What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 9:30am - 7pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Thursday 9:30am - 7pm Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm Saturday 8am - 12pm

http://www.raychanchiropractor.co.uk/

Ray Chan Chiropractor, TLC & Co, 57a Sycamore Grove, Trowbridge (2026)

07/07/2026

Has your pain become more severe or more limiting recently? 🤔

Maybe it started as a small ni**le.

Now you're avoiding certain movements.
You're turning down walks.
You're thinking twice before lifting the shopping.
Even getting a good night's sleep has become a challenge.

Pain has a habit of creeping into your life. It rarely changes everything overnight, but little by little it starts to dictate what you can and can't do.

The sooner you understand why it's happening, the easier it is to stop that cycle.

Chiropractic isn't just about relieving pain. It's about identifying what's driving it in the first place.

Through a thorough hands-on assessment, I look at how your joints, muscles and nervous system are working together to find the root of the problem. Treatment is tailored to you, with the aim of improving movement, calming an overprotective nervous system and helping you get back to doing the things you enjoy.

You don't have to wait until the pain is unbearable.

If it's becoming more severe, more frequent, or simply stopping you from living life the way you'd like, it may be time to try something different.

Your body is remarkably good at healing when it's given the right support. 💙🦴

02/07/2026

Pain isn't just about muscles and joints... it's also about the health of your nervous system. 🧠⚡

Alongside hands-on treatment, nutrition can play an important role in creating the right environment for recovery.

Three nutrients I often look at are:

🧠 Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)
Nerves need huge amounts of energy. ALCAR helps transport fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they're converted into energy. It has also been studied for its role in supporting nerve repair and reducing some types of nerve pain.

⚡ Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)
ALA is a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce oxidative stress and is well researched for supporting people with nerve-related symptoms, particularly burning, tingling and discomfort.

🛡️ Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)
SOD is one of the body's most important antioxidant enzymes, helping protect cells from the free radicals produced during inflammation and everyday metabolism.

As a chiropractor, my role is to improve movement and influence the nervous system through hands-on assessment and treatment.

But healing continues long after you leave the clinic.

Good nutrition won't replace the right treatment, movement, exercise or sleep. However, when those foundations are in place, giving your body the nutrients it needs can help create the best conditions for recovery.

Because recovery isn't just about treating pain.

It's about supporting the body so it can heal itself. 💙

26/06/2026

"I feel like a new woman." 💙

There are some comments that really stay with you and this was one of them.

When Sharon first came to see me, we worked on her knee and ankle. Of course, reducing the pain was important, but sometimes that's only part of the story.

Pain has a way of quietly changing your life.

It affects how far you walk.
It changes how confidently you move.
It can stop you doing the things you enjoy.
And over time, it can even change how you feel about yourself.

That's why my goal is never just to help someone hurt less.

It's to help them move with confidence again. To get back to the activities they've been avoiding. To feel like themselves again.

So when someone says, "I feel like a new woman," I know they're not just talking about a knee or an ankle.

They're talking about getting a piece of their life back.

Thank you, Sharon, for trusting me with your care and for taking the time to leave such a lovely review. It genuinely means a lot. 🙏

21/06/2026

Simple tips to help manage back pain 🦴✨

Back pain can be frustrating, but some of the most effective strategies are often the simplest.

🚶 Keep moving regularly
It can be tempting to rest completely, but gentle movement is usually one of the best things you can do. Walking, stretching, and changing position regularly helps keep muscles moving and sends reassuring signals to the nervous system that movement is safe.

🔥 Use heat
Heat can be fantastic for relaxing tight, achy muscles. A hot water bottle, heat pack, or warm shower can help reduce muscle tension and improve comfort.

🛁 Try Epsom salts in the bath
If you're having a soak, adding Epsom salts can be a great way to unwind. Whether it's the magnesium, the warmth, or simply taking time to relax, many people find it helps ease muscle soreness and stiffness.

😴 Prioritise sleep
Sleep is when your body and nervous system do much of their recovery work. Poor sleep can increase pain sensitivity, while a good night's sleep helps regulate the nervous system and supports healing.

🧠 Remember: pain doesn't always mean damage
The nervous system is designed to protect you. Sometimes it can become a little overprotective, making an area feel more painful even when it's safe to move. Gentle activity and gradual return to normal movement can help build confidence and calm those warning signals.

