Kieran McNally: Pain and Movement Specialist

30/03/2026

You know that little crack or pop your knee makes when you sit down, stand up, or go up the stairs?
Most people hear it and their mind immediately jumps to...
"Is that arthritis?"
"Is something wearing down in there?"
"Is this the start of something serious?"

And honestly, that reaction makes total sense. The sound is sharp. It's unexpected. And we've all heard someone say "that's your cartilage wearing away" or "that's bone on bone."
But here's the thing.

The story most people have been told about that noise... isn't actually the real story.

And the belief you build around that sound can quietly start to change the way you move without you even realising it.

This 5-minute video is for you if:

👉 Your knee clicks or pops regularly, and it's in the back of your mind
👉 You've started avoiding certain movements because of it
👉 You're not sure whether to be worried or not

I also cover the simple self-check you can do at home to tell whether there's actually anything worth paying attention to, and what the real red flags are.

It's not what most people think.

Link in the comments 👇

26/03/2026

Shoulder pain is one of the most overcomplicated things on the internet right now.

You've got people talking about rotator issues, partial tears in your supraspinatus tendon, impingement, bursa inflammation... and honestly, for most people? You don't even need to know what any of that means.

In this video, I'm going to show you how to get rid of 90% of shoulder pain with a simple 4-step framework. No jargon. No scan required.

But first, a quick note on who this video is NOT for.

If your shoulder pain came on after a trauma, a fall, a collision, or an accident, please get it checked out properly before doing anything else. The same goes if you have any of these:

⚠️ Sudden severe pain after a fall or impact
⚠️ Visible deformity or the shoulder looks "wrong."
⚠️ Complete inability to lift your arm at all
⚠️ Numbness, tingling, or weakness travelling down the arm
⚠️ Unexplained weight loss alongside the pain
⚠️ Pain that's getting significantly worse despite rest

Those need proper medical attention. Please don't ignore them.

This video is for the other group, the people who woke up one day, and the shoulder was just... sore. No obvious reason. No injury. It's just there, and it won't go away.

If that's you and you've got 8 minutes, link is in the comments 👇

18/03/2026

This is a niche topic, but if you know someone who has been injured and is going through the legal process, my latest video would be important for them to see.

Most people assume that if pain continues months after an accident, it must mean something in the body hasn’t healed.

But there’s something that almost nobody talks about.

Something that quietly occurs when someone is involved in legal proceedings following an accident.

I see this pattern again and again. Someone is injured in some sort of accident, the scans come back “normal,” the doctors say nothing serious is wrong… but the pain doesn’t go away. Weeks turn into months, sometimes even years.

And during that time, the legal process begins.

Appointments. Reports. Assessments. Phone calls. Having to explain over and over again how much you’re suffering.

What many people don’t realise is that the very process that is supposed to help someone get justice can sometimes change the way recovery unfolds.

In this video, I explain something about chronic pain after an accident that most healthcare professionals, solicitors, and patients themselves are never told.

If you’re currently in the middle of an accident claim and the pain just isn’t settling, this may help you understand what could be going on.

Do you know someone who has been through an accident, is going through legal proceedings, and is still suffering from pain that won’t go away?

If so, this video may be important for them to see. Link is in the comments.

06/03/2026

If you’ve been lying in bed with neck pain… flipping your pillow, turning onto your back, then your side, then the other side… trying to find that one position that doesn’t hurt.

This video might be for you.

Quite often, people come to me convinced they just need to find the *perfect* sleeping position. The right pillow. The right alignment. The right rule to follow.

And I suppose that sounds logical… but the research tells a slightly different story.

So in this video, I walk through why chasing the “perfect” sleep position can actually keep people going around in circles, what might be influencing your neck pain during the day without you realizing it, and a few simple movements that can help calm things down before bed.

Nothing fancy. Just practical ideas that tend to work in the real world.

If neck pain has been making sleep frustrating lately, you might find this helpful.

The video link is in the comments.

10/02/2026

Grateful to Biogen for the invitation to speak with their team recently.
I genuinely enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with their staff discussing pain, not just from a physical point of view, but from a broader, more human perspective.

Pain and injury remain one of the leading reasons employees are absent from work.
And while many workplace initiatives do great work around ergonomics, manual handling, and physical setup, that’s often only part of the picture.

Pain is influenced by far more than structures and posture.
Stress, workload, beliefs about the body, previous injuries, fear, sleep, and life pressures all play a significant role in how pain develops, persists, and impacts performance at work.

