“I have known Sally since we both lived in Somerset West and was delighted when she relocated to George. I regailed her with tales of my current aches and pains and she gave me an article from the ‘You - Pulse’ about Integrated Bodywork (IB) to read. After reading the article, I explained that I had weaned myself off my hormone replacement therapy (HRT). about a year ago, only to find that I had exceptionally swollen feet and painful ankle joints. I was told by three Health Professionals that this could be a direct result of stopping the HRT and they suggested I go back on it immediately, which I did. I consulted a local podiatrist who was recommended to me by the golfing fraternity with whom he has had great success. However, orthotics in my shoes did not do the trick for me. In fact, I felt uncomfortable; unable to walk properly and suffered greatly whilst walking 18 holes of golf every Saturday and discarded the orthotics and reverted back to Myprodol and Cataflam to relieve the pain. To me it felt as if it was all in my ankle- and foot joints. Routinely after golf I walked with difficulty.

Sally found this a challenge; she suspected that it came from my lower back and booked my first IB appointment on the 13th May. After the first appointment, I felt a lot less pain and, determined to wean myself from the Cataflam, Myprodol and HRT, went to play golf without any of the above-mentioned medications. After 9 holes, my ankle joints were again very painful: succumbed to 2 Myprodols. Later that afternoon, I phoned Sally to say that the pain felt more muscular, rather than in the joints. My next appointment was on the 17th, after which I felt even better - especially not having taking any medication. Played golf on the 22nd May: took an HRT (weaning myself slowly) and again needed to take 2 Myprodols at half-way due to sore feet. On Sunday my feet felt immeasurably better. I went for another treatment on Monday, after which my foot pain has been minimal. I also noticed that I was more flexible; I had better concentration and played good golf.

I feel positive that I have been able to cut down on medication that I have been taking continuously for a year from 6 Cataflams and 6 Myprodols to 2 Myprodols half way through golf. I am also surprised that I have had no swollen feet after the drastic reduction of my intake of HRT to 1 a week.

I am booked for an appointment next week and will endeavour to continue with regular IB maintenance as I never want to have this problem again. On closing, I can recommend IB as a non-invasive, relaxing and invigorating mind and body treatment.”

“A naturopath I consulted in 1998 about an auto-immune disorder insisted that I see an IB practitioner as well. At the time, I considered that to be a ‘grudge purchase’, since I did not understand, or believe in, the interconnectedness of all my various health issues and I had tried various mainstream and alternative modalities over many years without much success.

I had been diagnosed with scoliosis of the thoracic area of my spine in my mid teens, had worn a corset for some time, then had been diagnosed with one leg being slightly shorter than the other and been told, that the solution was to wear a built-up shoe to compensate. This I refused to do and pretty much ignored the situation, visiting massage- and physio-therapists when necessary to manage the pain.

In 1986 I was involved in a car accident, which resulted in fractures of c2 and c3 vertebrae – a ‘broken neck’. Fortunately, there was no displacement and my spinal cord remained intact. A miserable year of traction braces, hard & soft collars and extensive rehab followed. Thereafter, I added serious lower back pain, sciatica and debilitating migraines to my list of ailments, all of which were treated separately.

Then, in 1997, I developed severe ongoing pain in my hands and feet, for which I consulted a specialist. He diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, which is not what I wanted to hear, so I commissioned a second opinion. That was even worse (lupus), so I settled for the first and embarked on a very aggressive treatment regime, which was intended to halt the progression of the disease, but which made me very ill. To help me with that, I consulted the abovementioned naturopath.

It is now 11 years since my first appointment, I no longer see any of the specialists or that naturopath, but still visit my IB practitioner once a week – or more, if required. It has taken a long time, but I have not had a migraine or episode of sciatica in many years. I am officially in remission from the auto-immune disorder (apparently the experts now agree that there is a condition which they refer to as ‘rupus’, which accounts for all the symptoms I presented with) and pain- as well as medication- free in that regard.

