Voices of the BCA is a member spotlight series sharing the perspectives, experiences, and insights of chiropractors across the UK.
In this edition, we hear from Kyla Koçak. Kyla qualified not long ago, but her perspective on the profession already carries the kind of depth that comes from genuine passion for her work. She thinks carefully about how she explains things to patients, is honest about what life as a chiropractor actually looks like day to day, and recently found her understanding of what chiropractic can offer shifting in a way that surprised her. Her answers are a good reminder that early career doesn't mean a straightforward or settled view of practice.
What is one thing you regularly find yourself explaining to patients about musculoskeletal health?
Chiropractic, as a form of musculoskeletal medicine, is still a relatively new and rapidly growing concept for many people when compared with "modern" medicine.
I often see a common theme among patients who feel their bodies aren't functioning as they should. Phrases such as "I've been told I just need to stretch more" or "I just need a 10-day course of naproxen" come up frequently.
While that approach may be appropriate for a small percentage of people, I regularly explain that the musculoskeletal system is exactly that — a system. It has many internal workings and is influenced by far more than how many rounds of cat-cow you do each day or how many days of pain relief you take.
Sleep, nutrition, work demands, interpersonal relationships, stress, training load and intensity, and family history all play a role in overall health, injury predisposition, and recovery.
When we take these factors into account, it becomes much easier to understand why the system isn't working as it should, and importantly, how we can improve it.
What was the hardest part of being a chiropractor or chiropractic student that people outside the profession rarely see?
It's always nice talking to friends and family about what you do, but one of the harder things for people outside the profession to grasp is what our working week really involves.
Saying you work 30 to 35 clinical hours a week sounds great on paper, but it doesn't reflect the full picture.
There's the clinic preparation beforehand, staying late to complete notes, late nights researching complex or unusual cases, writing GP letters, making follow-up calls, attending meetings, completing mandatory CPD — and, if you're lucky, filling out tax returns.
It's all completely worthwhile, but being a chiropractor isn't just about the hours spent treating patients. There's a lot of work happening behind the scenes to make it all function properly.
What is one belief about chiropractic that you had early in your career that has since changed?
This shift in perspective happened for me last year. Like many chiropractors, I really value the biopsychosocial approach, but my understanding of chiropractic has expanded beyond seeing it as a solely holistic approach to pain relief and improving movement.
I've grown to recognise that chiropractic, when done well, can be the profession that finally provides someone with a correct musculoskeletal diagnosis.
Particularly for injuries that may have been missed or mismanaged for months or even years. It's not about how good your adjusting skills are — it's about helping someone return to their sport safely, regain confidence in their body, or simply know they have a trusted clinician to turn to.
I work alongside exceptional chiropractors who also practise as ultrasonographers, manage medicalised injuries, can aspirate a bursae, or provide injection therapies — and in the same breath deliver high-level hands-on care, spinal adjustments, rehabilitation programmes, or shockwave therapy.
The profession is far more versatile than I appreciated in my first graduate year, and that realisation has been genuinely exciting.
Voices of the BCA is a fortnightly series where BCA members speak in their own words about practice, patients, and the profession they've chosen. If you are a BCA member and you’d like to participate, contact aleisha.collins@chiropractic-uk.co.uk.