It was refreshing to speak with a group that was open to exploring these wider influences and keen to understand how education, awareness, and supportive environments can make a real difference to employee wellbeing.

03/02/2026

Low back pain often keeps coming back because of five missed drivers: stress, fear of movement, poor sleep, work strain, and low conditioning.

That’s because it’s not just a “spine problem.” Your nervous system, recovery habits, and daily demands all influence how sensitive your back feels,
and how quickly it settles.

A common mistake is treating a flare-up like a damage event and resting until you feel “safe.” That can increase worry, reduce confidence, disrupt sleep and activity, and leave you less prepared for normal life.

What helps is building resilience on purpose:
• calm the system
• rebuild trust in movement (graded exposure)
• protect sleep
• reduce job strain where you can
• progressively condition your body for what you need to do

26/01/2026

Most people still think desk pain is an ergonomics problem.
Bad chair.
Bad posture.
Bad desk setup.

And to be fair… ergonomics do help.
Better screen height.
Better chair.
Feet supported.
All useful tools.

But here’s the thing

Pain from desk-based work is still very common, and research shows incredibly high rates of neck, back, and shoulder pain among desk-based and remote workers — with some studies reporting well over half experiencing work-related musculoskeletal issues.

Despite better desks.
Despite standing desks.
Despite posture reminders.

So clearly, something’s missing.

The big mistake we make is assuming pain has one main cause.
“It must be the desk.”
“It must be posture.”
“It must be sitting.”

But pain doesn’t work like that.
It’s influenced by lots of things working together.
Not just what you sit on…

But how you move.
How often you move.
How stressed you are.
How well your body recovers.

When we only focus on ergonomics, we’re kind of zooming in on one small piece of a much bigger picture.

That’s why people can have a “perfect” setup
and still feel stiff, sore, or worn down by the end of the day.

Ergonomics is a tool in the toolbox.
They’re just not the whole toolbox.

And until we start looking beyond the desk,
a lot of people will keep going around in circles with work-related pain.

Have you ever upgraded your desk setup… and still felt sore anyway?

✅ Want a FREE 2–3 minute Movement Reset Guide (PDF) you can do at your desk?
Comment RESET.

20/01/2026

Pain that feels scary even when nothing is “wrong” often comes from how your brain filters sensation.

Most people don’t realize your body is constantly sending your brain information from tiny sensors that detect pressure, temperature, touch, and potential threats. You’re not aware of most of it because your brain turns the volume down to prevent overload.

A common mistake is assuming pain always equals damage. That belief can increase fear and make you move less, which can lead to more stiffness and sensitivity over time.

PURCHASE MY BOOK - Pain and the Survival Brain
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Work With Me - kieranmcnally.net

16/01/2026

Stress can make your pain flare and recovery feel slower, even when nothing else has changed.

This is common because stress keeps your body in “on” mode for too long. When that system stays active without real breaks, your tissues tolerate less, sore areas feel more sensitive, and it becomes harder to bounce back.

A common mistake is trying to push through with more work, more sitting, and less movement, thinking you’ll rest later. But without short recovery moments, your muscles stay tight, breathing gets shallow, and your nervous system stays on high alert.

PURCHASE MY BOOK - Pain and the Survival Brain
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US - https://shorturl.at/knAsM

Work With Me - kieranmcnally.net

[stress and pain, nervous system sensitivity, muscle tension, stress recovery, chronic pain relief]

13/01/2026

Most injuries aren’t caused by one “bad” move. They usually show up when your body’s capacity has been getting quietly used up.

Hard training, low sleep, busy weeks, higher stress, and inconsistent recovery all stack. When you’re close to the edge, a normal bend, twist, or reach can be the moment symptoms appear, not because that movement was inherently harmful, but because there wasn’t much buffer left.

If you’ve been injured, don’t only replay the moment it happened. Look at what your body was carrying in the days and weeks leading up to it, then start rebuilding capacity one step at a time.

PURCHASE MY BOOK - Pain and the Survival Brain
Ireland - https://shorturl.at/jwPsz
UK - https://shorturl.at/0hilr
US - https://shorturl.at/knAsM

Work With Me - kieranmcnally.net

18/09/2024

I'm having some technical difficulties with my website and booking system this week. If you are trying to make an appointment or change one online call me directly on 086 733 8963. Im hoping to have this sorted by the end of today.

05/09/2024

There needs to be a crossover between disciplines to be able to get the full picture.

Often eloquently referred to as psychologically informed practice described by many astute clinicians and researchers such as Main CJ, et al. In the Journal of Physical Therapy. 2011