A.J.M Birnie F.R.C.S
Orthopaedic Surgeon
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I am a fully trained orthopaedic surgeon and was appointed consultant at Durham and Sunderland in 1971.
Even before I became a consultant I was aware that the methods used to treat neck and back problems by the N.H.S. left a great deal to be desired. As a result, I went on courses to learn manipulative and injection techniques and later studied the techniques of osteopaths and chiropractors.
Apart from relatively recent sprains, nearly half of all neck problems can be cured by manipulation, as can many of the pains that develop between the shoulder blades. Unfortunately only a small proportion of low back troubles respond to manipulation.
In 1979 I stumbled on Trigger Point Therapy (see multiple papers on Trigger Points on Google). Using trigger point therapy produced much better results than I had previously achieved. I have continued to use it virtually every day since then.
Because of disappointing results I gave up using the N.H.S. physiotherapy service about twenty years ago and concentrated on personally treating all my patients myself.
Some people seem to feel that nearly every low back problem is due to disc trouble. On the contrary, only about 5% of low back and leg pains are due to disc problems.
Some low back symptoms are due to joint problems other than discs. These frequently respond to manipulation.
However, the vast majority of low back problems and over 50% of neck problems are due to trigger point trouble in or on the surface of the muscles, ligaments and the capsules of the facet joints. I have developed a technique for clearing these which has proved highly successful.
I have taught this to my daughter Fiona Birnie who has a B.Sc in Physiology and Honours degrees in Osteopathy and Naturopathy. She has her own practice at Red Gables, Browney Lane, Browney, Durham, DH7 8HU. Tel07967 041226 - and at 8 Grange Terrace, Stockton Road, Sunderland, SR2 7DF. Tel 0191 5100555.
Many of the pains in buttocks, hips and groins, frequently described as "arthritis of the hip" are due to the same type of problem and can be cured by the same techniques.
Similarly many of the so-called "arthritis" pains in knees, shoulders, elbows etc. are due to trigger point problems in the surrounding soft tissues and can be cured by our techniques.
Similar problems frequently persist around the sites of healed fractures, sprained ankles etc. and can be cured by the same techniques.
Long-standing back and neck problems, other than those curable by manipulation, take a number of treatments to cure. Therefore, there is little point in waiting till a week before you go on holiday to pop along to a therapist in the hope that you can be free of trouble on holiday.
