I first developed problems with my pelvis and particularly my sacroiliac joint after a difficult labour with my first child which ended in an emergency Caesarian section. A week after the birth the pain was so bad I was walking only with the aid of crutches. I consulted several Physiotherapists, both NHS and private in the following months but none of them were able to identify exactly what the problem was and the exercises I was given didn't help the situation. In time the pain eased enough for me to stop using crutches and resume normal life. However the problem never completely resolved over the next 4 years and meant that walking for any length of time, doing any impact sport or sitting on the floor were very uncomfortable for me.

Four years after my first labour I had another child. This time the pregnancy was very uncomfortable and exacerbated the pain I still experienced in my sacroiliac joint. Despite consulting Physiotherapists specialised in maternity care they were not able to offer any solutions except suggestions to avoid activities which made things worse. In the year and a half following the birth I became increasingly limited by the pain. Walking even short distances was painful and lying flat on my back almost impossible. I was on the verge of giving up Pilates which was the only form of exercise I could do.

Twenty months after having my second child I took a friend's advice to make an appointment with Paul. Within minutes he had diagnosed the problem just by looking at me - a twisted pelvis caused by my first labour and c-section. After a full assessment he performed a manipulation on one side of my body, as I rolled over to the other side I could feel immediately that things were different, the pain that I would usually feel doing that movement was gone. I walked out of my first appointment feeling like I had a new body, I was amazed that the pain I had experienced for 6 years had gone within minutes. It was such a great experience to see someone who could not only tell me what the problem was but also solve it. Up until that point any professionals I had consulted had simply told me to avoid activities that hurt.

Paul explained that I would be a bit achey the following day but two days later I was able to do a Pilates session almost entirely pain free for the first time in years. The improvement was immediate and hasn't deteriorated at all since my initial appointment. I have had a few further sessions to ensure that my pelvis stays correctly aligned and am absolutely thrilled with the difference that osteopathy has made to my quality of life. If only I had visited Paul weeks after my first labour 6 years ago all the problems I've experienced could have been avoided.