A word from the spinal experts about IDD Therapy…
“There are some patients who just need something more for their pain.IDD Therapy fits the principles of Osteopathy by helping the body the body to heal itself.
The Accu SPINA machine we have gives our clinic far greater scope to do more for patients who previously we wouldn’t have been able to help.”
Vanessa Robinson, Clinic Director
www.cathedralosteopaths.co.uk
“My patient Alex Robinson had suffered for several years with debilitating back pain while manual therapies failed him. His spinal surgeon told him he would probably never lift weight in the gym again.
When carpet-fitter Alex arrived at my clinic, he was flat on his back in the back of his van..in agony; myself and his co-worker struggled to carry him into the clinic.
After his first IDD Therapy treatment, Alex was able to walk out of the clinic unaided. He went on to undergo a complete programme of IDD Therapy and is now pain-free, playing golf and yes… lifting free weights at the gym!
Alex’s story sounds like a modern day miracle but IDD Therapy is genuinely capable of producing exceptional results like this for people like him.
With IDD Therapy, back pain and sciatica sufferers are finally getting their lives back to normal after being on the merry-go-round of manual treatments, painkillers and spinal injections. It’s wonderful!”
John Yeboah, Clinical Director, Enfield Osteopathic Clinic
“One of our first IDD patients hadn’t slept for three months with back pain from a prolapsed disc. He wasn’t getting better with osteopathy but had positive results with IDD and is now back cycling and very fit again.
It has been very good for us; to be able to help those very difficult patients who you might otherwise have to turn away has been brilliant. On average we carry out 100-120 IDD treatments a month. A recent patient audit showed that 70% of patients enjoyed an improvement of 55% in pain and function.
Sally Lansdale, Clinical Director, Spinex Disc Clinic, London
“We have spent our careers treating backs. With so many problems originating from the compression and progressive immobility of the intervertebral discs and spinal segment, IDD Therapy gives us the ability to provide a targeted treatment whose primary goal is to decompress the injured disc. This is great news for us and more importantly, our patients.”
Richard Hughes, Clinical Director, Physio At The Lodge, Nantwich
“I remember the old traction beds with a degree of horror: IDD Therapy addresses the failings of traction. When treating difficult conditions like chronic herniated discs and/or sciatica, IDD Therapy treatment tool is now our number one treatment of choice to get patients out of pain and back to normal activities.”
Paula Salmon, Clinical Director, Physio At The Lodge, Nantwich
“My patient Sarah Phelan was housebound for two years with back pain and sciatica caused by a large bulging disc. Sarah was unable to walk or sleep and became totally dependent on her partner and her parents – who drove more than two hundred miles every other week to help her at home.
Manual therapies and spinal injections had done nothing to improve Sarah’s condition. After a series of IDD Therapy treatments, she made an exceptional improvement; she is now pain-free able to enjoy family life again. On their first trip to the park in three years, her children were amazed to see her wearing make-up – she hadn’t been out of the house for so long they’d forgotten she used to wear it.”
In the past, this type of chronic back pain patient would probably resort to invasive procedures – even surgery in some cases. Now, IDD Therapy is there as an effective non-invasive option for them.”
Craig Mortimer, Clinical Director, The Ashleigh Clinic, Leicester
“We can help most people with back pain, neck pain and sciatica by using hands-on techniques combined with correction of posture, movement faults and core stability; however some patients need something a little extra to help them feel better.
With IDD Therapy, we can now target spinal segments precisely in a safe, gentle manner in a way which is not possible with our hands or with traditional mechanical treatments.”
Dan Smith, Clinical Director, Sports & Spinal Physio , Brentwood
“Whilst we can get most of our patients back on their feet with manual therapy, there is a group who need something more to take pressure off their discs. IDD Therapy helps fill an important void.
After hearing about the good results at IDD Therapy clinics across the country and having experienced the treatment ourselves, we decided to introduce IDD into our back pain services.
With IDD Therapy we feel we have a comprehensive service, something to offer all patients, helping them to avoid invasive treatments such as injections and surgery.
Michelle McWilliam & Ian Stuart, Clinical Directors, The Total Care Clinic, Botley, Hants
“I was first introduced to IDD Therapy by a female patient of mine who presented to me with three bulging discs in her neck, radiations into her arms, severe back pain and weakness in the hands.
In the 20 years since her symptoms had first started she had tried many forms of conservative treatment without success. Osteopathy had helped her a little but in her desperation, she decided to fly to the US to receive a course of IDD Therapy with a chiropractor.
The results were spectacular: her pain was 90% better and she started to live her life again. She came back to me demanding that I buy a machine!