If your back pain isn't improving, keeps returning, or is stopping you from doing the things you enjoy, it may be worth getting it assessed properly.

Sometimes a few simple changes make all the difference. 💙

17/06/2026

The lumbar side posture adjustment is probably one of the most recognisable images of chiropractic. 🦴

For many people, that's what they think chiropractic is.

But for me, why I use a treatment is far more important than what treatment I use.

Whether I'm using spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapy, fascial techniques, or another hands-on approach, the goal is often the same.

To influence the nervous system.

Your nervous system's primary job is protection. Every second of every day, nerve endings in your joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons and fascia are sending information to your brain about what's happening in your body.

Sometimes those signals tell the brain that a particular area isn't functioning as well as it should.

Think of it as a warning message.

Importantly, a warning does not necessarily mean injury or damage.

When the brain receives these signals, it may respond by altering motor control. Certain muscles become inhibited through reflexive pathways, while other muscles work harder to compensate.

The body is trying to protect itself.

The problem is that these compensations can create their own issues. Muscles become overloaded, movement becomes less efficient and pain can develop in areas that aren't actually the source of the problem.

This is why I don't just focus on where it hurts.

When I use manual therapy, whether that's an adjustment or a soft tissue technique, I'm trying to influence the nerve endings that communicate with the brain. By changing those signals, we can often improve movement, restore muscle function and reduce the need for the body's protective compensations.

So while the adjustment may be the most visible part of what I do, it's only one tool.

The real target is the conversation between the body and the brain. 🧠✨

Because when that conversation improves, movement often improves too.

13/06/2026

Why is sleep so important when it comes to back pain? 😴🧠

Pain and sleep are closely connected because they share many of the same brain chemicals and pathways. Neurotransmitters and hormones such as serotonin, dopamine and melatonin help regulate both sleep and how we experience pain.

When stress, poor sleep, or chronic pain disrupt these systems, it becomes easier for the nervous system to become overprotective.

It also triggers the immune system to release inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. These can increase inflammation within the nervous system and lower your pain threshold, meaning aches and pains that were previously manageable suddenly feel much more intense.

Sleep deprivation also ramps up the sympathetic nervous system, our fight-or-flight response.

You may recognise the feeling:

"I'm exhausted... but I can't switch off."

This "tired but wired" state keeps the body on high alert. The brain struggles to enter deep, restorative sleep, the nervous system remains on edge, and pain sensitivity increases further.

The result is a frustrating cycle:

Pain disrupts sleep ➡️ Poor sleep increases pain sensitivity ➡️ Increased pain disrupts sleep.

The good news is there are practical steps you can take to improve sleep hygiene:

🌙 Keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends
📱 Avoid screens and bright lights for an hour before bed
☕ Reduce caffeine intake, especially after midday
🚶 Get some natural daylight exposure during the day
🛏️ Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet
🧘 Create a wind-down routine that signals to your brain that it's time to rest

Sometimes, though, the pain itself is the thing preventing good sleep.

That's where chiropractic care can help.

By improving movement, reducing irritation in joints and muscles, and helping calm an overprotective nervous system, treatment can often reduce the pain that's keeping you awake in the first place.

Breaking the cycle from both directions, improving sleep habits and addressing the physical source of discomfort, often produces the best results.

Because recovery doesn't just happen during treatment.

It happens every night while you're asleep. 😴✨

09/06/2026

What happens during a consultation? 🤔

A consultation is much more than just finding out where it hurts.

Of course, I want to understand your presenting complaint. When did it start? What makes it better or worse? How is it affecting you?

But I also want to understand you.

What are your goals?

Maybe it's getting back into the gym without worrying about your back. 🏋️
Maybe it's spending a few hours in the garden without paying for it the next day. 🌱
Maybe it's simply getting a good night's sleep without being woken by pain. 😴

These goals matter because treatment isn't just about reducing symptoms. It's about helping you get back to the activities that make life enjoyable.

That's why the consultation is thorough.

We'll discuss:
• Your current symptoms
• Previous injuries and surgeries
• Medical history
• Medications and supplements
• Lifestyle factors that may be influencing recovery

Every piece of information helps build a clearer picture of what's going on and allows treatment to be tailored specifically to you.

The better I understand your body, your health and your goals, the better chance we have of achieving meaningful results.

Because successful treatment isn't just about finding the problem.

