Meet The Member - Claire Mckenna of Body Mechanix
body mechanix
We had the absolute pleasure of interviewing our member Claire of Body Mechanix in Harpenden, to find out more about her life as an Osteopath.
We’d love to know a bit about your journey to become an Osteopath. When did you realise you had an interest in Osteopathy?
I’ve always had a strong interest and appreciation for the body and its incredible abilities ever since I was a little girl obsessed with gymnastics. As I grew older and took part in more sports and exercise, from horse riding and trampolining to running and rugby, that fascination and appreciation for looking after my body and managing my injuries strengthened.
When I was very young, I wanted to be a vet. I would push my teddies around in a pram nursing their various ailments. With that in mind, a caring profession in the medical industry was probably destined for me and I would never have suited a desk job as I can’t sit still at the best of times. In hindsight I’m so glad I chose to work with humans, turns out learning about one species in detail is hard enough!!
When looking into professions, I had considered physiotherapy and medicine, but there was something about Osteopathy, its holistic, whole-body consideration and approach, combined with assisting patients without the need for medication, that made me incredibly curious and decisive that this was the right profession for me.
Where did you study?
SIOM – The Surrey Institute of Osteopathic Medicine in Epsom.
What is your speciality or area of interest in your field?
Paediatrics and pre/post-natal treatment are areas I thoroughly enjoy, and I am hugely passionate about. I have undertaken additional training in this complex and specialist field and have been working with babies, children, and teens for over a decade.
Working with the ever-changing body of a mum-to-be keeps me on my toes. It’s very rewarding to help ease women’s pain and discomfort during pregnancy and help their body prepare for labour and the very delicate time when a woman transitions into motherhood – there’s lots to consider and it’s a real privilege to work with these women.
Assisting new-borns, following traumatic deliveries and in those early weeks, often plagued with reflux, colic and feeding difficulties, getting them off to the perfect start in life is incredibly special and I always feel very honoured to treat and care for people’s most precious belongings, their babies, and children.
Since 2018, you have been the Director of the multi-award-winning clinic, Body Mechanix in Harpenden. What services does your practice offer?
With 10 incredible practitioners working from Body Mechanix, we offer a range of treatments from Osteopathy and Cranial Osteopathy, to Chiropractic care, Sports, and Pregnancy Massage. Throughout our time at Body Mechanix, we continue to explore how we can offer an ever-relevant range of services to the Harpenden community. For instance, we have recently expanded our services to include Sound Massage and Hypnotherapy. We like to think of ourselves as a ‘one stop wellbeing’ shop and take great value being able to refer in house to our trusted colleagues.
What does a session usually look like for anyone that has never had an appointment with you before?
We always start with a good chat! It’s useful to get to know a patient and hear of their goals and expectations for treatment. I will ask patients lots of questions about their presenting complaint, previous medical history and injuries, family history, medication, lifestyle etc. Often patients are surprised we go into such detail, but it may be that their symptoms are resultant of an old injury from their teenage years which never fully resolved and has been exacerbated following a recent injury or lifestyle changes.
Understanding a patient’s journey and what their body goes through on a daily basis is incredibly useful and will help us manage their symptoms going forwards. After taking a case history we examine the patient from head to toe and offer a bespoke treatment and any exercises and rehab advice the patient may require to improve their outcome.
How do you think your personality compliments being an Osteopath and how would your clients best describe you?
Gosh... I don’t know. I should ask them! But I love people, I love helping people and I genuinely care about my patients, which I think goes a long way in this industry. I hope and think my patients see me as empathetic, understanding, approachable and relatable. I love to get to know patients and understand their lifestyles, breaking down barriers to rehabilitation and assisting them on their health and wellness journey. We don’t just treat backs!
What is the biggest challenge you face as a practitioner?
Covid, without doubt has been the biggest challenge. It was tough on many levels. Not being able to practice for a number of months was particularly difficult and returning to practice in full PPE during the heat of the summer in 2020 was interesting to say the least. We had to implement rigorous cleaning regimes and numerous safety measures to keep our patients and practitioners safe, many of which remain.
What is your biggest achievement so far?
Running a business is challenging, but even more so post-partum, on limited sleep and with a foggy brain. I can imagine many small businesses, owned, and run by mother’s struggle with similar issues. Personally, I’m a bit of a control freak and I’m not good at delegating. I think I can do everything, for everyone, often only to realise its physically not possible.
There’s lots of different facets to running the business, far more than just the face-to-face clinical treatments, all of which keeps me very busy and out of trouble, but I probably don’t give myself enough credit or celebrate when we have success as I’m always on to the next job, but I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, the reputation and the direction the clinic is going since becoming a mum.
What one thing is essential to you in your practice?
Coffee... and my trusty four-legged friend Ted. He’s our clinic dog and joins me most days in practice. Patients utterly adore him, sometimes I think they book in just to see him alone!
Top tips to prevent injuries?
Movement is medicine and should be encouraged at all times. We’re designed to be active, and many aches and pains would ease with greater daily steps, strengthening exercises and functional movement patterns. If you want to be pain free, be more dog!! Study its movements, get outside frequently and notice how often it stretches. You’ll be surprised.
What’s it like having a sister in the English Rugby Team and the Mayor of Harpenden working in your practice?
Great question... I’m incredibly proud of my sister (Sarah Mckenna) and don’t give her anywhere near enough credit or accolade for her skill and ability on the Rugby pitch - probably because she’s always been pretty awesome ever since she started playing aged 6!! Even then it was obvious she was destined for great things so it’s not surprising she’s represented her country with nearly 50 caps. Staying at the top of your game for over a decade is hard in any sport, but in a game so physically demanding, it’s an incredible achievement. I always admire her mental toughness and resilience, something I would probably benefit more from, and I often use her as a sound board for ideas and concepts in clinic. Her nephew is of course her biggest fan and loves to join her on the pitch post-game!
Lisa Scriven, our chiropractor, and Harpenden’s mayor is a force of nature. Somehow, she manages to find additional hours in the 24-hour day and when I hear about her diary, I feel positively lazy! Lisa is an incredible chiropractor; the master of manipulation and I’ve learnt a great deal professionally since working alongside her.
Lisa’s an advocate for enhancing the town, championing improvements and has been instrumental in much of the regeneration of the parks and green spaces. It’s a pleasure to work alongside Lisa and we’re lucky to have her on the BM team. I’m incredibly proud and grateful for her Mayoral efforts this year.
Lastly, being located in Harpenden, we’d love to know some of your favourite hotspots in and around the area!
My family have lived in Harpenden for 3 generations so you could say I know the area well and I feel very lucky to have so many independent shops and services on our doorstep, which we so desperately need to support.
Lydekker Park is beautiful and the perfect spot to sit and take in some fresh air and nature on your lunch break with a coffee from our neighbours ‘Brew and Crew’. Of course, the wonderful Carley from ‘Harpenden Beauty Hub’ is your gal for all your beauty needs and I love Tabure which is simply perfect for a date night or dinner with girlfriends.