"I never used to carry a handbag as they are so bad for your back and neck and even your jaw," explained Heather who is the founder of Triskel Osteopathy Northern Ireland.

Originally from St Andrews in Scotland, Heather has lived in London, Oxford and Switzerland and is now based at the Loughan on the
outskirts of Coleraine.

Heather continued: "When I was an au pair in Switzerland I got into the habit of carrying around so much clutter that I needed for the kids that I'm now at the stage that I can't live without wet wipes," she laughed.
"However, if I do have to carry a bag, I try to leave most of the clutter in the car.
"If you have to carry a bag the best thing to wear is a rucksack but it's hard to find ones which look good so I recommend a bag with a long strap which you can wear across your body," she advised.
Here's what is in Heather's handbag...

1. Blood pressure testing equipment and stethoscope
I carry these obviously because of work. I need to test the blood pressure of my patients especially if they are concerned about anything. Osteopaths are often mistakenly compared with chiropractors. Osteopathy uses a wide range of techniques and does not rely on "clicking the joint".
Instead there is a heavy focus on gently realigning the body in the way most suited to the individual patient then prescribing suitable exercise, nutrition or habitual changes.

2. Promotional material
Most people dont know what an osteopath actually is. I use osteopathy, massage, physiotherapy and a range of therapies so it can be difficult for people to understand.

3. Diary
I have tried electronic diaries but I always come back to paper. I like to see what's going on.

4. Bottle of water
I always have water with me. We all need two and a half litres of water a day and I only drink either Deeside Natural Mineral Water or Duchy Mineral Water as they are the only two I have found that are clinically proven to be better for you than ordinary water.
Water has great healing qualities and the treatment of arthritis, high blood pressure, excess weight - none of the them would be possible without water.

5. Hand cream
On a busy day I will have to wash my hand anything up to 50 times so if I didn't use handcream, my hands would be completely dried out.

6. Tiger Balm
I use three types of this for work but the white Tiger Balm is especially amazing. You can inhale it to help the sinuses or rub it in if you have a blocked nose. Also if you are going to be out and about in crowded shops, it's great to rub a little bit just under your chin and it cleanses the air in front of you which helps to ward off germs carrying coughs and colds.

7. Nippits liquorice essence
I love these. This little tin costs just £1.50 for these little liquorice pellets. They are great for the digestion and for helping nausea of any kind, whether it's travel sickness or morning sickness.

8. Notebook and pens
I always carry a notebook because you never know when you will have an idea. I can't do without it. I also carry more pens in my bag than you could shake a stick at.

9. Tweezers, tissues and face wipes
These are another "throw back" to when I was looking after the children when I was an au pair. And now I can't do without them.

10. Tuning fork
I actually use this for work as it can be used to help people who may have slight fractures.

11. Hairbands
I always loose hairbands, then go and buy some more and end up finding them again so I have loads of hairbands. They're not only useful for tying back your hair but also for tying other stuff together or as a keyring.

12. Wallet
My wallet is usually packed full of receipts and plastic cards but once a year it does get a clean-out as I use the cards to scrape the ice of my car.

13. Wave guide
When I have a moment between clients I take a look at my wave guide and fantasize about where I might go for a surf or a canoe.

14. Two mobile phones
One is personal and one is for work. I operate a 24 hour helpline for two reasons. One is that I do a lot of work for very busy people like barristers or farmers who really cannot afford to take a day off work because of, for example, neck or back pain, so they can get in contact with me quickly for an appointment.
The other reason is that some of the therapies I use tackle emotional problems and, particularly for elderly patients, they can sometimes worry about their treatment so they can contact me if they need to.

Heather can be contacted at 07500 978 366 or log onto www.triskeloec.com