Ray Chan Chiropractor

Ray Chan Chiropractor Passion and expertise for the sciences of pain, movement and healing.

Treatment for conditions such as neck & back pain, sciatica, headaches and migraines and more, using hands-on-care, nutritional advice, supplements and exercise advice.

Katie came in on crutches with severe lower back pain, after picking up her 9-month-old son. 👶At first glance it might s...
11/03/2026

Katie came in on crutches with severe lower back pain, after picking up her 9-month-old son. 👶

At first glance it might sound like a simple strain. But pain like that rarely affects just one moment or one movement.

For Katie, it was affecting everything.

Holding her baby became difficult. Breastfeeding was uncomfortable. Even simple daily tasks were a struggle. Her partner had to take time off work just to help at home. When a parent is in pain, the ripple spreads through the whole family.

Post-pregnancy, the body is still adapting in ways many people don’t realise. The hormone relaxin can remain elevated for months postpartum, and it often stays higher while breastfeeding. Its role is to loosen ligaments, particularly around the pelvis, which is important during pregnancy but can leave joints feeling unstable afterwards.

When those pelvic ligaments aren’t supporting the body as firmly as they used to, everyday movements like lifting your baby can overload the back.

Katie came in this week for her third appointment, and the improvement has been significant. Her pain has reduced, movement is easier, and she’s much more comfortable caring for her son again.

Recovery doesn’t always happen overnight, but the body has an incredible ability to adapt and stabilise when given the right support.

And sometimes helping one person out of pain helps a whole household breathe a little easier. 💙

The countdown to the Bath Half Marathon on 15th March is on… and the training miles are adding up. 🏃‍♂️One of my patient...
06/03/2026

The countdown to the Bath Half Marathon on 15th March is on… and the training miles are adding up. 🏃‍♂️

One of my patients came in today after pushing hard with his training. His motivation?

Not just finishing the race.
Not even a personal best.

He wants to beat his girlfriend’s time. Now that’s proper motivation. 😄

When runners come in, many expect me to just look at the painful spot. In reality, performance and injuries are often coming from somewhere else in the chain.

Yes, I worked on his spine. But that wasn’t the whole story.

We found that:
• His hamstring wasn’t producing proper power
• His knee wasn’t stabilising as well as it should

That combination means wasted energy with every stride and a higher risk of injury as the race gets closer.

Treatment focused on improving how the system works together. I used fascial manipulation around the ligaments of the pelvis, along with work through the calf and quadriceps, helping restore better force transfer through the leg.

Running well isn’t just about strong legs. It’s about coordination, stability and power moving smoothly through the whole chain.

So if you’re training for the Bath Half and starting to feel those little niggles… don’t ignore them. Those small issues have a habit of becoming race-day problems.

Let’s keep you running strong, and maybe help you beat someone’s time too. 🏁

Collagen is the scaffolding of your body. 🏗️Tendons. Spinal discs. Cartilage. Fascia.All built on this structural protei...
02/03/2026

Collagen is the scaffolding of your body. 🏗️

Tendons. Spinal discs. Cartilage. Fascia.
All built on this structural protein that quite literally holds you together.

When we talk about recovery, resilience, and healing, we’re really talking about connective tissue quality. And connective tissue is collagen.

Here’s the interesting part most people don’t realise…

Collagen is a protein, and one in every three amino acids inside it is glycine. But glycine doesn’t just sit around waiting to repair your tendons. Your body is busy. It prioritises glycine for essential metabolic jobs first:

• Making DNA and RNA
• Supporting blood production
• Producing energy
• Building antioxidants like glutathione

Only after those needs are met does it funnel glycine into repairing connective tissue.

So if you’re recovering from injury, training hard, or dealing with wear and tear, a standard collagen supplement may not always provide enough glycine to cover both metabolic demand and tissue repair.

That’s why Evolved Collagen includes additional glycine. It supports both the body’s internal chemistry and the rebuilding of connective tissue.

And then there’s vitamin C. 🍊
Vitamin C acts as a cofactor for the enzymes that actually assemble collagen fibres. Without it, collagen production is like trying to build scaffolding without bolts.

Structure needs materials.
Materials need chemistry.
Chemistry needs the right support.

If you’re serious about supporting your joints, discs, fascia and tendons, it’s worth thinking beyond just “more protein” and looking at how collagen is actually built.

Healing is not a straight line. It’s more like a game of snakes and ladders. 🎲One week you feel great. You’re moving bet...
26/02/2026

Healing is not a straight line. It’s more like a game of snakes and ladders. 🎲

One week you feel great. You’re moving better. Sleeping better. Thinking, “Finally, I’m getting somewhere.”

Then you bend down, twist awkwardly, sit too long… and boom. A flare up. It feels like you’ve slid all the way back to the start.

