About Me

“For the last 30 years, my background has been in
anatomy and physiology.

I am passionate that with the right support, patients can go on to lead more pain-free, fulfilling lives”.


- Jill

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Knowledge

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Understanding

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Empowering

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Knowledge

〰️

Understanding

〰️

Empowering

〰️ Knowledge 〰️ Understanding 〰️ Empowering 〰️ Knowledge 〰️ Understanding 〰️ Empowering

Background

A smiling woman in a red jacket running on a muddy trail in a snowy forest.
A red fingerprint design resembling a crown above the words "Prince's Trust" in red text.

30 years ago whilst living in Cheshire, I set up my Health and Fitness business with the support of the PYBT (England) combining my work as a Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Sports Massage Therapist.

    • I have taught the under 5’s, the over 80’s and those who ‘suffer’ from fitness-phobia.

    • At 27, I was listed in Harpers & Queen’s ‘A List’ of Personal Trainers and at 29, appeared in The Independent for an article on Personal Training.

    • I have written for numerous publications and appeared on radio and TV in my capacity as a Fitness Instructor.

    • As a child I took gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics (I was 2nd in Scotland in the under 16’s!) athletics, ballet, swimming and highland dancing and, as a young adult I was a full-time dancer.

Clinical Massage Work

A woman giving a massage to another person lying on a massage table, covered with a towel, in a room with light-colored walls and framed artwork.
Red and black circular logo for JIUG Advanced Massage Training

As my initial training was in the ‘90s, I upgraded my qualifications in 2013/14 becoming an Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist, specialising in chronic pain conditions.

  • I see myself as a detective of the mind/body; working out why/when the pain began, what aggravates it and how we can manage it going forward.
    Seeing the patient have their ‘lightbulb’ moment, when they understand their issue more, is fantastic.

Cardiac Campaigning

A smiling woman in a denim jacket and a blouse standing in front of a red sign with a heart logo, the words 'Welcome,' and information about the British Heart Foundation and British Parliamentary Society, 2023.

Thanks to the perimenopause, I had 2 SCAD heart attacks in 2021 and developed microvascular angina and coronary spasms even though I have a “beautiful, clear, healthy heart”, according to ‘Mr. Angiogram’.

I now work as a Patient Representative in a number of Cardiac research projects.

  • SCAD means Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection, when the wall of an artery suddenly tears or bruises, preventing blood flow.
    Approx. 90% of SCAD patients are female.

    “Women having a heart attack are 50% more likely than men to recieve a misdiagnosis”. This sobering statistic is why I am now a passionate patient advocate for female heart health.

Cardiac Work

Over the last few years, I have been passionately increasing awareness of female heart health, the effect that the perimenopause and menopause can have on our hearts and highlighting the existence of medical gender bias - which is sadly, very prevalent within cardiology departments.

Three smiling people, two women and one man, standing in front of a red backdrop with the British Heart Foundation logo repeated across it. The man is wearing a blue suit and tie, the woman in the middle is wearing a white top and a blue jacket, and the woman on the right is wearing a red dress. All three are wearing event badges.

Prof. Nick Mills - BHF Chair of Cardiology, Cardiologist at The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

Prof. Lis Neubeck - Head of the Centre for Cardiovascular Health, Napiers University, Edinburgh

I am a patient advocate member of:

  • SCAD in Scotland Steering Group

  • SCAD Recovery research Steering Group

  • Digital Heart Health Study
    All led by Prof. Lis Neubeck - Head of the Centre for Cardiovascular Health, Napiers University Edinburgh.
    Thanks to Prof. Neubeck, funding was secured to run a designated SCAD clinic in Scotland, a fantastic achievement for all Scottish SCAD patients.

  • Lived Experience Heart Disease Network run by Alliance Scotland - The Alliance are a strategic partner of the Scottish Government, and their purpose is to improve the wellbeing of people and communities across Scotland.

