If you’re struggling with persistent back pain, you’re not alone. Many people experience discomfort that affects their daily life, from mild stiffness to more severe, limiting pain. As a highly experienced back pain specialist in London, Marie Ayres offers a gentle and effective approach to pain relief, helping you move with greater ease and comfort.
619 million. That's the staggering number of people globally living with low back pain. And it's not just a minor inconvenience; it's the leading cause of disability worldwide. Back pain impacts everyone, from children to the elderly, and it's a problem that most of us will face at some point. It's a major drain on work productivity and quality of life, creating a huge economic burden on individuals and society as a whole. Simply put, low back pain is a global public health crisis that demands our attention and action.
The good news is that we're starting to understand pain from a more holistic perspective. Researchers and clinicians have been learning that persistent back pain isn't a simple problem with a simple answer. If you're living with it, you understand that better than anyone. Every experience is different, every pain is unique. Finally, extensive research has paved the way for more effective, personalised approaches that acknowledge the diverse experiences of people living with pain - all 600 million of them.
I am based Islington, North London, easily accessible from Hackney and anywhere in London, making it a perfect destination for those seeking expert care.
Situated on Highbury Crescent, our location is well-connected via the London Underground and just a short distance from Highbury & Islington station.
Wherever in London you're travelling from, multiple public transport links make your journey from Hackney straightforward and hassle-free.
Persisting back pain is a complex challenge, but it's not insurmountable. By challenging conventional wisdom with up-to-date evidence and addressing the whole person, we can find new pathways to healing. It's about recognising that everything matters and that true recovery lies in addressing the interconnected web of factors that influence our unique pain experience.
If you're looking for a back pain specialist that is easily accessible from Hackney, get in touch today for a free consultation.
This consultation prepares the groundwork for us working together. I believe in building a strong connection with my clients. This helps me understand your unique needs and how I can best support you. As a healthcare professional, I need to gather some information about your health history to ensure I can provide safe and effective care. This initial consultation helps us both determine if I’m the best person to help you achieve your goals.
After booking your initial appointment, you’ll receive a short online questionnaire. This helps me get a better understanding of your current health and any relevant concerns. We’ll then have a more detailed consultation through a telephone or video call. We can chat about your exact issues, goals, expectations, and any questions you may have. There’s no time limit – we’ll take as long as needed. Get in touch today to find the accurate treatment plan for you and begin your journey to a better quality of life.
Marie is professional, warm, and well-informed, as a skilled practitioner. I have seen many McTimoney Chiropractors over twenty years and have every confidence in Marie’s gentle and effective approach. Mark Greenaway-Robbins
I had severe pain in my shoulder and the top of my arm about 6 years ago and was due to have surgery. I attended a few sessions with Marie and the pain disappeared within weeks. No surgery needed. I now attend every few months to avoid the problem returning. So far so good….. Bernadette Kane
This lady is fantastic. Hurt my back badly, could barely stand straight. She sorted it out and could always relieve the tension in my neck. Highly recommend Marie Ayres. Naomi, Fleet
Everything matters with chronic pain. Except posture. At least not as much as you might think....
Pain becomes tangled up in the nervous system. Like a ball of thread, at first it’s tricky to unpick the knots, but once you begin, the ball of thread starts to open up, and it becomes easier to tease it apart.
McTimoney Chiropractic offers a way to begin this process. It’s not enough to completely unravel chronic pain, but it can loosen the threads a little to make longer-term strategies, such as movement and learning, more accessible.
It can begin the process of strengthening the communication between your brain and body, redefining those virtual maps.
Find Out MoreFor many people, chiropractic care can provide significant relief from pain and get them back on track. However, chronic pain management often requires a more comprehensive approach.
Recent advances in modern pain science have led to the development of tools and strategies that anyone can use to understand and overcome persistent and chronic pain. Together, we will design your personal plan of learning, movement, ongoing education and supported self-recovery, tailored to your preferences. Focusing on what matters most to you will reveal the best path forward and guide you towards a life that's less limited by persistent pain.
Despite the huge scale of the problem, traditional biomedical treatments, like steroid injections and medications, rarely help people with back pain. That's because they focus on the idea that pain is just a direct result of an injury or illness. However, this simplistic view doesn't hold true for the majority of back pain cases. For approximately 90% of people with lower back pain, there is no clear injury or cause. These cases are referred to, unhelpfully, as “non-specific low back pain”.
We now know that back pain is usually more complicated than that, and many of the treatments we've relied on just don't work. For example, just recently, in February 2025, a group of experts published advice in the BMJ strongly advising against spine injections for adults with chronic back pain (excluding cancer, infection, or inflammatory arthritis). This recommendation stemmed from findings that these injections offer little to no pain relief compared to placebo treatments. In other words, spine injections really aren't helping the majority of people with long-term back pain.
McTimoney Chiropractic is a gentle, whole-body technique that focuses on light touch adjustments and mobilisations. Rather than concentrating solely on areas of discomfort, McTimoney Chiropractors assess and treat the entire musculoskeletal system to support overall alignment and ease.
This approach has a calming influence on the nervous system and can help release tension, promoting a more balanced posture and a sense of comfort. From the very first session, many people notice a difference in how their body feels and moves.
McTimoney Chiropractic is suitable for people from Hackney of all ages and may be beneficial for a range of musculoskeletal pain concerns, including:
This technique is often a preferred choice for individuals with hypermobility spectrum disorders (hEDS), as well as those who are neurodiverse or particularly sensitive to touch.
Everything matters when it comes to persistent back pain. Except posture, alignment, and what the scans say about your spine – at least not as much as you might think, according to the evidence base.
For years, we've been told better posture and flawless scans are the keys to a pain-free back. But research increasingly shows the link between structural issues and chronic pain is weak. Many with "perfect" spines still suffer, while others with significant disc “degeneration” live pain-free.
Pain is a complex, deeply personal web of physical, psychological, and social factors. Your neuroimmune system (your nervous system and immune system always work together), thoughts, emotions, movement, sleep, nutrition, and social connections all play a role. Stress, anxiety, and fear can amplify pain, while positive emotions and support can reduce it.
What works for one person may not work for another. Your pain experience is unique, and your road to recovery should be too.
Instead of focusing solely on fixing “issues in the tissues”, we need a holistic, personalised approach. This means:
This consultation prepares the groundwork for us working together. I believe in building a strong connection with my clients. This helps me understand your unique needs and how I can best support you. As a healthcare professional, I need to gather some information about your health history to ensure I can provide safe and effective care. This initial consultation helps us both determine if I’m the best person to help you achieve your goals.
After booking your initial appointment, you’ll receive a short online questionnaire. This helps me get a better understanding of your current health and any relevant concerns. We’ll then have a more detailed consultation through a telephone or video call. We can chat about your exact issues, goals, expectations, and any questions you may have. There’s no time limit – we’ll take as long as needed. Get in touch today to find the accurate treatment plan for you and begin your journey to a better quality of life.