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Scott Robertson Bodywork, Bennochy Road, Kirkcaldy (2026)

31/08/2026

It’s that time of year where I take some time out to let my body recover. I’m now on holiday for three weeks, but stay tuned for more crucial guidance on my return 😎

17/08/2026

CRUCIAL GUIDANCE - 2

I said in the previous post that social media is full of ‘smoke and mirrors’, and as you can see I’m now wearing a different cowboy hat. I’m still not any better at wrangling than before 🤠

I also said, that structural instability is a significant risk for people who receive high velocity ‘techniques’. I’ve been asked to explain this further by clients, so I’ll do my best to answer them in layman’s terms…

First of all, let’s stop calling it a ‘technique’, or a ‘manipulation’, or an ‘adjustment’. None of these words are accurate!

It’s a hit and hope method at its best. The real question is, can subjecting the body to a barrage of cracks really help people in pain?

If you believe it helps, then maybe it can, in a sense. You hear a few cracks and then the ‘therapist’ gets all excited about it. You now assume that something magical has just happened ✨

Obviously, what they’re attempting to do is decompress the spinal column, and that may happen temporarily. This means you may feel improvement for a short time or, the symptoms will worsen after a few hours or days!

This is because the muscles that support the spine are hyper-contracted for the majority of people in pain; and they will resist against any attempt to decompress the vertebrae. The ‘practitioner’ is forcefully trying to pull the vertebral column apart, but it’s not equipped to be attacked in this way. I’ll explain why…

Essentially, this damages the ligaments that hold the bones together for a steady back. This ranges from swelling and dysfunction to a complete rupture. If this happens, then it’s too late to ask for my help. For those who benefit from some relief, they will soon be disappointed because the spine will always return to its compressed state. This is by design!

It’s how both legit chiros and fake chiros make their money. It doesn’t matter how much they dress it up, or put a spin on it, because ultimately you’re their cash cow 🐮 They need you to have a glimmer of hope, so that you regularly yo-yo between pain and relief. To top it all off, they have the audacity to call it ‘maintenance’ 🤥

Maintenance couldn’t be any further from the truth because nothing is being maintained. The ‘practitioner’ is just playing the spine like an accordion, 🪗 by repeating the same procedure over and over until the spinal column becomes over-abused!

It’s called Over Manipulation Syndrome (OMS). When the ligaments that hold the vertebrae tightly in position become overstretched and loose, then you’re asking for trouble. The more aggressive the ‘technique’, the greater the risk. If this happens multiple times, then the risk increases each time!

With every high velocity ‘treatment’, the structural column becomes less supported. Not only the ligaments, but also the discs that hold the vertebrae firmly in place. Ligaments, discs, muscles and the vertebrae’s hinge-like connections need to work as a team; to support, stabilise and provide shock absorption!

This is why I focus on the soft tissue to get results, because it’s always the root of the problem. It also means I don’t need to unnecessarily abuse the backbone, which is generally trouble free for most people with back and neck pain. That’s until someone monkeys around with it for no reason!

Why create a problem to fix a problem? Or even worse, the existing problem continues and you now have some new ones to contend with!

In time, the receiver of high velocity methods should expect the following…

1️⃣ Joint instability

The vertebrae shift out of place because the bands of tissue connecting them are being pulled beyond their threshold.

2️⃣ Chronic pain

This is due to the abnormal joint mechanics.

3️⃣ Increased muscle pain

Muscles that are already over tight, will continue to tighten and spasm in an attempt to stabilise the affected joints.

4️⃣ Reduced ability to heal

Ligaments lack a robust blood supply.

There are other risk factors that I’ve mentioned in previous posts. These are actually way more concerning than OMS. Regardless of the risk, there’s only really two things to consider…

Firstly, is decompression important for pain relief?

Well it can be, for some at least, but not for the majority of people in pain. For those who it is a problem for, then the important thing to understand is - compressed vertebrae doesn’t just happen on its own. There are always other forces in play, and this is where an experienced therapist is required!

The second thing, and the most important question to ask yourself is…

Is a short term fix worth the risk of a bigger problem than you started with?

I know what my answer is, but it’s because I know the risks. I also know that I can decompress my own spine appropriately, safely and far more effectively by stretching at home. It also means I haven’t wasted money! 💰

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty…

High velocity ‘techniques’ may look and sound fancy, but the truth is it’s no more than a circus performance 🤡

Anyone reading this could learn how to do it all in a matter of hours, because it’s unskilled. It doesn’t require knowledge, experience or study!