Every now and then, things go so well, that I am ‘promoted’ to scheduling visits every second week and have managed to fit in some sport as well – carefully, of course. My measure of the success of my IB sessions is the absence of pain. My IB practitioner, of course, does not see it in that simplistic fashion, but I shall leave him to measure my progress in his own way – as long as the pain-free periods keep increasing, in frequency and/or duration, I am of the opinion that it’s all good.”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“I first came to IB for a sprained ankle, and have continued coming weekly ever since as I get all-over relief from various aches and pains. I spend all day in front of a computer and from time to time I “put my back out” and am totally skew and can hardly walk. IB is the only modality that alleviates my symptoms and over the past few years that I have been coming to IB it has happened less often and I am free from pain on a daily basis.”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“I was introduced to Integrated Bodywork in 2003. After an MRI scan in 1997 had showed a completely herniated disc at L4/5 level, I suffered from many episodes of severe sciatic pain down my left leg causing me to be unable to stand for more than a minute at a time. I have been left with residual numbness in two of my toes and at the time had an inability to use my calf muscle to its full capacity. The resulting damage caused a pronounced limp.

An orthopedic surgeon referred me to a neurosurgeon to see if they could “fix” me with surgery, but 5 years later after many IB sessions and no spinal operation, I have an almost undetectable limp, limited nerve pain and best of all do not have to rely on anti-inflammatory medication! I have two treatments a month to keep my spine open and pain free.

IB is truly a miraculous technique which should be compulsory for anyone living with pain.

Thanks you for all of the work over the years.”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“A naturopath I consulted in 1998 about an auto-immune disorder insisted that I see an IB practitioner as well. At the time, I considered that to be a ‘grudge purchase’, since I did not understand, or believe in, the interconnectedness of all my various health issues and I had tried various mainstream and alternative modalities over many years without much success.

I had been diagnosed with scoliosis of the thoracic area of my spine in my mid teens, had worn a corset for some time, then had been diagnosed with one leg being slightly shorter than the other and been told, that the solution was to wear a built-up shoe to compensate. This I refused to do and pretty much ignored the situation, visiting massage- and physio-therapists when necessary to manage the pain.

In 1986 I was involved in a car accident, which resulted in fractures of c2 and c3 vertebrae – a ‘broken neck’. Fortunately, there was no displacement and my spinal cord remained intact. A miserable year of traction braces, hard & soft collars and extensive rehab followed. Thereafter, I added serious lower back pain, sciatica and debilitating migraines to my list of ailments, all of which were treated separately.

Then, in 1997, I developed severe ongoing pain in my hands and feet, for which I consulted a specialist. He diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, which is not what I wanted to hear, so I commissioned a second opinion. That was even worse (lupus), so I settled for the first and embarked on a very aggressive treatment regime, which was intended to halt the progression of the disease, but which made me very ill. To help me with that, I consulted the abovementioned naturopath.

It is now 11 years since my first appointment, I no longer see any of the specialists or that naturopath, but still visit my IB practitioner once a week – or more, if required. It has taken a long time, but I have not had a migraine or episode of sciatica in many years. I am officially in remission from the auto-immune disorder (apparently the experts now agree that there is a condition which they refer to as ‘rupus’, which accounts for all the symptoms I presented with) and pain- as well as medication- free in that regard.

Every now and then, things go so well, that I am ‘promoted’ to scheduling visits every second week and have managed to fit in some sport as well – carefully, of course. My measure of the success of my IB sessions is the absence of pain. My IB practitioner, of course, does not see it in that simplistic fashion, but I shall leave him to measure my progress in his own way – as long as the pain-free periods keep increasing, in frequency and/or duration, I am of the opinion that it’s all good. ”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“I was referred to IB mainly for intense daily headaches for which I could find no relief. I even tried a neurologist who injected cortisone into my neck. I have also suffered from lower back pain for most of my life, plus chronic neck and shoulder discomfort. My right arm has also been affected. Within a few session of IB, my headaches have largely gone! My other aches and pains have been alleviated and I look forward to further improvement as my body normalizes and my posture continues to improve. My friends have already said that I look straighter!”

“I was introduced to Integrated Bodywork in 2003. After an MRI scan in 1997 had showed a completely herniated disc at L4/5 level, I suffered from many episodes of severe sciatic pain down my left leg causing me to be unable to stand for more than a minute at a time. I have been left with residual numbness in two of my toes and at the time had an inability to use my calf muscle to its full capacity. The resulting damage caused a pronounced limp.

