Testimonials From My Patients

You don’t just need to take my word for it

These genuine testimonials from patients I have been seeing are good examples of how my approach can help you.

Take a look at what my patients say about how I helped them and judge for yourself.

RT, 63, Exmouth

For some years now I have had back trouble which I put down to too much physical exercise and lifting heavy weights over my lifetime. We are all led to believe that the older you get, the more your back is likely to suffer. I had trouble even stretching to put on my socks and often felt discomfort doing menial tasks. My problems came to a head when I was on the golf course in April this year. As I wound up for the big drive I felt a terrific pain in my lower back and was unable to move freely, as if someone had kicked me in the back. I hobbled off the course and spent an agonising few days before finally deciding to see a local chiropractor. The rationale was that I had heard they could almost snap you back into place with ease, whilst removing the pain problem.

After parting with a lot of my hard earned cash for a short consultation and some weird manipulation I came away thinking that was not what I expected (the pain was still there) and the cynic in me could not see any immediate benefit. I was advised on the first visit that I was grossly out of alignment in my spine and I would have to do exercises to correct this. I became more cynical when asked to return a few days later for more manipulation and the parting with more money.

The next visit was 15 minutes but cost me the same as the last full hour consultation. I was advised that the chiropractor had done a brilliant job in correcting my Quasimodo appearance even though I felt all that had happened was that I was now holding myself less awkwardly as my back pain naturally started to diminish. I was asked to return in 6 months time, I declined to do so on the basis that if the treatment was so successful first time round then why would I need to keep going back for more man handling?

In October this year I was talking to my golf coach… and advised him of my ongoing back troubles and the fear of my back letting me down as I got older. Without hesitation, he advised me I should talk with Neil Davey, a physiotherapist friend of his. I thought this made sense as my wife (as a former physio assistant herself) has always advised me to seek physio help as she knows first hand what the benefits were, especially when compared to the alternatives.

I arranged to meet Neil and was pleased when he sent me a lot of information before hand which explained in fine detail what would be involved in the consultation. During our meeting Neil asked me lots of questions about – my past and current physical activities, concerns about back pains, what I felt was wrong with my back, my abilities and limitations etc. He politely challenged me on my perceptions and for the first time made me seriously consider that perhaps it’s “The System” that appears to be letting us down and giving us mis-guided information and instilling fear into us, “My back is getting weaker; As I get older my back gives me more problems; I can’t do what I used to or now want to, etc.”

Neil asked me to touch my toes but I said I couldn’t manage to stretch past my knees. He pointed out that I was tensing up and holding my breath for fear of the pain. but by relaxing I could achieve more than I believed possible. I did then relax and breathed out and to my astonishment I was able to touch my toes again. He advised me to do more physical exercise, not overdo the really heavy stuff, at least not before building up to it. He said I should be aware of the pain but relax into it. For the first time in months I am able to put on my socks without tension and pain and all because he said I could do it. Neil advised me at the end of our meeting that all being well it was unlikely I would need to see him again. How refreshing is that!!

The overriding sense that I held before seeing Neil was that I had fallen into the common trap of believing I was like so many other back sufferers and things could only get worse with age. However, the overriding sense I now have is that I no longer believe all that B.S. and I am looking forward to being a lot more physically active and confident in the knowledge that I can do anything I want within reason. I will never again fall into the trap of thinking it’s all doom and gloom but instead I will buck the trend by doing more of what I want in the certain knowledge that my back is every bit as good as it was 30 years ago when I was as fit as a flee.

Thanks to Neil, I am a new man…

MW, 50, Exeter.

Pain, it really is, just that!

I have been told by previous physios that I’ll need to get used to never being able to run again, play football with my kids or move around without pain. Injections of steroids and exercises yielded no results, so I put up with it…until I ran (metaphorically) into Neil. The previous diagnoses didn’t ring right with him, so we tried to unravel what was wrong.

After a couple of sessions, some video work of me trying to run revealed evidence of the REAL problem. Learning the root cause and Neil teaching me how to overcome it has enabled me to play football again, run and exercise normally. I can’t express how grateful I am and how much of a difference it has made to me. So much of what Neil said was common sense, but I needed a medical professional to explain it in a way that I could really understand.

Thanks Neil, you’re amazing!