The only qualities required for this type of role are…

📌 A disregard for the health and wellbeing of others

📌 A passion for money grabbing

📌 Ability to bu****it

📌 A ‘have a go’ attitude

If you can find these ‘attributes’ on your CV, then you’re perfect for this position!

Let’s really think about this for a moment…

If you’ve ever had a new house built, did you say to the builder…

“ Any chance you can knock it up without the foundations? I’m in a bit of a hurry “

Of course you didn’t, because you’re not stupid!

Just like you wouldn’t say to a therapist…

“ I need help with pain relief but how about reducing the stability of my spine in the process? That would be lovely “

These words will never leave the mouth of anyone ever, because most people have more than two brain cells to knock together!

Yet it’s happening! Why is that? Is it because they have suddenly lost their cognitive ability? 🤔

Unlikely, it’s because they’re desperate, and being lured into it by someone who is clueless about safety protocols. These kind of people are so unprincipled, that they are taking advantage of vulnerable people in pain for financial gain!

I hope I’ve satisfactorily answered the question on structural instability, and my message has come through, loud and clear! 🤠

03/08/2026

CRUCIAL GUIDANCE

Social media is full of ‘smoke and mirrors’ and as you can see, I once wore a cowboy hat, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m an experienced wrangler! 🤠

So with this in mind, here are five DO’s and five DON’TS for therapists to remember, and clients to be aware of…

1️⃣ DO your training and assessments with recognised curriculums and not from a laptop.

Entry qualifications take time to complete. Certification is only awarded to candidates who meet all the required occupational standards. Online courses do not fulfill these requirements, or qualify for insurance that’s fit for purpose!

2️⃣ DO be honest about your knowledge, experience and qualifications.

If you’re trying to be something that you’re not, this will become very apparent the moment you share your ‘wisdom’ with the world. Remember, people who actually know what they’re talking about also use social media!

3️⃣ DO challenge ‘practitioners’ who invent problems, then forcefully create cracking noises as a placebo effect.

Some clients pop and crack in my treatment room but this is something that happens naturally when receiving manual therapy. It has no bearing on a successful treatment, because nothing is being adjusted. It’s simply a noise that comes from gas escaping with a sudden drop in pressure, just like opening a bottle of champagne!

4️⃣ DO be true to your ethos.

Continually moving your ethical goalposts equals losing credibility. Over-explaining your motives is a subtle form of begging!

5️⃣ DO gain perspective.

I’m a supporter of aspiring therapists. I’m happy to put time aside for advice and support for anyone who feels they can benefit from it!

6️⃣ DON’T bu****it.

We’re talking about people’s health and wellbeing here, meaning we need to remember that we’re therapists and not selling used cars. Most people can see through BS, especially if you’re still in your therapy nappies and feigning your expertise!

7️⃣ DON’T profiteer.

It doesn’t matter how good you think you are, you will lose clients if your treatments are unaffordable. Unfairly increasing prices to fatten your wallet is unethical, and everyone knows that business costs don’t skyrocket over night!

8️⃣ DON’T turn your social media page into a cabaret act.

Your audience will only see a one trick pony. Aggressively abusing vulnerable areas of the body for entertainment value is not therapy. If you’re this type of ‘therapist’ then you’re already contributing to future problems by behaving in this way. If the spinal column continues to receive maltreatment then structural instability and chronic pain is the final destination, with no return ticket!

I’m generally the last therapist to pick up the problem after it’s been passed around clinics, to no avail. I know of clients that have received brutal methods that are inappropriate for their condition. This means it’s only a matter of time before something goes badly wrong!

When this happens, it means life changing injuries or worse. History tells us stories of tragedies that we need to learn from. If the ‘practitioner’ is unlicensed and has taken a shortcut with their education, then it means a prison sentence!

9️⃣ DON’T use my page as an example of marketing.

Plagiarism is pointless if you don’t understand the context. Whatever is rattling around in my head rarely has any impact on my bookings. I post every now and then for reasons of interest, awareness, and education.

🔟 DON’T put all your eggs in one social media basket.

I fill every appointment through word of mouth recommendations, and every successful treatment generates even more new clients. Surely, this has to be better than shamelessly bombarding everyone’s feed with the same money-driven nonsense? The best treatments I’ve had anywhere in the world are by therapists who have no interest in social media or advertising, but they’re busy because of reputation alone!

If you only remember one thing from this post then it should be this…

There are people out there with multiple certificates hanging on their wall that have been signed off by mickey mouse. They were educated at the school of tiktok, so what they’re selling lacks substance. This is why they need videos with gimmicks and hard sell tactics, like customers replying to leading questions!

