Sitting in a chair seems to be much less dangerous than playing rugby or sky-diving and yet this is where many people cause themselves pain and injury.

Office workers can spend up to a 3rd of their lives sitting at a desk hunched up, hands hovering over a keyboard, neck craning at a screen.

The body – which is designed for flowing, graceful movement and in fact thrives and is kept healthy by that movement – struggles to cope.  Uncomfortable postures get repeated day after day and slowly lead to discomfort and pain.

We osteopaths at the Garry Trainer clinic see a lot of office workers complaining of spinal and shoulder pain caused by office posture, which is why we often try to target it at source – with Healthy Desk Posture Self-Assessment  By giving advice at the desk on little things like screen and seat height and simple exercises that encourage some movement over the course of the day we can avoid you needing to see us at the clinic.

Usually only small adjustments need to be made and, in the same way that the small habits of bad posture cause problems over the long term, with these small adjustments it is hoped we can also bring benefit in the long term.

Click on this link to go back to Office Health & Safety Days.

“I hate him. He’s so good, even I can’t get a massage with him these days” – Garry Trainer

A massage therapist for 5 years and currently in his final year of a Degree at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine. What does massage do? Click HERE more.

- reduces the risk of injury by improving mobility

- corrects posture

- improves skin condition & treats headaches

- improves joint and muscle function

- improves circulation, releases of tension

Usually these issues arise from muscle stiffness, loss of flexibility and chronic shortening of muscle, leading to reduction in range of movement. This is often caused by overuse of particular muscle groups, repetitive strain injury, poor posture, lack of exercise or over-training.

In addition, he offers massage for specific medical conditions, pre- and post-event massage (for sporting events) and pre- and post-rehabilitation (from surgery).

You can book in with Erik on Wednesday & Thursdays (late afternoon/eve) and Friday, Saturday & Sunday (all day).

When he’s not at his North London osteopathy clinic fixing people’s backs, Garry Trainer finds himself wherever there’s an ocean with the international surfing community.

Why? He’s the Chairman of WaveJet Europe. What’s that?

A brand new innovation in surfboard technology. It’s a jet propulsion system that allows you to move through the water faster.  It’s a new way to enjoy the water.

What’s different about the WaveJet surfboard?

There’s never been a surfboard with a propulsion unit. Traditionally you had paddle, paddle, paddle in order to get out to the waves – it was a lot of hard work over and over again. Now you have a wristband on which you push a button to get a short burst of energy to speed you out to the waves.

Who uses it?

It was originally for surfers and surfing instructors as a way of conserving energy but it’s also a fun-board for all the family and the kids. You don’t have to go surfing. You can just ride around a lagoon or a harbour if you want. It’s passive, gentle, quiet and environmentally friendly. Not macho and noisy like a jet-ski.

So not just for surfers then?

No. Its for everyone who loves the water – just rent a board for the day and do what you like.

Really importantly though, it’s a huge step forward for Surf Life-Saving as it massively speeds up the time for lifeguards to rescue someone from drowning. Not to mention, people with disabilities in their limbs will find it much easier. Check out this video of Jesse Billauer who I met in Hawaii recently.

What do surfers think about all this?

Paddling out there will always be the purist surfer’s way, but we think of it as similar to how the ski-lift revolutionised skiing. Before that, you had to climb up the mountain on foot.

Have a look at WaveJet’s win at the Edison Awards.

What do The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre, Gwyneth Paltrow, Coldplay, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jnr, Jude Law, Brad Pitt, Colin Jackson, Emma Thompson, Robbie Williams, George Michael, Lisa Snowdon, Kevin Spacey, Derek Jacobi, Imelda Staunton and Sir Paul McCartney all have in common?

The answer is they have all suffered from back pain and are just a few of a growing number of celebrated clients  that turn to Garry Trainer for treatment – recognised  by The Times newspaper as “Britain’s Top Back Specialist”

Garry, a proud New Zealander at heart has been practising in the UK for over 30 years. He is recognised as a pioneer and one of the foremost practitioners of complementary therapy – massage, acupuncture and osteopathy (the MAO™ technique) – with clinics in Harley Street, Mayfair and Primrose Hill in London, Cardiff and now in the George V Spa in Doha.