I distinctly remember the feel of her muscles before the IDD; they were tight and knotty from the top of her back to her neck. The change was dramatic: her muscles were now soft, healthy and yielding. Best of all, she was pain-free and able to enjoy a normal life after being in pain for 20 years!
Overall my sense is that, combined with good osteopathic and rehab treatments, the results with IDD have been better than good. I would say more than 75% of all cases have shown moderate to dramatic improvement.
It is good to be able to offer patients a genuine alternative and the technology fits nicely into an osteopathic model. I am still very impressed and excited by the technology.”
Simeon Niel-Asher, Clinical Director, Back Into Shape, London, & Israel
“Far too often the treatment of spinal and sports injury simply focuses on people’s immediate symptoms and fails to really address the underlying issues that cause pain and injury in the first place.
Unfortunately, most patients with chronic spinal pain and/or radicular symptoms have already had failed complementary therapies and/or medical interventions.
One of the main predictors of any future treatment outcome is patient expectation, so many of these patients are no longer good candidates for more of the same “usual” treatment. They are often looking for something different.
As a part of an overall treatment programme, IDD Therapy is a credible alternative to traditional manual therapy, for those whose pain does not allow them to move normally and is a barrier to exercise.
For many patients, IDD Therapy provides a reduced-pain or pain-free window enabling them to engage in the active, exercise-based treatment approaches that we know work in the long term.”
Nick Critchley, Clinical Director HFS Clinics, London
“For some time I’d been looking into IDD Therapy for my disc patients; I’d seen the technology working well at other clinics and I came to the conclusion that IDD was something I wanted to be able to offer.
IDD Therapy provides an assured non-invasive approach to relieving pain and returning function to those patients who haven’t responded to manual therapy.
We encourage specific exercises which are tailored to the progressive stages of treatment, developing the patient’s confidence in movement as both safe and constructive to their recovery.
For anyone suffering with a disc-related problem which doesn’t require immediate surgical intervention, the IDD Therapy treatment programme is definitely something worth considering.”
John Wood, Clinical Director, Sheffield Physiotherapy Clinic , Sheffield
“My original interest in IDD Therapy came about through frustration with some types of prolapsed disc which would not respond to normal physiotherapy and manipulative treatment.
After seeing the AccuSPINA machine up close I decided to buy one. We find it most helpful for the prolapsed disc cases which have not responded to a range of treatments and where surgery might be the usual next step.
Patients enjoy it; because it’s computer-controlled, it’s a very gentle, even pull.
As the treatment programme progresses we introduce core stability exercises as this is important for pain relief in the long-term. We usually treat up to 20 patients a day with IDD Therapy.
We bought a second Accu SPINA machine – I guess you don’t buy a second one if you don’t think the first one is doing a good job.”
James Sneddon, Clinical Director, The Buckingham Clinic , Glasgow
“I began hearing about IDD Therapy in 2008. I researched the treatment, speaking to other clinicians about their experiences and I tried the treatment for myself; I could really feel the differences which I’d heard and read about. I decided to introduce IDD at one of my clinics in April 2011.
We now have three IDD locations; in London, Essex and Birmingham and have treated hundreds of patients. Clinical outcomes have been impressive: 70% of these patients have made good to excellent improvement.
These have tended to be patients with herniated or prolapsed discs whose symptoms of chronic back pain, neck pain and sciatica had prevailed despite standard manual treatments.
When patients first come to me, some are in so much pain that they are physically and emotionally exhausted and fearful of making the slightest movement. With IDD we can help to change their outlook, setting them the realistic goal of becoming pain-free and being able to get back to their normal daily activities.
We’ve been able to treat several lumbar-surgery candidates; I know of patients who have been booked in for an operation and have tried IDD as a last resort and are now pain-free and active again.
Robert Shanks BSc (Hons) Ost Osteopath, Spine Plus Clinics – London & Chigwell, UK
“For five and a half years now, IDD Therapy has been our first-choice treatment for herniated discs and sciatica. Our systematic analysis shows that 90% of these patients enjoyed an average 74% improvement in pain with IDD Therapy. These are patients for whom manual treatments and injections have failed so the improvement is all the more impressive.
Without doubt, the outcomes we’ve seen could not have been achieved with standard non-invasive treatments and in some cases we know we’ve helped patients avoid surgery. IDD isn’t a cure-all but for many back pain sufferers it’s a revelation, allowing them to finally return to a normal, active life.”