I believe in choice. I have spent years developing my treatments, in a way that offers a realistic alternative.

BUT…

To do this safely, you need a solid foundation for everything else to follow. In other words, appropriate credentials. The worrying thing for the unwary is, they’re receiving ‘treatments’ from the unqualified and inexperienced without even knowing the risks!

Remember, being a therapy giver comes with core responsibilities and a duty of care. Even the worst ‘practitioners’ around can still claim success at times. However, short term wins can become longterm problems; especially when the vendor is “all hat and no cattle”

15/07/2026

SUMMER SESSIONS
🇸🇪 🇩🇰 😎
It will likely take me longer to reply to messages next week so please be patient!

10/06/2026

FUTURE WORKSHOPS

First of all, a big thank you and congratulations to Adele 🙌🏼 and Shona 🙌🏼 for being the first two therapists to successfully complete my remedial therapy workshop!

So when is the next one?

The honest answer is I don’t know!

I’m just putting this out there because I’ve been overwhelmed by messages from therapists wanting to get involved. I failed to recognise that this would have such an impact!

So I’m going to take some time to reflect on it, and consider on how I want to take it forward…

At the moment, time is my biggest hurdle. Trying to fit it around a busy diary is a challenge, and my travel plans aren’t helping ✈️

Many of you know that I tend to take a ‘manãna approach’ to life these days, but I always get there in the end. To put you in the picture, I’m the guy who’s still packing the case when I should have left for the airport half an hour ago! 😬

I also don’t want to fall into the trap of doing it too often, as I easily get bored when I regularly do the same thing over and over. It’s the reason I’d struggle to do table therapy, but it’s not because I’ve got a short attention span, it’s because, oh I just saw a butterfly 🦋

The main thing that I need to figure out is what do I want from this? Originally, it was about setting myself up with a retirement plan!

Recently though, I just wanted to prove that massage therapists who normally do routine based therapies make better remedial practitioners than the usual run of the mill stuff!

This isn’t about training therapists to be me, but it is about giving table massage therapists the tools to be better than a chiro or a physio for all the common problems associated with pain. All it took was changing how massage therapists think 🤔

What is the main reason that most therapists fail to get results?

They’re working with symptoms!

Chiros, physios, sports massage, acupuncturists and others. The list goes on for the type of therapy givers who all focus on the site of pain. Change the thinking then change the results!

Does this mean I don’t treat the symptoms?

No, I still do because I understand the importance of holistic working, and of course, it speeds up the recovery time. If I only work at the site of pain, then it’s likely to back in a few days or even hours!

Anyway, back to future workshops…

You know I take regular holidays because of the physicality of my job, and natural vitamin D helps massively with a rare autoimmune condition ☀️ but it’s definitely taking longer to recover than before!

My body copes better on some days than others, so I reckon this will be the deciding factor on creating more time for other projects.

I’m all about transparency, so this is all I can tell you right now, but I’m also impulsive so keep an eye on the page and I’ll get back to you once I’ve figured it all out!

Thanks for your patience 🙏

02/06/2026

AGGRESSIVE SPINAL MANIPULATION

I’m going to keep this post generic so that encompasses all aspects of crazy, over-aggressive manipulations that come with risk!

Would I let someone use them on me?

Of course not, but it isn’t about me and I’m a supporter of choice no matter how ridiculous something appears, because we all have the right to make choices and we also have the right to take risks!

The obvious questions are why would you, and what do you think it’s doing??

I get it in a way, because anyone who has ever lived with pain will tell you they’ll do anything to be pain free…

If someone said to me years ago when I was struggling with pain, stick a finger in your ear and sing Agadoo while hopping on one leg because it’ll help. I might have tried it! 😬

However, when it comes to aggressive techniques, I would be amiss if I didn’t point out the risks. These risks increase when the practitioner lacks proper education to detect underlying conditions…

Does your therapist understand contraindications?

Do you even know if you have contraindications to be considered?

Does the therapist need to google the word, contraindication?

Here are the risks of high velocity techniques even if nothing is contraindicated…

Stroke

Brain injury

Spinal cord compression

Spinal fractures

Worsening of herniated discs and pinched nerves

Locked-in syndrome

Over-manipulation syndrome

These are just a few examples, but even if you believe it’s safe, then what are the benefits?

People who do such things will tell you it decompresses the spine or they’re making an ‘adjustment’

What exactly is being adjusted?

If every person receives the same snap and pop technique, then it’s not exactly a ‘treatment’ that’s individualised for you or your particular problem!