It's about understanding the person attached to it. 🧠🦴✨

04/06/2026

Vitamin D: there’s more to it than strong bones. ☀️🦴

Most people know vitamin D is important for bone health. Fewer realise that it also plays a major role in regulating inflammation, immune function and even chronic pain.

In fact, vitamin D is far more like a hormone than a traditional vitamin.

Why?

Because there’s a vitamin D receptor in virtually every cell of the body. When vitamin D binds to these receptors, it interacts with DNA and helps regulate the expression of hundreds of genes involved in inflammation, immunity, repair, and cellular function.

This is one reason why low vitamin D levels are often associated with:
• Persistent aches and pains
• Slower recovery
• Increased inflammation
• Reduced immune resilience
• Low mood and fatigue

So why are deficiencies so common?

In the UK, the sun is only strong enough for meaningful vitamin D production during the summer months and typically only between 11am and 3pm.

Even then:
• Sunscreen significantly reduces vitamin D production
• Most of us work indoors during those hours
• Many people cover their skin or spend little time outside

The reality is that very few people are regularly outside in the middle of the day with enough skin exposed to produce optimal amounts.

Some groups are particularly at risk of deficiency:
• Older adults, whose skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D
• People with darker skin, who require more sun exposure to make the same amount
• People carrying excess body fat, as vitamin D is fat-soluble and can become sequestered in fat tissue

That’s why I often encourage people to think about vitamin D as a year-round nutrient, not just a winter one.

Your body doesn't stop needing it when summer ends.

If you're dealing with chronic pain, fatigue, recurrent illness, or simply want to optimise your health, vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients worth checking. Sometimes a simple blood test can reveal a piece of the puzzle that’s been hiding in plain sight. ☀️🧠✨

31/05/2026

“Who should I see for my back, neck or joint pain?” 🤔

In the UK, there are three main professions that are statutorily regulated specifically for musculoskeletal care:

• Chiropractors
• Osteopaths
• Physiotherapists

What does "statutorily regulated" mean?

It means these professions are regulated by law, with protected titles, recognised standards of education, and professional bodies that ensure practitioners meet strict requirements for training, conduct and ongoing professional development.

This is the same level of regulatory framework used for professions such as:
• Doctors
• Nurses
• Dentists

So when choosing between a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist, you're not choosing between a regulated and unregulated profession. All three have rigorous training and professional accountability.

The real difference often comes down to the individual practitioner.

Do they listen?
Do they assess thoroughly?
Do they explain things clearly?
Do they have the experience to identify what's really driving your symptoms?

Those factors are often far more important than the letters after someone's name.

If you're seeking help for a musculoskeletal problem, make sure you're seeing a qualified, regulated professional who takes the time to understand your situation and provide care that's tailored to you. 🧠🦴

Because good healthcare isn't just about treatment. It's about trust, expertise and getting the right answer.

27/05/2026

It’s been hot! ☀️🥵

Last weekend I was tucked away in an air-conditioned basement in London studying the upper limb, with Active Release Technique (ART Europe). 🖐️🦴

ART courses are some of the most detailed hands-on courses I’ve attended, focusing on assessing and treating each individual structure with precision.

Fingers, thumbs, wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders…
Muscles, ligaments, fascia and the nerves running down the arm. Every structure has to be understood not just in isolation, but in how it interacts with movement and function as a whole.

The level of detail is what makes it so fascinating. Tiny restrictions in tissue movement can create surprisingly big symptoms, especially in an area as complex as the upper limb.

One of the best parts of the weekend was meeting passionate practitioners from all over the world:
🇺🇸 The United States
🇨🇦 Canada
🇧🇳 Brunei
🇬🇷 Greece
🇮🇪 Ireland
🇳🇴 Norway
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇬🇧 And of course the UK

Different countries, different experiences, but all sharing the same curiosity and drive to learn and help people move and feel better.

Weekends like this remind me that learning never really stops in healthcare.

Now back in clinic with even more tools and understanding to help you recover, move better and get back to doing what you enjoy. 🧠✨

Ray Chan Chiropractor

07/07/2026

02/07/2026

26/06/2026

21/06/2026

17/06/2026

13/06/2026

09/06/2026

04/06/2026

31/05/2026

27/05/2026

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Tuesday	9:30am - 7pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	9:30am - 7pm
Friday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday	8am - 12pm