Steve Morris, DO Osteopath, Sussex Back Pain Clinic – Hove, UK
IDD Therapy expands our options for patients with the most difficult back pain and neck pain conditions, which have not responded to standard manual therapy and exercise techniques.
As osteopaths we work with our hands primarily to assist the body so that the natural healing mechanisms can operate efficiently. As a mechanical treatment tool, IDD Therapy helps us do more to treat difficult disc problems in a way that is not possible with our hands alone, all in keeping with our philosophy of supporting the body’s natural self-healing mechanisms.
Michael Palfrey DO Osteopath Theale Wellbeing Clinic – Reading, UK
“We see a lot of patients with spinal disc problems, either in the lower back or neck. Many are in that difficult position where they’ve tried different forms of hands-on treatment and exercise but still find themselves struggling with their back pain. So what next?
Our IDD Therapy Disc Treatment service is an important option for patients who have a disc problem and need something more for their back pain.
The common conditions we treat with IDD Therapy include slipped discs, herniated discs, degenerative discs and related conditions such as leg pain (sciatica) and nerve pain in the arms.”
Lee Petrucci, Clinical Director, The Sports Injury Clinic, Fordham, Cambridgeshire
“As an Osteopath for over 20 years, I’m passionate about hands on treatment – but for some chronic back and neck pain patients, I need a tool to really help me progress with their treatment.
IDD Therapy allows me to “decompress” or ease pressure on specific spinal discs and improve mobility in a way that is just not possible with hands-alone therapies.
We use IDD Therapy as a part of a programme of care which helps create a platform for long term healing and which includes tailored rehabilitation.
Whilst no treatment has 100% success, the outcomes with IDD Therapy for disc-related problems are impressive, particularly given the difficult nature of some of the conditions we are treating.”
Naval Mair, Clinical Director, Naval Mair Osteopathy, Wandsworth, London
“We are seeing more and more patients with back pain and sciatica. Most respond well to manual therapy and exercise but in the past it was frustrating when we couldn’t help certain patients with longer term issues – disc patients in particular.
The IDD Therapy programme gives these patients a real opportunity to resolve their back and neck problems, before they get to a stage of considering injections or surgery.”
Mark Webb, MCSP Physiotherapist, Broad Oaks Health Clinic – Solihull, UK
“The mechanisms of IDD Therapy share many of the same objectives of osteopathy, including joint articulation and mobilisation. Whilst IDD Therapy does not replicate what I can do with manual therapy techniques, neither can I replicate with my hands what the mechanical application of IDD Therapy can achieve. IDD Therapy simply gives us a tool to help achieve more for our patients.
IDD Therapy is an exciting development in spine care. It gives my team and I a treatment tool which offers greater treatment capabilities for patients with disc problems in particular, without resorting to invasive treatments.”
Nicola McLennan, Clinical Director, Nicola McLennan & Associates, Hendon
“IDD fits with my overall philosophy of how I want to treat my patients. The treatment held appeal because of some of the work I have done with horses where a degree of controlled physicality needed to help with spine issues.
Since starting, we have seen some excellent improvements in both pain and mobility of patients who we would usually consider referring elsewhere.”
James Sabala, Osteopath, Nicola McLennan & Associates, Hendon
“In the past, sciatica and slipped disc patients often had to consider invasive options if manual treatments couldn’t get them better.
Now with IDD Therapy, these patients have a very good chance of becoming pain-free.”
Neil Velleman, Clinical Director, Atkins Physiotherapy, Woodford, Essex
“I knew it was just a matter of time before IDD Therapy became part of our back pain services here in Buxton.
I’d followed the treatment’s success and talked to other clinicians about their patient outcomes; I was impressed. IDD Therapy just makes perfect sense within our non-invasive, holistic approach.
“As osteopaths, we help to resolve back pain issues on a daily basis. And yet there is a group of patients who just don’t respond to manual therapy.
Before the arrival of IDD Therapy we may have referred these patients on for injections or even surgery – but now we are able to get them out of pain and back to their normal daily activities. After only four months, I’m carrying out 80 treatments a month.
Phil Heler, Clinical Director, Buxton Osteopathy Clinic, Buxton, Derbyshire
“As a specialist musculoskeletal team, we use integrated techniques including chiropractic and other physical therapies to treat difficult spinal problems. However, when it comes to disc problems and related conditions including nerve pain, there is a group of patients who sometimes need something more than we can offer with manual treatment.
We recommend the IDD Therapy treatment programme because it gives our patients an opportunity to resolve their back or neck pain without resorting to invasive procedures such as injections or surgery.”
Dr Stefaan Vossen, Chiropractor, Core Physiatry – Warwick, UK
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