You should know my opinion by now, on treatments that involve forced manipulation, no matter how conventional or ludicrous. This means I’m not just talking about have-a-go ‘experts’ who bu****it with confidence!

Nothing is being adjusted, and the spinal column will always go back to its default position until the actual problem is resolved!

It’s the biggest therapy hoax in history!

26/05/2026

NONSENSE TERMINOLOGY

My posts, in the main, are designed to promote awareness and unravel nonsensical claims!

Apparently my opinion on ‘twisted pelvis’ in previous posts has caused a stir, but all that’s in a twist here are the knickers of some therapists!

I’ve posted enough about pelvic issues so before I flog a dead horse, let’s try to make some sense of it!

A ‘twisted pelvis’ or ‘pelvic torsion’ as it’s sometimes known just makes no sense, and it’s not just the theory behind it that makes me think this way!

It’s also because I’ve met countless clients with this diagnosis, but I’ve yet to meet one who actually has it!

Why is that?

Is it because everyone who has ever had a ‘twisted pelvis’ was fixed by a ‘pelvis untwister’ before they got to me? 😉

Unlikely! Let’s just take a moment to think about these two words separately and then together 🤔
TWISTED and PELVIS

What would the owner of a twisted pelvis look like?

What’s their posture like?

How would they walk?

What activities would it prevent them from doing?

Every person that I’ve ever helped with an unresolved ‘twisted pelvis’ had no obvious abnormalities, but they all had pain and in varying locations!

We live in a part of the world where we’re accustomed to having labels handed to us for all of our health issues! 🏷️

Having a label isn’t the same as fixing a problem, it just means you have a name for it, whether it’s right or wrong!

In the west we have lots of examples like this…

Frozen shoulder
Tennis elbow
Golfer’s elbow
Runners’ knee
Housemaid’s knee
Writer’s cramp
Athlete’s foot
Dancer’s bum cheek 🕺🏻

Okay, I made the last one up 🙂 but it’s just as plausible if you consider these terms rarely have any connection to the problem itself!

Being labelled with a ‘twisted pelvis’ takes nonsense terminology to another level. It’s not just a nonsense term, but in my mind, it’s a way for certain types of clinics to use booking traps 💰

I’ve been chatting to clients about this recently, but not those with this ‘diagnosis’. I’m hearing the opinions of people who work in academia, therapy and healthcare to put some perspective on it. It’s helped me understand why nonsense terminology is a growing problem!

AI isn’t helping for a start, by frequently producing illogical and fabricated information. It predicts patterns but it doesn’t understand fact!

So between this, and patients who relay info from chiros and others back to the docs, it means these terms are also filtering into GP surgeries!

You can google images of diagrams, where you can see both hip bones unrealistically moving in opposite directions, and creating misalignment of twenty degrees or more 🤥

It’s not just the hips, because there’s other marketing gibberish out there showing similar imbalances for shoulders and knees!

People I meet don’t have pelvic twist however, they may have pelvic tilt. In fact, the majority of people who think they’re coming with a pelvis related problem have no pelvic issues whatsoever!

Unfortunately, nonsense terminology will likely be here to stay. We have no control over it, but we do have the control to focus on our objective while navigating our way through misdirection!

05/05/2026

RED FLAGS 🚩

Since my last post on ‘inventing problems’ there’s been messages from randoms asking my opinion on specific therapists…

I’ve experienced this before, where acquaintances of practitioners and therapists send me false queries that are clearly an attempt to catch me out!

For anyone who is thinking about doing this, please note, this is not my first rodeo 🤠 and if you feel the need to get involved in this kind of behaviour, then you’ve already answered your own questions about your abilities as a therapist!

Of course I don’t share my opinion on individuals, and if you’ve followed my page for a while, then you’ll know I keep my awareness posts generic, and don’t share names of people or businesses!

If you want to know my red flags, then here they are…

🚩 Avoid anyone who claims to be making ‘adjustments’ especially in short sessions. The cracking and popping is just gas escaping, and it’s the reason I call them spine farters 💨

🚩 Avoid anyone who has internet qualifications. Make sure they’ve completed a comprehensive curriculum with a face to face assessment from an experienced practitioner and assessor!

🚩Avoid anyone who has a history of over-diagnosing herniated disc, twisted pelvis or sacroiliac joint dysfunction. To reiterate previous posts…

1️⃣ The majority of back problems are not related to discs, or even the vertebral column. There may be compression, but the root cause is nearly always soft tissue. Once the actual problem has been taken care of, the disc issue will naturally subside!