An orthopedic surgeon referred me to a neurosurgeon to see if they could “fix” me with surgery, but 5 years later after many IB sessions and no spinal operation, I have an almost undetectable limp, limited nerve pain and best of all do not have to rely on anti-inflammatory medication! I have two treatments a month to keep my spine open and pain free.

IB is truly a miraculous technique which should be compulsory for anyone living with pain.

Thanks you for all of the work over the years.”

“I was introduced to Integrated Bodywork by my partner, who had been visiting him for treatment for some time. Until recently, I had been seeing my IB practitioner, as well as some other practitioners, intermittently for physical aches and pains when required.

Last year, 2007, I began having noticeably irregular heart rhythm. This was of great concern to me, because, in my early twenties, I had had open heart surgery to correct a constricted mitral valve and have required monitoring and medication ever since. I was placed on portable 24hr monitors three times during the year to measure the extent of the irregularity and was about to be booked into hospital for a final round of monitoring prior to a decision being made as to how to proceed, when my partner mentioned this to her practitioner, who suggested I come in for him to have a look.

It is my opinion, that the IB treatment resolved the situation to the extent that no medical intervention is currently necessary. I am still symptomatic, but only mildly and infrequently so, and my cardiologists are happy to leave things as they are for now. ”

“I would like to say how grateful I am to Integrated Bodywork for the amazing relief it has given me from various ailments over the past years. Originally I started seeing an IB p[ractitioner as I had sciatica and lower back pain. I have not had any pain from these for years.

The ribs over my chest were also asymmetrical to such an extent that I did not want to wear a t-shirt. Receiving IB treatment has been able to effect such a change on this that it is now almost imperceptible and I feel free to wear tight tops again. I do not know of any other modality that would be able to do this.

The most dramatic effect I experienced was one day when I had an episode of IBS. It was so bad that my abdomen was as swollen as if I was about 7months pregnant. I was in so much pain that I could hardly drive my car, but I knew if I could get to my IB practitioner, that he would be able to help me. When I left, I skipped across the road to my car! What other modality would be able to do this?

I would recommend Integrated Bodywork without hesitation.”

“A naturopath I consulted in 1998 about an auto-immune disorder insisted that I see an IB practitioner as well. At the time, I considered that to be a ‘grudge purchase’, since I did not understand, or believe in, the interconnectedness of all my various health issues and I had tried various mainstream and alternative modalities over many years without much success.

I had been diagnosed with scoliosis of the thoracic area of my spine in my mid teens, had worn a corset for some time, then had been diagnosed with one leg being slightly shorter than the other and been told, that the solution was to wear a built-up shoe to compensate. This I refused to do and pretty much ignored the situation, visiting massage- and physio-therapists when necessary to manage the pain.

In 1986 I was involved in a car accident, which resulted in fractures of c2 and c3 vertebrae – a ‘broken neck’. Fortunately, there was no displacement and my spinal cord remained intact. A miserable year of traction braces, hard & soft collars and extensive rehab followed. Thereafter, I added serious lower back pain, sciatica and debilitating migraines to my list of ailments, all of which were treated separately.

Then, in 1997, I developed severe ongoing pain in my hands and feet, for which I consulted a specialist. He diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, which is not what I wanted to hear, so I commissioned a second opinion. That was even worse (lupus), so I settled for the first and embarked on a very aggressive treatment regime, which was intended to halt the progression of the disease, but which made me very ill. To help me with that, I consulted the abovementioned naturopath.

It is now 11 years since my first appointment, I no longer see any of the specialists or that naturopath, but still visit my IB practitioner once a week – or more, if required. It has taken a long time, but I have not had a migraine or episode of sciatica in many years. I am officially in remission from the auto-immune disorder (apparently the experts now agree that there is a condition which they refer to as ‘rupus’, which accounts for all the symptoms I presented with) and pain- as well as medication- free in that regard.

Every now and then, things go so well, that I am ‘promoted’ to scheduling visits every second week and have managed to fit in some sport as well – carefully, of course. My measure of the success of my IB sessions is the absence of pain. My IB practitioner, of course, does not see it in that simplistic fashion, but I shall leave him to measure my progress in his own way – as long as the pain-free periods keep increasing, in frequency and/or duration, I am of the opinion that it’s all good.”

