We are back blogging! Oh, how I have missed it and it is about time we got back to it. It feels great that we are back blogging. I bet there are so many questions, where have we been? Why haven’t we been blogging? I will answer all these and more.
So why haven’t we been blogging? Well, over the last 18 months of COVID-19, lockdowns, restrictions on clinical practice, and the craziness that was 2020/2021, we at Spriggs Chiropractic and Spriggs Nutrition haven’t had much free time to sit down and do this kind of thing. We have been in survival mode this year, doing our best to keep going, whilst working long hours. In September 2020 I was offered a lecturing position at London South Bank University. So, on top of everything else, I now lecture in diagnostic imaging to 2nd-year chiropractic students at London South Bank University. This has been an amazing experience and I have loved every minute. Teaching the students has allowed me to reflect on my undergraduate education, and what I didn’t have in my postgraduate education. Teaching the students is rewarding on many levels, from giving back to the chiropractic profession and being part of the education process for the clinicians of the future. I have learned much about teaching, and what it means to create learning opportunities and to culture a learning environment for the students.
The end of 2021 also marks the end and successful completion of both my and Helen’s Master’s Degrees. I have just completed an MSc in Enhanced Diagnostic Imaging Practice from Sheffield Hallam University. For those unsure, diagnostic imaging is the interpretation of x-rays, CT scans, and other modalities. Helen has also completed her MSc in Advanced Nutrition Research and Practice. For Helen, this marks the end of a seven-year journey of retraining into her chosen career. Undertaking such a task when owning a business has been demanding on both of us, as I am sure you can imagine, but this has been an amazing journey.
Things are slowly returning to normal, mainly because we have completed our MSc’s and are trying to regain some time. This is part of what I wanted to write about during this blog, taking time for yourself. Yes, hypocrisy thy name is and all that. Who would have thought that working full-time in your clinic, part-time lecturing whilst doing an MSc in diagnostic imaging would be quite so demanding? The light of the end of the tunnel seemed almost unachievable, never seeming to get any closer. It is only upon reflection that we can now see the truly monumental task we undertook and have overcome. Proud of ourselves would be an understatement, but we recognise the sacrifice we and everyone around us have done and we are eternally grateful to those who helped us through it all. Thank you, we couldn’t have done it without all of you and your support! You know who you are!
What is next?
The next step for us is to return to normal life and get back to the things we enjoy. Life has taken a step into the background whilst we studied and frantically made it kicking and screaming through 2020 and 2021. Firstly, I want to make more time to get back to blogging. Our last blog on massage guns has been one of the most popular yet, which is hugely rewarding to know we have helped people make an informed choice over the type of home care they want, and other clinicians make decisions based on our experience of using this tool in clinic every day. More must be done to help my fellow clinicians and the public at large. Thank you all for your help and support in making this blog what it is today. I hope the content makes it worthwhile for all of us. Just to let any clinicians out there know, the Spriggs Chiropractic YouTube channel has more content being added all the time. We have nearly finished our normal radiographic anatomy series used a refresher for clinicians and added learning content for students. Like and subscribe to anything you enjoy there and let the YouTube gods know you like what you see!
Thanks to you all for all your kind words of support and love over the last five years! We cannot believe it has been five years since we opened Spriggs Chiropractic & Nutrition! There is a lot more content coming across all our outlets so keep an eye out for more great things coming your way soon!
Many thanks for reading this blog, all the best from us at Spriggs Chiropractic & Nutrition!
Dr Mark Spriggs DC, MChiro, MSc, FRCC
Doctor of Chiropractic