2️⃣ A twisted pelvis is a fake condition, unless it’s related to a rare congenital defect. What catastrophic event could have possibly occurred to cause the pelvis to twist on so many people? Pelvic tilt however, is an easy fix that does not require manipulation!

3️⃣ Sacroiliac joint dysfunction can only be found on a very small number of clients. More times than not, the client has referred pain from a common back issue which usually responds well to treatment!

🚩 Avoid anyone who is doing body altering ‘treatments’ as a side gig, and I don’t mean massage therapists. If their main job is anything other than therapist, do you really need to know any more?

Would you let a mechanic or a plumber carry out a surgical procedure?

If the answer is no, then why would you allow them to use any other type of skeletal intervention?

28/04/2026

INVENTING PROBLEMS

Sometimes when I meet clients for the first time I know who treated them before me without them even telling me!

They just need to tell me the ‘diagnosis’…

I haven’t met most of these people but they often have a certain therapy signature!

I’ll give you some examples…

I’ve mentioned on here before, you’ll only hear a chiropractor use the words ‘twisted pelvis’ and there’s a local chiro who really loves this diagnosis, and distributes it more often than the Royal Mail delivers parcels 🚚

If you’ve followed my page for a while then you’ll know a ‘twisted pelvis’ isn’t a real thing, but instead a made up term to make you think you need to get booked into the chiro’s office multiple times 💰 before you need to apply for a disability benefit. You can read more about this in a post dated 19th September 2024.

For another local therapist, SI joint injury is their favourite diagnosis!

This therapist has magical skills ✨ and uses a technique to “put the joint back in”, however with this, there’s nothing to come out, meaning there’s no need to put anything back in! 🤦‍♂️

Most people who come with this don’t have it, and for the small percentage who do, then stabilising the joint is the correct way to treat it.

Manipulation and mobilising will contribute to the problem by creating excessive and painful joint movement!

There’s a local sports massage therapist who likes to tell all and sundry that they have weak glutes!

I recently treated one of these clients with their so-called ‘weak glutes’ only to find out he’s got bum cheeks like Beyoncé, and what he actually had was a common back complaint!

These are serious blunders, and it sets the client up to fail in their attempts to find pain relief!

Some therapists invent problems when they run out of ideas, or when they don’t want to appear ignorant. When a chiro does it, it’s usually because they have more interest in your bank account than your musculoskeletal disorder!

I’m generally the last therapist to pick up the problem after it’s been passed around the conventional clinics. I usually get to the root of it because I don’t think conventionally!

When I was training therapists earlier this month, we talked about the importance of not being the kind of therapist that puts every client in the same pigeonhole.

This is a top tip for anyone who is new to the industry. Don’t get into the habit of telling clients the same jackanory, especially when the treatment doesn’t go to plan, otherwise this will soon be your identity as a therapist!

If you don’t know, say you don’t know. The client will give you far more respect for being honest than they will if you’re inventing problems!

15/04/2026

DIAGNOSTIC SCANS

I don’t claim to be an expert in this area, in fact I know very little. I guess that’s mainly because my job title is Bodyworker and not Radiographer however, experience gives me perspective. Allow me to give you my take on it…

On first contact, some clients will give me an overview of their history, and even send me results of their scans 🩻

Honestly, it makes no difference if clients provide this or not, but I always take everything into account. The thing is, I’ve heard it all, so what we can see on a scan really has no bearing on the treatment!

I don’t mean to sound arrogant, it just means if you’re contacting me then you’ve ran out of ideas, as well as practitioners and therapists.

Chiros, physios, and other conventional therapists generally follow the same guidelines when it comes to assessing bodies. Most of them will happily use a scan to guide them!

We all know technology allows us to access information that we couldn’t in the past, however when it comes to helping people recover from pain, we need to be cautious!

This is what I’ve learned, and really, there’s only two things to consider…

1️⃣ Has the scan found the root of the problem?

2️⃣ Is it a red herring, and the anomaly has no connection to your pain?

This is where an experienced bodyworker comes in. We use touch and experience to assess the body, so all the textbooks and university lectures in the world wouldn’t help us, because they tend to be a one size fits all approach!

What does a scan really tell us?

It tells the person looking at it, that your body either represents the norm or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t fit with their expectations of what’s ‘normal’ then they need to inform you of it!

But is it causing you pain? Or is it something a scan could have picked up ten or twenty years before you were in pain?

This is why I don’t rely on it, but I do rely on touch and experience. It rarely lets me down!

Scott Robertson Bodywork

31/08/2026

17/08/2026

03/08/2026

15/07/2026

10/06/2026

02/06/2026

26/05/2026

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