“Two and a half years ago I was the owner of a very skew body - constantly suffering from acute sciatica!
My Pilates teacher at the time recommended I go to see an IB practitioner.
Since that day I have religiously been going to IB sessions once a week with amazing results!
When I was 6 years old the school doctor discovered I had a 45-degree scoliosis. At the time I went to see an orthopedic surgeon who said that barring surgery which would entail fitting a rod down my spine, there was nothing they could do. I took ballet classes for my posture and led a pretty normal life except for the fact that my shoulders were not level, my one leg was about 4 c m shorter than the other and my abdominal area was very bunched up!
As I persevered my weekly sessions, my sciatica slowly disappeared! What a pleasure not to live in constant pain any more! My S-bend spine that had been set tight in a 45 degree curvature for 50 odd years started to shift - first the upper curve straightened and flattened and then the lower section started to shift!
My posture improved! My shoulders became level! My leg length leveled!
I am now standing evenly on my 2 feet! Something the average human being takes for granted and I yearned to do all my life!
So... What has Integrated Bodywork done for me? It has given me a new lease on life, allowed me to sit through a movie without squirming in pain, given me a better body self-image and made me feel 10 foot tall!
Thank You!”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“A naturopath I consulted in 1998 about an auto-immune disorder insisted that I see an IB practitioner as well. At the time, I considered that to be a ‘grudge purchase’, since I did not understand, or believe in, the interconnectedness of all my various health issues and I had tried various mainstream and alternative modalities over many years without much success.

I had been diagnosed with scoliosis of the thoracic area of my spine in my mid teens, had worn a corset for some time, then had been diagnosed with one leg being slightly shorter than the other and been told, that the solution was to wear a built-up shoe to compensate. This I refused to do and pretty much ignored the situation, visiting massage- and physio-therapists when necessary to manage the pain.

In 1986 I was involved in a car accident, which resulted in fractures of c2 and c3 vertebrae – a ‘broken neck’. Fortunately, there was no displacement and my spinal cord remained intact. A miserable year of traction braces, hard & soft collars and extensive rehab followed. Thereafter, I added serious lower back pain, sciatica and debilitating migraines to my list of ailments, all of which were treated separately.

Then, in 1997, I developed severe ongoing pain in my hands and feet, for which I consulted a specialist. He diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, which is not what I wanted to hear, so I commissioned a second opinion. That was even worse (lupus), so I settled for the first and embarked on a very aggressive treatment regime, which was intended to halt the progression of the disease, but which made me very ill. To help me with that, I consulted the abovementioned naturopath.

It is now 11 years since my first appointment, I no longer see any of the specialists or that naturopath, but still visit my IB practitioner once a week – or more, if required. It has taken a long time, but I have not had a migraine or episode of sciatica in many years. I am officially in remission from the auto-immune disorder (apparently the experts now agree that there is a condition which they refer to as ‘rupus’, which accounts for all the symptoms I presented with) and pain- as well as medication- free in that regard.

Every now and then, things go so well, that I am ‘promoted’ to scheduling visits every second week and have managed to fit in some sport as well – carefully, of course. My measure of the success of my IB sessions is the absence of pain. My IB practitioner, of course, does not see it in that simplistic fashion, but I shall leave him to measure my progress in his own way – as long as the pain-free periods keep increasing, in frequency and/or duration, I am of the opinion that it’s all good.”

“A naturopath I consulted in 1998 about an auto-immune disorder insisted that I see an IB practitioner as well. At the time, I considered that to be a ‘grudge purchase’, since I did not understand, or believe in, the interconnectedness of all my various health issues and I had tried various mainstream and alternative modalities over many years without much success.

I had been diagnosed with scoliosis of the thoracic area of my spine in my mid teens, had worn a corset for some time, then had been diagnosed with one leg being slightly shorter than the other and been told, that the solution was to wear a built-up shoe to compensate. This I refused to do and pretty much ignored the situation, visiting massage- and physio-therapists when necessary to manage the pain.

In 1986 I was involved in a car accident, which resulted in fractures of c2 and c3 vertebrae – a ‘broken neck’. Fortunately, there was no displacement and my spinal cord remained intact. A miserable year of traction braces, hard & soft collars and extensive rehab followed. Thereafter, I added serious lower back pain, sciatica and debilitating migraines to my list of ailments, all of which were treated separately.

