n ON THE TREATMENT TABLE Welcome back Luke, let’s walk on the moon!

IT’S time to open up the honours list at the clinic – for a very deserving cause.

We’re celebrating a huge success story for sports therapist Luke Almond, who has now graduated as a fully-fledged chiropractor.

For the last two years, Luke has not only overcome the challenge of commuting from Bristol to Bournemouth so he can study and still work for us but also, despite being partially sighted, he’s passed all of his exams with flying colours.

The masters degree conversion to chiropractic is considered to be one of the hardest vocational graduate entry courses in the country. It squeezes three years of typical learning time into two, with a huge emphasis on practical skills.

Both Catherine and I, from the clinic, are associate lecturers at the AECC University College in Bournemouth. From talking to the staff there, we know that

Luke made a huge impact on the course and was considered to be an all-round star in every aspect.

So now that Luke has attained his grades, he can start back with us properly in August, after a welldeserved short break, of course.

Talking of stellar achievements, let’s look at a piece of kit that can make you feel like you’re walking on the moon…

During a day in July, our Alter-G – an anti-gravity running machine that gives you a superb feeling of weightlessness – was out of action for its annual service. Despite this, we managed to squeeze all the patients into the day after, but it did create a busy time.

First up was a former Bristol Rovers player who got in early so he could zip off for training in a whole other city. He is recovering from a severe injury, a fractured and dislocated ankle suffered during a game. The anti-gravity environment is the perfect way for him to rehabilitate. He was able to start walking at just 20 per cent of his body weight and now, nine weeks later, he’s running at 90 per cent and looking forward to a return to full training soon.

Next up was one of my patients who has experienced mixed fortunes after knee replacement surgery. He’s been having treatment that includes mobilisation, manipulation, shockwave and soft tissue therapy – as well as regular sessions on the Alter-G.

After just a couple of months his knee pain is significantly reduced, his range of motion is fab and he can walk five times faster on the treadmill than he could at the beginning. It’s such a great tool to watch as patients make progress.

The next person I want to mention came to see us after being completely immobile for two years following a serious accident. Their only previous ‘go’ on the Alter-G had not been too successful and they had ached for a few days afterwards. Currently they can only walk around 0.5 km per hour. Over the next couple of months, however, I expect that we will be able to help them progress from their current shuffle to a proper walk.

This is what we do best at the clinic. We aim to improve quality of life, help with mobility issues and often – dare I say it – make you feel younger again. Too often people are left to rot on waiting lists and just told to take pain killers.

Every life is important. We can’t cure everything or everyone, but we can try to help – the first thing is just to listen and then formulate a plan.

Maybe you, too, need some time ‘walking on the moon’ to restore your confidence. Come and give it a try!