As well as appearing on podcasts (Dr. Louise Newson and the Womenkind Collective) I have been increasing awareness of women’s heart health issues across a number of platforms:

A promotional poster for a Scottish government event focused on heart and circulatory diseases, featuring a woman in glasses and a red jacket, and logos of the Scottish Government, Women's Health Plan, and British Heart Foundation.

Feb 2023

Presenting my cardiac experiences for the Scottish Govt. Cross-Party Group

A woman with blonde hair speaking during an interview, wearing a white top and multiple rings, with text overlay indicating she is Jill McLaggan, a SCAD survivor, discussing an experience involving her shoulder blades.

June 2023

Being interviewed for STV News (Edinburgh)

Screenshot of a radio app playing 'Good Morning Scotland' on Radio Scotland, with the date 06/07/2023, and a duration of 7 minutes and 17 seconds.

July 2023

Speaking live on BBC Radio Scotland

A woman with blonde hair smiling in front of a large red sign that says 'Welcome' and mentions the British Heart Foundation and British Parliamentary Election 2023.

June 2023

Attending British Heart Foundation reception at the Scottish Parliament

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
— Epictetus

Qualifications

Continual training is vital, as scientific research constantly pushes the boundaries of our knowledge, making us question the tried and tested ways of the past.

I’ve trained in a huge variety of fitness levels and modalities; from aqua to circuits, from the under 5’s to the mature movers, from groups to Personal Training, from the very fit to those affected by Parkinson’s disease, Stroke and limited mobility.

Below is a list of my main qualifications:

    • 1990 - Exercise studies

    • 1993 - Personal Training

    • 1998 - Body Massage

    • 1998 - Sports Therapy & Rehab

    • 2006 - Craniosacral Therapy 1

    • 2007 Craniosacral Therapy 2

    • 2014 - Advanced Clinical Massage Therapy

    • 2017 - Dry Needling

    • 2018 - Medical Acupuncture

Continuing Professional Credit Training
The College of Body Science - run by Caroline Barrow.

  • Inside The Cranium - 2 days, 12 hours - 2013 (in person)

  • A Day in the Dissection Lab - 1 day, 6 hours - 2016 (In person, King’s College, London)

  • The Endocrine System - 4 days, 24 hours - 2023 (online)

  • A Day in the Disscetion Lab - 1 day. 6 hours - 2025 (In person, King’s College London)

Newson Health Menopause Society - increasing my knowledge in the treatment of perimenopausal and menopausal women*

  • Migraines and the Menopause - 2 hours - 2022 (online)

  • Progesterone Intolerance - 2 hours - 2022 (online)

*NB. This CPD training is done in my capacity as a non-prescribing healthcare practitioner, and I am unable to give advice regarding medication.
However, learning about prescribing helps me to guide my patient on how to advocate for themself with their prescribing practitioner.

I am on the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Register - The independent UK regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners, set up with government support to protect the public by providing a UK voluntary register of health practitioners. The register has been approved as an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, a body accountable to Parliament.

I am fully insured in the practise of;

  • Sports Massage

  • Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation

  • Exercise Instructor

  • Craniosacral Therapy

  • Dry Needling

  • Medical Acupuncture

But the certificate that made me smile the most?…….

The ‘Golden Uterus Award’
from Dr. Zoe Hodson (previously of
Manchester Menopause Hive) for
“excellent menopausal recognition
and support”

Woman with gray hair smiling and holding a certificate titled 'Golden Uterus Award' in front of a hedge.

Thankyou Dr Hodson!

Logo of CNHC, the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council, with a purple checkmark symbol and purple accreditation badge.
Logo of Newson Health Menopause Society with an orange abstract M and black text.
Logo for JING Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist featuring two stylized hands encircling a face, with text beside it.
Logo for the Jing Method, an online self-care therapist program, featuring a colorful background, the program name, and an illustration of a hand with a heart on the palm.