I have been a physio since 2000, so have seen a lot of patients in the NHS and clients in private practice. In private practice people have usually been to their GPs and if they were referred for physio, the wait to get to see physio can be a month or more. Or it maybe that they saw the physio for their 20minute session and were given a diagnosis and a sheet of exercises which did not solve their problem. So then they may try chiropractors, osteopaths, sports or massage therapists and still not get the pain relief or to understand their symptoms fully.
This is usually where I come in.

I have been a Senior Physio in the Pain Management Department in the NHS so I am used to seeing people with long term complex problems. I have worked in an Multiple Sclerosis Centre as the main physio for 15 years (20 years in all) so I know the long term progression of neurological problems. I have been in private practice for over twenty years so I know what generally works for what and how to explain complex problems to my clients in a way that their consultants may not have.

My sessions are 45mins sometimes more, so there is time to listen to a persons’ story and also to start treatments and give appropriate exercises and stretches as necessary.

More importantly I can do the neck and shoulder massage or back massage not just from a physio perspective but from many massage (and other) approaches I have trained in to advanced levels.

So when you come for you first session, do not expect for your ten years of back pain to be cleared in the first session – although this has happened on several occasions. Instead expect to get a LOT of information in the first session on your particular issue and many ways to address each aspect.

It is sensible to make provision for 3 sessions initially. The first session will be 1/2 listening to your story so bring lists of medications and a time line of different accidents, injuries and illnesses that maybe relevant and results of x-rays, scans and other investigations.

Also bring a notebook or put notes direct into your phone and have your smartphone ready to record the exercises and stretches that Michael may give you to try out to see if they help.

Michael will review these exercises in your second session to make sure you are doing them correctly and whether you need to ease off a little or progress to a more advanced version.

In the second session the hands on treatments and or the Laser/Infra Red treatments will go more in depth and your body will begin to relax more now it knows what to expect.

In the third session we will clear up any further questions you may have. Make sure the exercises and stretches are effective and working optimally to reduce your symptoms, to improve your stability, balance, strength and fitness. The bodywork will get a bit deeper again so don’t plan too much for after the session.

After this, some people need ongoing support, some enjoy the bodywork or Laser treatments so much they will come back fortnightly, monthly or every few months just to keep up with improvements or get the deep relaxation and integration that they are looking for.

During a bodywork session, do not be surprised to recognise elements of the Bowen Technique, Zero Balancing, Myofascial Release, Trigger point work, acupressure or other modalities as Michael will use whatever he feels will be of most help.

Although Michael has trained in Hypnotherapy he doesn’t practice this with clients at present but may suggest some such therapeutic approach like EMDR if it may be of use. He has trained in many other approaches from Higher Brain work (bodywork, breathwork and energetic activations) to Neurolink (with a basis in Applied Kinesiology), breathwork and energy-work with many interesting healers and although he doesn’t use these fully in his sessions anymore, his work continues to be informed by them.

Mike has been working with The Thor Pro System since 2020, one of the highest technologies in Pain Relief, Soft tissue repair, Nerve (neurogenic) pain relief, even resolving old wounds or recent ones to get better wound and scar healing!

See the amazing results from the testimonials on THOR Laser.com.

Laser Healing
Lasers can be used to resolve trigger points in muscles and with the THOR Laser Max, Mike can work on resolving issues by finding and treating sore points in muscles (using his knowledge of acupuncture and using the acu-locator laser) and use Red Light and Infrared clusters to improve lymphatics, reduce inflammation even improve stem cell production to more fully heal whatever needs to be worked on.

It’s also very useful for diagnosing musculo-skeletal issues by seeing on the machine where there are higher points of electrical resistance, and can also monitor how this changes during a session and over sessions which is something acupuncture or bodywork cannot do.

Michael has been a physio for 25 years and has a steady flow of people with;

Shoulder problems (usually rotator cuff strains),
Back problems (often lower back muscle strains or between the shoulder blades),
Hip issues (often ilio-psoas or long term arthritis),
Neck pain (sudden onset or postural),
Knee pain (often cartilage from injury),

And much more, from respiratory problems (asthma, COPD), migraines, foot pain, (often plantar fasciitis), and much more.

I have seen each of these so often.  In terms of treatment, I use,

Massage/trigger points/some myofascial/acupuncture for pain relief/ Bowen Technique/Cranio-Sacral/Breathwork/Therapeutic Ultrasound/ Neurostimulation with electrotherapy, also, I have used elements of Hypnotherapy, NLP and Coaching occassionally.

Besides treatments though, I also give exercises that you can continue at home and a lot of advice which may involve discussion of de-stressing, breathwork, complementary approaches, understanding medications, diet, supplementation and psychotherapeutic approaches – So be prepared to make some notes :).

These help to understand psychological and emotional elements surrounding some physical issues. This is the Holistic side of the Physiotherapy that I offer and provides a contrast with the NHS Physio these days, that only has time to offer a diagnosis and sheet of exercises.

In the NHS we would be given three to six sessions to help people and I would still recommend considering the same number of sessions depending on the severity or acute/chronic nature of your problem.

