Who I Am and Why You’re Here
Hi, I’m Stephen Makinde.
I’m a clinician, and I spend most of my time in practice. My clinic hours are long, and my patient numbers continue to grow. Over more than 20 years, I have worked with over 415,000 patients since first qualifying.
The Patient’s Guide was not created as a brand or a content project.
It was formed out of necessity.
I needed a better way to help my patients understand what was happening to them outside the clinic room.
Why The Patient’s Guide Was Formed
In clinic, I repeatedly saw the same problem.
Patients were leaving appointments knowing what their diagnosis was, but not:
- why it had developed
- what was driving their symptoms
- what genuinely influenced recovery
- what was important, and what could be ignored
Appointments are limited. Questions come later. Information is forgotten or misunderstood.
The Patient’s Guide was created to bridge that gap.
It gives patients something structured to return to, so consultations become clearer, decisions become calmer, and progress becomes easier to track.
Experience That Shaped This Work
Seeing one patient teaches you about that person.
Seeing hundreds of thousands teaches you about patterns.
Across more than 415,000 patients, the same misunderstandings recur. The same symptom clusters repeat. The same points of confusion delay improvement, regardless of age, background, or diagnosis.
This experience did not lead me to a single technique.
It led me to a way of thinking.
Health problems are rarely isolated. They develop through interactions between systems. Understanding must reflect that complexity, without overwhelming the patient.
My Clinical and Academic Background
My training spans multiple disciplines, each contributing a different lens for understanding complex health problems.
I completed a full-time degree in Osteopathic Medicine and Naturopathy at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, followed by an MSc in Neuroscience at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology.
Alongside this, my education includes formal training in:
- Osteopathy
- Neuroscience
- Naturopathy
- Western Acupuncture
- Physical Therapy
- Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
This background shaped how I assess problems, not a rigid method of treatment.
What The Patient’s Guide Provides
The Patient’s Guide exists to give patients clear, structured explanations of their conditions.
Each guide is designed to help you:
- understand what your diagnosis means in everyday terms
- recognise common drivers and patterns
- identify what worsens symptoms and what often helps
- prepare better questions for your clinician
- feel more confident navigating treatment and recovery
It’s here to help you understand your condition better, alongside the care you receive.
Responsibility and Intent
Nothing published here substitutes for medical assessment or hands-on treatment.
Some conditions require urgent care. Others demand time, consistency, and realistic expectations.
Education does not remove uncertainty.
It reduces unnecessary fear and confusion.
The Patient’s Guide exists to help patients engage more meaningfully with their own health, and to make the work done in clinic more effective.
That is the purpose of this project.