But here’s the truth: pain does not equal damage.

Pain is your nervous system’s warning light. It’s there to protect you. And sometimes, especially after injury or long standing issues, that system becomes a little overprotective. It turns the volume up too quickly. What you feel is real, but it doesn’t automatically mean something has reinjured or worsened.

A flare up is often just sensitivity, not structural failure.

Think of it like this: if you were rehabbing a sprained ankle and it felt sore after a long walk, you wouldn’t assume it had completely torn again. The same applies to your back, neck or joints.

Progress in recovery is measured over months, not moments.

So if you hit a “snake” this week, it doesn’t erase the ladders you’ve already climbed. Your body is still adapting. Still learning. Still healing.

Stay consistent. Stay patient. And don’t let a temporary spike in pain convince you you’re back at square one.

You’re further along than you think.

Your to do list is longer than the number of roadworks around Trowbridge.Work.School runs.Emails.Driving.Cooking.Cleanin...
22/02/2026

Your to do list is longer than the number of roadworks around Trowbridge.

Work.
School runs.
Emails.
Driving.
Cooking.
Cleaning.
Scrolling “just for five minutes” that somehow becomes forty.

All of it quietly stacking up on your shoulders like invisible rucksacks filled with tension.

The neck tightens.
The shoulders creep upwards.
Headaches whisper.
Sleep gets lighter.

Your body keeps the score of your busy life.

Chiropractic care can be your reset button. Spinal adjustments can help free up stiff joints, ease muscular tension and remind your nervous system that it is safe to unclench.

If your neck and shoulders feel like they are carrying the weight of your calendar, let me help you put it down for a while.

Your health and wellbeing deserve a prioritised too 💆‍♂️✨

This week reminded me why assessment matters. 🧠🤲A patient came in with weakness in his hands. He was dropping things. Pi...
18/02/2026

This week reminded me why assessment matters. 🧠🤲

A patient came in with weakness in his hands. He was dropping things. Pins and needles into his fingers. He’d already seen another healthcare practitioner and been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Injections and even surgery were being discussed.

On paper, it sounded straightforward.

But when I assessed him, the usual tests for carpal tunnel and other nerve entrapments in the arm were negative. No clear compression at the wrist. No irritation along the forearm.

So I looked higher.

The issue was coming from his neck.

Nerves that travel into your hands begin in your cervical spine. If they’re irritated or not moving well at the source, symptoms can show up further down the line. The wrist gets blamed. The neck is the real culprit.

After treatment directed at his neck, his hand strength improved and the pins and needles settled.

Now, I’m not always right. No practitioner is. But this is exactly why thorough examination matters before committing to injections or surgery.

If a treatment isn’t working…
If the diagnosis doesn’t quite add up…
If you’re being advised to take the next big step…

It’s worth getting a second opinion.

Sometimes the problem isn’t where it hurts. And sometimes the answer is simpler than you’ve been led to believe.

Valentine’s Day is for love, treats… and a little indulgence. ❤️💆‍♀️I love massage as much as the next person. Hot stone...
14/02/2026

Valentine’s Day is for love, treats… and a little indulgence. ❤️💆‍♀️

I love massage as much as the next person. Hot stones are my personal favourite, pure bliss! If relaxation is the goal, a massage is a wonderful Valentine’s gift.

But if you’re dealing with ongoing lower back pain or neck pain, it’s important to know what massage is and isn’t meant to do.

Massage is brilliant for relaxation and temporary relief. It helps calm the nervous system and ease tight muscles. What it doesn’t do is assess why the pain is there in the first place.

A chiropractor is a regulated healthcare professional trained to do more than soothe symptoms. I assess movement, joints, muscles and how the nervous system is functioning, to find the root cause of the problem and guide proper healing, not just offer short-term relief.

So by all means, enjoy that Valentine’s massage, candles and hot stones🌹
Please don’t expect your masseuse to fix a long-standing back or neck issue.

Relaxation is a treat. Proper care is an investment in your health.

Happy Valentine's Day ❤️

That niggly back pain you’ve been brushing off for months… you know the one. 🪑It’s not screaming. It’s just always there...
10/02/2026

That niggly back pain you’ve been brushing off for months… you know the one. 🪑

It’s not screaming. It’s just always there. You tell yourself it’s “nothing serious”, “just age”, “wear and tear”. Maybe you mentioned it to the GP and walked away feeling a bit… unheard. So you carry on. Because life is busy and it’s manageable.

But pain has a habit of whispering before it shouts.

That constant tightness, the stiffness when you get out of the car, the ache that shows up at the end of the day. These are signals and not the price of getting older! Your body is asking for attention, not resignation.

The longer something is ignored, the more the nervous system learns it. What starts as a small mechanical issue can turn into a stubborn, long-standing pattern that’s much harder to unwind later.