I can usually give people a lot of reassurance and interpret/debunk what they have been told by their doctors, consultants or other therapists.

So I would call myself a generalist.

I used to specialise in Multiple Sclerosis, Strokes and other Neurological conditions (see NeuroPhysio under Services), but nowadays I generally have something to offer for all conditions whether it be motivation, understanding the mind-body connection, or just the basics of recovering after injury or surgery.

Book an appointment with Michael on 07956 409300.

We are very lucky in this country to have the NHS. 
When someone has a stroke, they are taken to hospital where they are managed by a medical team who hopefully manage and stabilise their condition.  Then it is up to the Physiotherapy team to help get them up and back on their feet, hopefully with intensive daily therapy until they are at least up and walking with a stick and are able to be discharged home.

This, in my experience is when the real problems start, when the person who has had the stroke and their families have to deal with the massive change.  The Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Therapists and Physiotherapists may well come and give a few more visits, hopefully at home but then the progress can just stop.

The NHS doesn’t have the resources to continue treating people indefinitely even if continued therapy would be really useful and improve that person’s quality of life considerably.

This is where private Neuro Physio comes in and there is not much out there.  If you were lucky enough to be insured then you will get extra sessions of physio usually at the local private hospital.

In my experience there is inevitably a shortfall of support, good advice, and ongoing strategies and programmes in place or on hand to help the individuals affected and their families, assimilate the changes in their lives and strive to reach their highest potential in terms of the fullest recovery.

In some cases I have referred clients on for counselling and even hypnotism to relieve their anxieties and trauma, in others I have found them appropriate ankle (knee/wrist/hand) braces to help with foot/drop (where the person due to weakness has trouble lifting up their toes during walking) and other aids or discussed other issues which may arise.  The key thing is offering a holistic and experienced service to people who are trying to recover the best they can.

In the MS Centre where I am mainly based, I ran Positivity for Health groups for years as I feel that a positive mental attitude is crucial for us to achieve our goals.  We discussed many modalites and techniques from meditation to nutrition and we all have gained a great deal of support from it.

OvercomingMultipleSclerosis.org is a great source of info for those with MS but also for anyone who wants to see some great research and advice on nutrition for optimal health.

I am particularly interested in Functional Medicine’s approach to assessing, informing and treating regarding our finding the road to our fullest health.  The most recent book along these lines is ‘Beat Autoimmune’ by Palmer Kippola (I’ve linked the podcast from Dr Pompa above).

Michael has worked with people with MS in the South West MS Therapies Centre in Exeter since 2004.

He has seen how people can improve, maintain or decline with their symptoms over a decade or more.

Most of the people he sees on a regular basis are wanting to keep as fit as possible, to keep on top of any symptoms they may have and to address musculoskeletal problems, especially tightness, spasm, stress, balance, strengthening, joint and muscle imbalance, core stability, pelvic floor strengthening and to help with the pain.

For fatigue and brain fog, Michael has found that regular breathing exercises and the Higher Brain Living sessions can help and many find the Hyperbaric Oxygen can give a good energy boost as well as help with bladder problems and sleeping.

At the MS Centre there is a great well-equipped gym with parallel bars, wall bars, treadmill, Balance-master, VibroGym, Active-Passive exercise bikes to exercise arms or legs (can even be used from a wheelchair), LEVO Chair (which can stand people up straight from a sitting position and much more.

Michael has run Positivity for Health groups over the years which has demonstrated the importance of a positive mental attitude with MS as well as life in general. Also there was an OMS weekly group that was helpful in motivating and clarifying the work of Dr George Jelinek with extensive advice regarding supplements (especially Vit D) and diet.

It was 20 years ago that my first rotation as a student physio brought me to what I felt was the most rewarding of jobs for a Physiotherapist.  When someone has a stroke, which is a bleed or a blockage in the brain, it dramatically and suddenly changes their life.  They may be left with significant brain damage, with any level of disability from being bedridden for the rest of their life or with one side of their body paralysed (hemiplegia) or a slight limp or loss of fine, precise movement in one hand.

After the person wakes up in the hospital it might take a few days for them to be assessed to see what damage has occurred in the brain and whether it was a bleed or a blockage (which affects what meds are appropriate).

Once the swelling reduces from the brain injury and or the bleed is under control, it is up to the physios to get the person up out of bed and get walking again.

The others in the team are the consultant, doctor, occupational therapist, social worker, and of course, the nurses.

In 2006 Mike had read one of Dr Stan Grof’s books and was delighted to find out he was running a six day workshop in Drogheda, Ireland just down the road from my mother-in- law so he booked on and had his mind blown! Connected breathing for three hours at a time is jumping in at the deep end, but the rewards ,insights, and understandings were well worth it. From Dr Grof’s teachings on the ‘Psychology of the Future’ and the experience of the Breathing with about 50 others from all over the world with booming world music, to Stan and his team of angels making sure everyone was okay. This was followed by drawing mandalas to integrate the experience and the increase in synchronicities for hours afterwards was amazing and of course the sharing and hearing others very varied experiences.