A Sporting Life Ends:  A Healing Life begins

In his teens, Garry was a superb sportsman, particularly in surfing and rugby. But his career was cut short at 17; his back was nearly broken in a terrible rugby accident. When he came round in hospital the first thing he saw was a wheelchair next to his bed.   Doctors confirmed his injuries were serious and that he might not walk again. But Garry didn’t give up. After 18 months in recovery he reconsidered his future, got back to his feet and realised that being mobile and free of pain could be the most important thing in life. He first trained as a nurse at Auckland General Hospital and then came to the UK in the late 70s.  He studied acupuncture at The London School of Chinese Medicine and osteopathy at The Andrew Stills College of Osteopathy.  Impressed at how these treatments had helped him with the recurring back pain following his accident, he decided with the zeal of a convert that others should benefit too.

The Garry Trainer MAO™ Technique Pain Relief Programme

Garry believes his success has been based on combining Massage, Osteopathy and Acupuncture with conventional diagnostic techniques. Garry believes that, in combination or in isolation, Massage,  Acupuncture and Osteopathy can treat a host of ailments successfully without resorting to medication and feels proud of the fact that he has had many successful results where conventional medicine has failed. Garry says:  ‘Osteopathy and acupuncture are recognised and acknowledged complementary therapies. They really work. 20 years ago, these therapies were viewed with scepticism and doubt. There’s been a massive sea change. I’ve experienced it and am proud to be at the forefront of changing perceptions and pioneering these treatments which really do make a difference to people’s everyday lives and well-being.’

Massage

Hippocrates said that ‘Massage is the mother of all therapies and should be a cornerstone of any good clinic’. Garry offers deep tissue, sports and massage for relaxation.  Massage can be inconsistent and standards vary. What he guarantees is consistency of effectiveness.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a drug-free way to relieve pain and is surprisingly relaxing. The insertion of fine acupuncture needles is usually painless. If you are needle-phobic, there are other ways to stimulate the acu-points – electricity, heat, laser or fingertip pressure may be used. As it is so gentle, acupuncture is an ideal treatment choice for the elderly.

Osteopathy

Osteopathy is a hands-on manual therapy technique concentrating on the spine and other joints of the body. The underlying premise of osteopathy is that structure governs function. If the structure is twisted or compressed the blood and nerve supply to every organ and function of the body is impeded causing a host of ailments

Garry has also written and published two books; “The No-Nonsense Guide to a Healthy Back” and “Back Chat – the Ultimate Guide to Healing and Preventing Back Pain”.  Now living in Marlow, England, Garry divides his time between five clinics; three in London, one at The Vale Hospital, Cardiff and now at the George V Spa in Doha, Qatar.

‘Often people get down off my table, liberated from their pain. Treatment is instinctive to me. I just listen carefully to my patients and follow with my instincts to come up with what is required. I suppose I’m a bespoke practitioner. No two treatments are the same. It’s a very rewarding and satisfying feeling to be able to help others who are suffering and in pain.’

Garry Trainer, Doha, 28th January 2012

UK Back Statistics

 ‘My approach is an exceptional combination acting upon the skeletal, muscular and nervous systems and acts as a natural source of pain relief releasing endorphins (which have a similar chemical structure and effect as morphine) therefore bypassing the need for many conventional drugs.’

Our Massage Packages offer significant discounts on our regular prices.

Massage Packages currently on offer:

• £110 for 2 x 1 hour massages – saving £10
• £150 for 3 x 1 hour massages – saving £30
• £430 for 10 x 1 hour massages – saving £170

(Usual prices: 30 minute massage – £35 / 60 minute massage – £60)

GTC offers deep tissue massage, sports massage and massage for relaxation.

We can either give you gift vouchers for each massage or we can create an account for the recipient with a paid credit.

Sir Antony Sher on his osteopath, Garry Trainer

Sir Antony Sher first met Garry Trainer when he took the title role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1984 production of Richard III. It sounds like a tidy little irony – a humpbacked king and an osteopath – but it wasn’t. In fact, Sher knew exactly what he was doing.
“Richard III ends up crippling a lot of the actors who play him,” he explains. “It’s the third-biggest part in Shakespeare, he’s an enormously energetic character, and however you play his disability, you’re holding yourself in some kind of twisted position. I made the decision early on that I would take a preventative approach.”

Trainer arrived in London from New Zealand in the late Seventies to study osteopathy and acupuncture. He hoped to work with sports teams, but found they were sceptical of what were then viewed as unconventional methods. Sher was more open-minded.
“It was the phone call that changed my life,” says Trainer, who is tanned, tall and unmistakably Antipodean. “Normally you get one call and it’s for one treatment. I got one call that was, ‘Please can you come in three nights a week?’ for however many months the run was. My knowledge of Shakespeare was almost nil. I didn’t know who Tony was. I didn’t know who Richard III was.”