You don’t need to “put up with it”. You don’t need to wait until it’s unbearable. And you certainly don’t need to feel dismissed.

Prioritising your health isn’t dramatic. It’s practical. It’s proactive. And it’s often the difference between quick recovery and months more frustration.

If this sounds familiar, it’s time to listen.
Book today and let’s deal with it before that whisper becomes a shout.

Chiropractor, osteopath or physio… how do you actually choose? 🤔🦴In the UK, all three are statutory regulated profession...
06/02/2026

Chiropractor, osteopath or physio… how do you actually choose? 🤔🦴

In the UK, all three are statutory regulated professions. They’re your gold standards for musculoskeletal care. So the real question isn’t which profession is best… it’s who do you trust with your body?

For me, it’s not about having the flashiest gadgets or the trendiest tech in the room. Helping you starts with the fundamentals:

Careful observation of how you move
Hands-on assessment and touch
Testing range of motion, not just at the painful spot but how everything connects
Functional muscle testing to see how your body and nervous system are communicating
And, just as importantly, actually listening to you

Pain is rarely random. It follows patterns. When you take the time to assess properly, those patterns start to make sense and treatment becomes precise rather than generic.

Anyone can chase symptoms. My focus is on understanding why your body is struggling and helping it do what it is designed to do.

So if you’re choosing care, look beyond the job title and the gadgets. Choose someone who values the fundamentals, thinks clinically and treats you like a human.

Vitamin B12 is a quiet workhorse with a loud impact on pain, healing, and energy. 🧠⚡B12 is essential for making new cell...
02/02/2026

Vitamin B12 is a quiet workhorse with a loud impact on pain, healing, and energy. 🧠⚡

B12 is essential for making new cells, especially nerve cells and red blood cells. When levels run low, nerves can start misfiring, which often shows up as pins and needles, burning sensations, unexplained aches, weakness, or deep fatigue. Healing slows too, because your body simply lacks the raw materials it needs to repair and rebuild.

Pain and B12 are closely linked through the nervous system. B12 helps maintain the protective coating around nerves, allowing signals to travel smoothly instead of crackling like a frayed wire. Without enough of it, nerve irritation can increase, recovery can stall, and even thinking and memory can begin to dull over time.

Certain people are much more likely to be low in B12:
• Vegans and some vegetarians
• People with pernicious anaemia
• Those taking stomach acid inhibitors
• Older adults, as stomach acid naturally weakens with age

Why does stomach acid matter? B12 from food relies on a healthy stomach and gut to be absorbed. If that process is compromised, you can be eating “enough” B12 and still not getting it where it’s needed.

This is where liposomal B12 comes in. Liposomal delivery bypasses many digestive obstacles and delivers B12 directly into the cell, where it can get to work supporting nerves, energy production, and tissue repair. 🚀

If you’re dealing with pain, slow healing, fatigue, or neurological symptoms, B12 is one of the first foundations worth checking. Strong nerves build resilient bodies.

💡 Every body is different. So care should be tooNo two patients are the same. Different lifestyles, different stresses, ...
28/01/2026

💡 Every body is different. So care should be too

No two patients are the same. Different lifestyles, different stresses, different histories… and different needs when it comes to healing.

That’s why, in your initial consultation, my focus isn’t just on where it hurts. I’m trying to understand what your body needs to heal and feel better.

For one person, that might be hands-on treatment alone.
For another, it could be:
🥦 A food exclusion to calm inflammation
💊 A targeted supplement to support recovery
🧪 A blood test to uncover what’s happening beneath the surface

There’s no one-size-fits-all plan here.

✨ The goal is always individualised care that actually works. Helping your body recover, function better, and feel like itself again.

👉 If you’re ready for care that’s built around you, let’s get started.

😴 Was better sleep one of your New Year’s resolutions?We all know sleep is important, but it’s easy to forget just how m...
24/01/2026

😴 Was better sleep one of your New Year’s resolutions?

We all know sleep is important, but it’s easy to forget just how much it affects everyday life. Good sleep supports your focus, concentration, energy, and mood. It helps you feel clearer in your thinking, more patient with people around you and more capable of getting through the day.

Sleep is also when your body does its best healing and recovery. But that’s hard to achieve when discomfort keeps waking you up or stops you getting comfortable.

If a sore shoulder, lower back, or tight hips are disturbing your sleep, it’s worth addressing the cause rather than just pushing through.

✨ When your body moves better and feels more comfortable, sleep comes more naturally and everything else improves too.

👉 If pain is getting in the way of a good night’s rest, let’s get it treated so you can wake up feeling rested, focused, and energised.

Address

TLC & Co, 57a Sycamore Grove
Trowbridge
BA140JH

Opening Hours

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

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