Growing up in South Africa, I always wanted to work in a medical field, but – having grown up in a very sporty, social family – being stuck in a hospital all day didn’t suit me at all. I wanted a job that kept me active and involved interacting with people every day (without ever seeing blood) which made physiotherapy the perfect fit for me.

I studied physiotherapy at the University of Cape Town, which was an intense course with a lot of hands-on training in hospitals. This exposed me to a huge variety of people and conditions from early on and I never knew what I’d be learning to treat from one day to the next. If you’re not 100% committed to becoming a physiotherapist, there’s no way you can make it through a course like that.

All graduates in South Africa have to do a period of community service as a way of giving back the investment put into their education. Mine was at a large tertiary hospital in East London (a city in South Africa, not the East London here) while also doing outpatient clinics on the side. After that, I moved to Johannesburg where I worked in a private sports and orthopaedic practice for around three years.

Another reason I became a physiotherapist is that it’s a profession that’s needed wherever there are bodies. London was first on my list, and the level of expertise, quality of treatment and patient-tailored approach made Physio London the perfect fit for my first job outside of South Africa.

As someone who loves to work in big cities, London’s been perfect for me. Most of my spare time has been spent walking around and exploring the city. So far, the highlight has been all the beautiful and well maintained parks, which are amazing for a run even on a cold day.

I’ve even enjoyed commuting. In South Africa, we drive everywhere, so I’m used to stressing about traffic and being cut off from everyone else. Being around other people and having some free time to read a book on my way to work is a nice change.

I haven’t experienced winter yet, though, so we’ll see how I feel about London after that!

Being in Canary Wharf has also been ideal for my area of specialisation, which is postural problems and stress-related conditions in the back, shoulders and neck. There’s nowhere in London where the effects of working too hard and too long at a desk are felt more.

I’ve become particularly interested in postural causes for headaches, which most people aren’t even aware of. My favourite muscle (every physiotherapist should have one, but maybe it’s just me) is the sternocleidomastoid, the largest muscle in the neck which runs from just behind your ear down to your collarbone.

What makes the sternocleidomastoid so fascinating is that tension or damage to this muscle can cause dizziness, blurred vision, headaches and nausea which can easily be misdiagnosed as migraines and not a physical condition that can be resolved with physical treatment.

Unexpected physical causes of headaches is a topic that everyone would benefit from knowing more about, so click here to read my blog on how headaches can be cured by addressing poor posture.

I’m looking forward to getting to know the patients here at Physio London, so if you want to book an appointment or if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch at  enquiries@physiolondon.co.uk or 020 7093 3499.

Candice Morgan

Sports and Spinal physiotherapist