But the day of each performance, Trainer would arrive and treat Sher, who went on to earn an Olivier Award for his performance. It didn’t take long before other actors at the RSC, and then beyond, saw the advantages of having someone keep an eye on their moving parts.
“Suddenly, I was quite busy,” grins Trainer.

“Didn’t you do Ben Kingsley when he did a run of Othello?” asks Sher. “Sorry, Sir Ben Kingsley. You have to be careful about that…”
“I know. Someone once said I’ve treated more knights than sat at the Round Table…”

Since establishing his own practice, other patients have included Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Derek Jacobi, Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Thompson. He has toured with George Michael and has just returned from doing a world tour with Depeche Mode.
“Every two weeks, they would fly me out for five days’ intensive treatment. Depeche Mode like a good massage for relaxing, but even more relaxing is acupuncture. They use it to calm down.”

Trainer explains the different sounds patients’ joints can make. “Pings” are the little noises that anyone can produce by stretching their bodies, but “thuds” are the satisfying, dull sounds of release, which show that synovial fluid is being sucked back into the joints. “When I’m working with a patient and I hear that noise, it’s great,” he says dreamily.

Sher explains how he has had niggling problems with his back for some years. “I remember when I was doing Macbeth in Stratford. I rang Garry, because my back had gone during the big fight. And this man jumped in his car, drove to Stratford, treated me, and then drove back to London.” They both chuckle at the memory.

“I read once that if people describe their symptoms in flowery ways, there’s a good chance there is a psychosomatic influence,” says Trainer. “Actors describe things that way all the time. But I love working with them. They have this fantastic expression, ‘The show must go on!’ They always want to get back on stage,” he smiles. “It makes me look very good.”

Hi I’m Idris. I’m an ex professional dancer, with a special interest in sports and dance related injuries. As well osteopathic manipulation, I use a lot of acupuncture and functional biomechanics in my treatment and rehabilitation. I consider myself an all rounder, but recently I have had particular success with disc and knee injuries.

Paola Ceccarelli

Hi, I’m Paola and I’m a qualified yoga teacher and osteopath. I love working with children and babies, including cranial osteopathy. I have had success treating babies as young as 1 week old to address possible strains following the birth process.

I also have a strong interest in treating stress related conditions such as neck and shoulder tension and recurrent headaches. One of my areas of expertise is addressing postural imbalances and lifestyle-incorporating yoga-based exercises and breathing, stretching as part of my treatment plan.

Justin Owen

A former rower and rugby player, I became interested in osteopathy when successfully treated for chronic neck pain after being injured in a motorcycle accident.  I’ve always been fascinated by osteopathy’s balance of complimentary medicine with science.

I have worked in a variety of clinical settings, and treated patients of all ages including expectant mothers and children.  My particular interest is in treatment of the neck, shoulder and the lower limb.

Dora Hotzi

I qualified originally as a Physiotherapist in 2005. Since then I completed a Masters degree in Osteopathy and post-graduate courses in medical acupuncture and applied functional science.

Using conventional physiotherapy, osteopathic techniques and acupuncture as well as functional exercises tailored to the client’s individual needs to maintain the treatment’s effects, I treat a large variety of musculo-skeletal conditions. Although my special interest is in sports rehabilitation, injury prevention and post-operative rehabilitation, I enjoy working with a wide variety of patients.

Erik Inarra

My area of expertise is in sports and deep-tissue massage: a great way to reduce muscular tension and stress.

What’s that good for? Neck, back & shoulder stiffness and pain, tension headaches, lower back pain, muscular corrections, stretching and postural advice for both sporting and remedial therapy.

I have a sporting background in Swimming mainly and am currently in his last year of a degree in Osteopathy.

Garry Trainer

I believe that, in combination or in isolation, osteopathy, acupuncture and massage can treat a host of ailments successfully without resorting to medication.

I feel proud of the fact that I have had many successful results where conventional medicine has failed.

Hope’s work is based in Calcutta where over 250,000 children are forced to exist on the streets. These children live in abandoned buildings, cardboard boxes, parks or on the street itself. To survive, they engage in some kind of economic activity, ranging from begging to vending. Most are denied access to education and to health care.

Hope targets the root causes of the children’s problems by improving community support services and by providing access to basic education and health care. We have a simple philosophy – listen to what a community knows it needs, empower them to make the necessary changes themselves and ensure absolute sustainability.

There are many ways you can help, for example, sponsoring a child’s education, volunteering in Calcutta on our projects, coming to one of our events or donating even small amounts of time or money. Your help will allow us to continue to give these street children back their childhood.

For more information please see our website www.thehopefoundation.org.uk, or email info@thehopefoundation.org.uk
Registration number SC038809