Ayshe's Story
Growing up, I had a keen interest in science and arts. I am proud to be a first generation British Turkish Cypriot. Born in the UK, I grew up abroad in Saudi Arabia with my parents and siblings and we were always close with our relatives based in Cyprus and London. At age 13 I returned to London and lived with my grandparents in North London for a few years.
My grandmother was one of the strong female role models in my life. She taught us the value of family and she always had a traditional, natural cure and diagnosis for all ailments. For her generation, the women were not sent to school, they stayed home, married and took care of the family. My grandmother always told me how she wished she was allowed to study as she believed she was meant to be a doctor. Years of giving and putting her own health last caught up with her.
I experienced my grandmother suffer joint pain and severe rheumatoid arthritis. With English as a second language and her traditional remedies failing her, she relied on the traditional Western medical approach and system. I watched sadly as she fell into the endless cycle of medication and side effects, and more medication. Her condition worsened with her later becoming extremely disabled and wheelchair bound.
It was heart breaking watching this strong, independent woman who gave so much to us all physically suffer so much.
I knew I wanted to do something to help people in pain that involved more than just medication. I researched various medical professions and alternative approaches and the one that resonated the most with me was Osteopathy. The more I learnt about the Osteopathic approach, the more it felt right. Osteopathy works with the understanding that given the right environment the body has the ability to heal itself.
The Osteopathic approach addresses the core issues and works to help create balance within the body so it can heal.
I qualified as an Osteopath in 2003 and started working in a Muswell Hill clinic. One year after qualifying, I approached my gym in Southgate and my journey as a business owner started here.
By year three, I took over the Muswell hill practice and renamed my practices The Backbone Clinics. Not just a reference to the back, which Osteopaths are best known for treating, but with the double meaning of ‘an organisation which is reliable, strong and supportive’. The very core of the nature of the service I aim to provide at The Backbone Clinics.
At this stage I expanded my approach to treating babies and pregnant women. I studied various cranial approaches including Sutherlands, various Osteopathy for baby courses and even attended chiropractic training for treatment of babies. The clinics expanded and so did our patient demographic. I was treating generations of patients and was finally the family Osteopath to many as I had always envisioned.
However, my Osteopathy journey does not end there. It is said that sometimes things have to fall apart to come together stronger and indeed this was the case. In 2012, I began to experience anxiety and panic attacks.
These escalated and impacted every area of my life. In Osteopathy we are taught about the influence of the mind on the body. I didn’t fully appreciate the intensity of this until I experienced it first-hand myself.
I tried various therapies; CBT, psychotherapy, counselling, Mindfulness, even spiritual/ energy work. I was inspired to focus my studies on approaches involving the mind and body connection.
I became an NLP Master practitioner, a Mental Aid First Aider, A Minded Yoga therapist (this involves the clinical application of yoga and Mindfulness practices). I became very aware of the importance of self-care as a preventative tool.
Starting my journey as a Sufi student helped me make peace between my conflicting British/ westernised self and my deeper more spiritual roots as a Muslim, Turkish Cypriot woman. These are all practices which you will observe to some degree throughout The Backbone clinic environment and my approaches to treatment. The Backbone clinic patients regularly comment at how relaxed and calm they feel even just sitting in the waiting area.
With my mind and energy more balanced, my hormonal imbalances worsened, aggravating my fibroids. This increased my awareness of how much an imbalance in gynaecological health can impact a woman's life and inspired me to focus on women's health.
I focussed on lifestyle, menstrual awareness and clinical approaches for womens health related conditions. I studied Women’s health yoga therapy, workshops with The Red School, Mummy MOT training and am currently in the process of completing my Diploma in Osteopathy for Women’s Health.
There is a Rumi saying ‘The cracks are where the light enters’. This has been true for me as much of my direction and inspiration with The Backbone Clinics stemmed from challenging situations.
My other source of inspiration is my mother who is my biggest role model with her positivity and spirituality in all circumstances, my father for his strength and reliability and the light and love that surround me in the form of other family and friends.
At The Backbone clinics, I bring not just my 20+ years of clinical experience, but the energy of family, support and care. Many of my patients say, ‘You do so much more than Osteopathy’, and that is when I feel the most connected to my life purpose.
I invite you to book an appointment at The Backbone Clinic. We encourage preventative treatments as part of your self-care practice, because prevention is better than cure and also because we believe that you and your body are precious and deserve it.
