13 April 2026
The Stories that Remind Us Why We Care – Celebrating Chiropractic Awareness Week 2026
By Charley Williams, a chiropractor and member of the British Chiropractic Association
In every chiropractor’s career, there are patients’ stories that stay with you.
It might be someone who came into the clinic worried that ongoing pain could force them out of a physically demanding job. It might be a patient recovering from injury who has started to avoid movement altogether, unsure what their body can handle. Sometimes the difference is felt in small but meaningful ways. Walking the dog again, getting back to the activities they enjoy, or lifting a grandchild for the first time in months.
These movements tend to stay with practitioners throughout their careers. They remind us why many of us chose to work in healthcare in the first place.
This year’s Chiropractic Awareness Week (Monday 13th April- Sunday 19th April) focuses on those memories. Our theme, “The patient I’ll never forget”, invited chiropractors and BCA members across the UK to reflect on the individuals whose journeys have stayed with them and shaped their professional lives.
For me, that patient was an elderly lady who had been in pain for around 18 months and had been told by her GP that there was nothing more they could do to help. By the time she came to us, she was relying on a walking stick and had started to accept that the pain was just something she would have to live with. After just a couple of treatments, she began to feel some relief. That alone was a big moment. Then, with a course of case, she went on to walk pain-free and no longer needed her walking stick. It has stayed with me for years because it was such a clear reminder of the difference the right care can make. Not just in reducing pain, but in giving someone their confidence and independence back.
Looking Beyond the Symptoms
So why do stories matter? Musculoskeletal (MSk) problems are often described in clinical terms: pain levels. mobility, and diagnostic findings. For patients, however, the experience is much broader than that.
Pain can affect someone’s ability to work, care for family members, exercise or take part in social activities. In can influence confidence and routine just as much as physical movement. Understanding that wider context helps care to be tailored to the person in front of you. Two patients may present with similar symptoms, yet their priorities can be entirely different.
One patient may be focused on returning to work safety. Another may want to stay active in retirement. A runner may be working towards getting back to training, while a parent may simply want to get down on the floor to play with their child.
Conversations about those goals from the very first meeting help shape treatment plans that reflect what matters most to the patient.
Listening as Part of Good Care
Across healthcare, there is growing recognition that communication and empathy are central effective care. Patients want to feel that their concerns have been properly heard and understood, not just assessed.
For many people living with MSK pain, the impact isn’t always easy to describe in a short appointment. They may have been managing discomfort for months or adjusting their daily routines without realising how much those changes have affected their quality of life. Taking the time to listen helps bring those experiences into the conversation. Patients often describe how pain has started to shape the way they move, work or spend time with family, avoiding certain activities, turning down invitations, or approaching everyday tasks with caution.
When patients feel listened to, it often changes the tone of the consultation. They are more likely to feel comfortable asking questions, sharing concerns and understanding the advice they receive. For clinicians, those conversations offer valuable insight into how a condition is affecting someone’s day-to-day life.
In musculoskeletal health, particularly recovery is rarely instant. It often involves gradual improvement, adjustments to activity and rebuilding confidence in movement. Open communication between practitioner and patient helps support that process, allowing care to adapt as people regain strength, mobility and confidence.
A Reminder of the Difference We Can Make
Across the UK healthcare system, demand for MSK care continues to grow. The BCA’s Health Economics Report, in partnership with York Health Economic Consortium, showed that MSK conditions lead to over 30 million lost workdays per year. This is estimated to be responsible for more than £100 billion of lost productivity in the UK every year.
At the same time, clinicians are often working within tight appointment times and currently, patients are waiting up to 24 weeks for treatment. That can make it harder to fully understand the person behind the condition.
If we want to deliver the best possible care for patients, our healthcare system needs to create space for those conversations to happen – wherever people choose to seek support, whether that’s within the NHS or in community settings such as chiropractic clinics.
Taking the time to understand someone’s experience of pain, their daily responsibilities and what recovery means for them is not separate from good clinical care. It is often what allows the right care to happen in the first place.
For more information about this year’s Chiropractic Awareness Week, please visit: https://chiropractic-uk.co.uk/caw
Answers from Charley
Why Did You Become a Chiropractor? – I became a chiropractor because growing up I’ve always wanted to help people. I found chiropractic through my grandad and have since loved every second of the learning about musculoskeletal health as well as putting it into practice.
Why Chiropractic Story Inspired You? – Fro me, that patient was an elderly lade who had been in pain for 18 months and had been told by her GP there’s nothing else they could do to help. After a couple of treatments she was already feeling relief and with a course of treatment was walking pain free and without a walking stick.
Why Do You Continue Being a Chiropractor? – I continue to be a chiropractor because every single day is different and being able to see people become more confident from walking up the stairs to being able to compete in competitive sport again shows that you truly make a difference. As well as seeing babies settle and feed better after treatment.
What Is Your Favourite Part of a Working Day? – My favourite part of the working day is patients coming in to tell me what they’ve managed to do that day which they couldn’t do previously.
Who Inspires You? – My biggest inspirations are my family, they’ve supported me through my studies and becoming a chiropractor even though they never truly understood what it was. They have worked hard in their own fields to support me in mine.
