—process.

That daily commitment, even if 5, 10, or better yet, 15 minutes a day, is key at the start (also know this is not enough, but it is the start). Without a consistent practice and awareness to self and our environment, it is tough to dislodge the many traumas and survival stresses trapped inside.

Tap on the link in the comments to read my blog post, "You brush your teeth daily. What about your nervous system?"

04/09/2026

It’s paragraphs like this that I ponder on all the time - great to see someone else putting it into writing - thank you Biodynamic Cranio Sacral Therapy with Sophie

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 🙌