History


John in 1974 on leave in AmsterdamJohn, as a Chief Petty Officer with the Royal Marines giving some physiotherapy

Clinical Profession

I have been involved in both orthodox medicine (physiotherapy) and complementary medicine for over 40years and have remained at the forefront of my chosen profession in the clinical field and education.

I spent my early years in general practice and sports medicine and was Hon. Physiotherapist to the British Amateur Athletic Board as well as to Combined Services Rugby and Royal Naval Rugby teams. Since branching out from sports medicine I have studied many different approaches to therapy and healing including acupuncture, acupressure, homoeopathy, reflexology, chakra energy healing, polarity therapy, biomagnetics, iridology, massage, manipulative therapy, reiki, naturopathy, radionics and cranio-sacral therapy.

Having this broad spectrum of knowledge, together with an orthodox background has given me great experience in many varied forms of analysis/diagnosis and hence the ability to ascertain the root cause of a condition and not just to palliate its symptoms.

I served in the Medical Branch of the Royal Navy from 1965 to 1979 when I worked in hospitals and on board ship (HMS Grenville) for a year. I spent the last five years of my service time as physiotherapist to the Royal Marines where acute medicine was encountered first hand. I also had a spell as head of the medical team at the Royal Tournament. Between 1979 and late 2002 I worked as a natural medicine consultant from my homes in Devon, Milton Keynes and Lincolnshire as well as in Harley Street, London.

I spent a year as Director of Therapies at Tyringham Naturopathic Clinic (near Milton Keynes) in the mid 90's and also had the good fortune to work at other practitioners' practices in London, Northampton, St. Neots and Louth. In January 2004 I took the decision to retire from full time clinical work due to on going aggravation with long term spinal problems. I gave up clinical work altogether at the end of 2011 just prior to cervical spinal fusion and decompression surgery. This has given me more time to write books and articles as well as teaching others the many unique ways of healing that I have devised. In October 2005 I was awarded a Fellowship of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for my work in the integration of professional complementary therapy into mainstream physiotherapy. I am presently the Chairman of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Energy Medicine (ACPEM) and am past President of the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) as well as having been Journal and Newsletter for 5 different Clinical Interest Groups.

I am devoted to the advancement of professional complementary medicine within the umbrella of physical therapy. My hobbies are classical music (especially Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Wagner), walking, model making and looking after our dog (named 'Bones'),sheep, hens, ducks, geese, love-bird and our 12 acre croft. I also serve on a local management committee. I have also been a Methodist Local Preacher since 1990 but have little opportunity in conducting worship in a remote part of the Scottish Isles where there are no Methodist chapels.

Lecturing

This began as far back as 1972 when I gave a talk on Sports Injuries to the local Physiotherapy Branch. Since then I have lectured at 6 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) annual conferences plus 16 CSP Specific Interest Group annual conferences. I have also lectured widely on the continent.

In 1979 I founded, with my wife Andrea (also a chartered and state registered physiotherapist), Moorlands Natural Medicine Teaching Centre at our home in Newton Abbot, Devon. I then commenced to specialize in running weekend experiential workshops for fellow professionals. These were mostly in acupressure and reflextherapy but diversified into radiesthesia, naturopathy and homoeopathy.

I have organised and taught at hundreds of workshops and seminars in most areas of the UK and Europe. For many years I have taught the 5/6-day workshop 'Healing with the Chakra Energy System'. This has undoubtedly influenced scores of delegates into changing their working practices. I took a break from giving workshops for the early part of 2002 whilst settling into a new lifestyle in Skye but commenced again in 2005. Up to now, I have concentrated on teaching post graduate courses to medical professionals. Click here for details


WritingView of John's house on the Isle of Skye looking out to the Western Isles

Writing

I have written hundreds of articles over the years on various aspects of healing for lay and professional publications. I was journal editor in both the sports medicine and acupuncture groups of the CSP for many years and have been the newsletter editor for the Cranio-Sacral Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. Non-physiotherapy publications include an article for Virgin publications called ‘The orthodox alternative' and one on 'Christian Healing' for the Guild of Health. I have recently had 2 articles published in the journal 'Spiritual Lifestyles' on 'Aspects of Energy Medicine' and 'Light Touch Reflextherapy'.

As most of you will realise, there is a huge gap between writing articles and books. In 1998, the medical editor of Butterworth Heinemann asked me to suggest titles in Professional Complementary Medicine. This resulted in the publication of 'Complementary Therapies for Physical Therapists' in 2000 for which I wrote 2 chapters. At the same time, I had been commissioned to write 2 books on Clinical Acupressure. These were published in 2000 and 2001. As from July 2007 I own the copyright for these two books. They are both now out of print.

My third book titled, 'Healing with the Chakra Energy System....Acupressure, Bodywork and Reflexology for Total Health' was published in October 2006. This describes in detail how the therapist can use the chakra energy system with acupressure, cranio-sacral therapy, reflexology and hands on/ off healing. The sequel to this book 'Acupuncture and the Chakra Energy System - Treating the Cause of Disease' was published in July 2008 in the USA and September 2008 in the UK.

An A4 size, spiral bound practical workbook entitled 'Reflected Energy Pathways - a practical workbook for physical therapists' was published on 20 March 2008. It includes acupoints and reflex points on the limbs, spine, abdomen, skull, face, tongue, teeth, ear, hands, feet and eyes. This is an absolute first!! A second reprint was carried out by Lotus Publishing in June 2009 containing all the same illustrations but with a different cover and binding.

In February 2009, Lotus Publications approached me to write ' The Concise Book of Acu-points'. This book was published in September 2010. I am currently writing a tome on 'Light Touch Reflextherapy' that will describe the many and various ways of using the reflexes of the body in healing. I hope to publish this in Spring 2012. This is to be followed by a booklet directed at the lay person indicating which acupoint and homeopathic remedy best fits acute ailments - no title yet!

The publication to follow this one is well into its planning stages and is to be titled, 'The Holistic Spine - Associations and Reflections'. It will describe the many varied reflected areas on the feet, hands, skull, temple, arm and leg and how to treat the spine via these reflected areas. It also deals with the many energy medicine aspects of spinal healing including Polarity Therapy, Spinal Chakras, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Endocrine and Autonomic Nerve influence, and the neural, organic and emotional associations at each level. My second clinical poster of the same name will enhance this publication. Click here for details. This book should be published by late 2012.

I shall also write a book on 'Clinical Acupressure and Reflextherapy in Musculo-Skeletal and Medical Conditions ' that represents a revamping of my first two books. The books will be completely rewritten and updated. It is hoped that this book will be published by the end of 2012.

DETAILS OF ALL THE ABOVE CAN BE FOUND UNDER 'PUBLICATIONS'

I think that there is a need for a good medical texbook covering the many aspects of MEDICAL DOWSING, using a pendulum, the fingers and the many Listening Posts on the body. Feedback from therapists (and potential book purchasers) is required please. Publishers need to know that the idea is a sound one and that the potential for sales is 'out there'.

Away from medicine, I have always been fascinated by the art forms that depict the Christian Cross. I have collected hundreds of examples over the years and would like to publish them in a booklet.

Who knows what will follow after that!! It has been suggested by many of my colleagues that I write a potted life history of the struggles that we had in the early 1970's in attempting to learn, practise and teach complementary therapies that were very much ahead of their time. It will include my life long struggle with a spinal deformity that has significantly influenced my life and chosen pathway. Above all, though it will be humorous and anecdotal, reflecting the fun side of medicine and the incredible things that people say and do. It may be called 'A life in the day of…'.

Watch this space!!