Meet Dr Ismail Hassan, Chiropractor
(known to many patients as Dr Ishy)
Ismail didn’t set out to become a chiropractor. He started out as a personal trainer, helping people get stronger and move more freely, and it was through that work that he noticed how much pain was holding people back, not just from training, but from daily life. Chiropractic gave him a way to actually do something about it, combining what he already loved about movement with a career built around helping people manage pain and get back to what they enjoy.
One of the things Ismail values most about the job is being someone patients can rely on. He’s noticed how rarely people get the chance to properly explain what they’re dealing with, so from the first appointment, he tries to make sure that doesn’t happen in his clinic. Patients get his full attention, and the space to talk through what’s actually going on before any plan gets made.
A Passion for Helping People
“Seeing my dad live with chronic fatigue and lower back pain shaped the way I see healthcare. It showed me how much pain can take from someone, not just physically, but emotionally too.” That experience still shapes how he treats patients today, particularly how closely he listens before talking through the next steps together.
Working as a personal trainer had already shown Ismail how much people wanted to move and feel better. What was missing was the piece that dealt with pain directly, and chiropractic filled that gap for him.
His view of the job has shifted over the years too. Early on, the focus was mostly the pain itself. Now, Ismail’s more interested in the person carrying it: their story, what’s changed for them, and helping them understand what’s actually going on in their own body.
Education and Professional Development
Ismail trained at Teesside University, and it was in his second and third years that things really started to click. That’s when anatomy, biomechanics, pathophysiology, and treatment techniques stopped being separate subjects and started coming together as something he could actually use with real patients.
The turning point came in the university’s junior clinic, treating patients for the first time under a supervising chiropractor. It was where he got to test what he’d learned and start finding his own way of working with people.
He’s also a Level 3 Personal Trainer and Gym Instructor, and trained as a Climbing Wall Instructor with a First Aid qualification. Both have fed into how he thinks about movement and recovery, and he keeps building on that through ongoing training.
Life Beyond the Clinic
Away from the clinic, Ismail’s usually doing something active: the gym, football with mates, or more recently padel. Football has been part of his life since he was a kid playing for Earl Marshall Football Club in Sheffield. He’s also into climbing, travel, a good takeaway, and time with family and friends.
Ismail was born and raised in Sheffield, and his family’s originally from Yemen. He’s one of six siblings, four brothers and a sister, and grew up in a house that was never quiet. He got married recently too, which has been an exciting new chapter in his life.
Ready to Get Started
If you’d like to take the next step towards moving with more confidence, get in touch with Simply Chiropractic to book your appointment.