Then, in 1997, I developed severe ongoing pain in my hands and feet, for which I consulted a specialist. He diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, which is not what I wanted to hear, so I commissioned a second opinion. That was even worse (lupus), so I settled for the first and embarked on a very aggressive treatment regime, which was intended to halt the progression of the disease, but which made me very ill. To help me with that, I consulted the abovementioned naturopath.

It is now 11 years since my first appointment, I no longer see any of the specialists or that naturopath, but still visit my IB practitioner once a week – or more, if required. It has taken a long time, but I have not had a migraine or episode of sciatica in many years. I am officially in remission from the auto-immune disorder (apparently the experts now agree that there is a condition which they refer to as ‘rupus’, which accounts for all the symptoms I presented with) and pain- as well as medication- free in that regard.

Every now and then, things go so well, that I am ‘promoted’ to scheduling visits every second week and have managed to fit in some sport as well – carefully, of course. My measure of the success of my IB sessions is the absence of pain. My IB practitioner, of course, does not see it in that simplistic fashion, but I shall leave him to measure my progress in his own way – as long as the pain-free periods keep increasing, in frequency and/or duration, I am of the opinion that it’s all good.”

“A naturopath I consulted in 1998 about an auto-immune disorder insisted that I see an IB practitioner as well. At the time, I considered that to be a ‘grudge purchase’, since I did not understand, or believe in, the interconnectedness of all my various health issues and I had tried various mainstream and alternative modalities over many years without much success.

I had been diagnosed with scoliosis of the thoracic area of my spine in my mid teens, had worn a corset for some time, then had been diagnosed with one leg being slightly shorter than the other and been told, that the solution was to wear a built-up shoe to compensate. This I refused to do and pretty much ignored the situation, visiting massage- and physio-therapists when necessary to manage the pain.

In 1986 I was involved in a car accident, which resulted in fractures of c2 and c3 vertebrae – a ‘broken neck’. Fortunately, there was no displacement and my spinal cord remained intact. A miserable year of traction braces, hard & soft collars and extensive rehab followed. Thereafter, I added serious lower back pain, sciatica and debilitating migraines to my list of ailments, all of which were treated separately.

Then, in 1997, I developed severe ongoing pain in my hands and feet, for which I consulted a specialist. He diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, which is not what I wanted to hear, so I commissioned a second opinion. That was even worse (lupus), so I settled for the first and embarked on a very aggressive treatment regime, which was intended to halt the progression of the disease, but which made me very ill. To help me with that, I consulted the abovementioned naturopath.

It is now 11 years since my first appointment, I no longer see any of the specialists or that naturopath, but still visit my IB practitioner once a week – or more, if required. It has taken a long time, but I have not had a migraine or episode of sciatica in many years. I am officially in remission from the auto-immune disorder (apparently the experts now agree that there is a condition which they refer to as ‘rupus’, which accounts for all the symptoms I presented with) and pain- as well as medication- free in that regard.

Every now and then, things go so well, that I am ‘promoted’ to scheduling visits every second week and have managed to fit in some sport as well – carefully, of course. My measure of the success of my IB sessions is the absence of pain. My IB practitioner, of course, does not see it in that simplistic fashion, but I shall leave him to measure my progress in his own way – as long as the pain-free periods keep increasing, in frequency and/or duration, I am of the opinion that it’s all good.”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”

“If pain had been measured out of 10, mine was 15 on the scale when I arrived for my first Integrated Bodywork session. My hands, legs, hips, neck, arms, shoulders, feet, knees, ankles and especially my lower back were wracked with pain and the muscles were almost rigid. I was experiencing very little, if any sleep, and no bowel movements whatsoever, and was urinating on average twice a day. Doctors had diagnosed fibromyalgia…

Two sessions a week for 3 months – today my pain in ALL areas has been alleviated, except my lower back, which my practitioner tells me is “opening up” – but even the level of this pain shifts and changes as my body starts to reawaken.

My bowels and bladder started working within 2 sessions, although I had a slight hiccup along the way with regard to my bowels – they were stop-start but they appear to be back on track.

I am sleeping better – although I am having quite hectic dreams and at one stage I went through quite an emotional upheaval, which seems to have settled down.

All in all I am extremely grateful to IB – a day without pain is a miracle for me.”