TWO years ago Eddie Cauchie was reduced to shuffling around painfully due to Parkinson’s disease.

Today the former postman is physically agile and his confidence has returned.

Eddie, 72, credits his new lease of life to trainer and therapist Neil Smith, whose innovative use of new treatments has improved the quality of life for Eddie and many other patients.

Neil, 34, is the managing director of Fitbank Health Group in Westhoughton.

His mission to bring comfort to others was borne from his time as a personal trainer.

“I realised that helping fix injuries gave me a huge amount of fulfilment. I like to find new and different ways of alleviating people’s pain. It gives me a big buzz to help transform people’s lives,” he said.

As well as helping 10 clients who have Parkinson’s, Neil also treats those with MS and other painful conditions.

“I’m not saying I can cure them but I can make them feel a lot better.”

Parkinson’s disease affects the sensory nerves, leaving them like disconnected wires, and Neil explained how helped Eddie overcome this.

“He attends the same church as me and I noticed he was having difficulty walking to the altar. Then he stopped going to church and I found out it was because of the Parkinson’s,” said Neil, a former footballer who has played for Bolton, Sheffield, Oldham, Canada. “It upset me and I wanted to help him.”

Twenty years ago, Neil qualified as a vibration plate instructor. He researched the science behind them and learned about how they open up muscle cells and veins to get blood flowing. They use all the muscles in the body and, effectively, trick the body into believing it is moving even while stationary. To counteract the effect, users try to stop themselves from ‘moving’ by using the body’s core.

Neil realised that the vibration plates, used by many top athletes, could have hugely beneficial effects for sufferers like Eddie.

“You stand on the plates and they send vibrations through your body which means your muscles are vibrating 35 times a second. It stimulates your muscles and makes them fire a lot quicker, imitating the same effect that you’d get from a long walk.

“When Eddie steps off the plate he can walk normally and is able to exercise without pain too. He’s able to pull his own weight on the rope equipment and he shows people his medication because they can’t believe he’s got Parkinson’s.

“We are also able to do work on his gait and he can side-step and take steps of greater sizes, rather than shuffling.

“He’s still going to have good days and bad days but his life is nothing like it was.”

Eddie, of Cherwell Road, said: “It’s really improved my walking abilities, I don’t shuffle around any more. My body used to ‘freeze’ a lot and my wife even had to push me to get me going again!

“Now, I can walk better, move smoothly and play with and chase my 12 grandchildren.”

Ali Jackson, 30, of Sale, is another client whose life has been transformed by Neil.

“I had a trampolining accident when I was 16 and a few years afterwards I started getting horrific pains going through my ribs.“I’d spend weeks in bed with the pain, and I often collapsed in agony on the rare occasions I’d venture out. It affected my choice of career, my social life and my confidence.”

Ali saw specialist after specialist but none of them could identify the cause of her pain, let alone alleviate it.

“They’d give me morphine and put me on strong painkillers but it didn’t help because when the effects wore off my body felt even worse.”

It was only when her concerned brother bought her a session with Neil that Ali’s life changed for the better.

Neil spent nine months monitoring Ali, and investigating which specific movements caused her most pain.

“He was able to work out that my accident had caused my body to go into shock. My nerves had been crushed and hadn’t repaired normally.”

Since undergoing rehabilitation sessions with Neil, Ali says she has been “liberated”.

“I feel like I’ve got control of my life back. Beforehand, I couldn’t even go on a train because it left me in agony. Thanks to what Neil has done for me I’ve finally been able to cuddle my little nephew and been on a plane, which would have been unthinkable in the past.

“When I first met Neil I was very negative, in fact the first thing I said to him was that he wouldn’t be able to do anything for me, but I was wrong.”

Neil also uses vibration rollers - a more portable version of the plates - for patients who need treatment for their hands or specific muscles.

Another form of treatment that Neil uses is Fitlights.These are laser lights that can be arranged on the floor or ceiling.

Clients are trained to touch each light as it flashes, with either their feet, or hands, or both. The speed of the lights can be adjusted depending on the patient’s progress.

“They develop movement, co-ordination, reaction, cognition and physical response,” explained Neil. “By focussing on the task, clients aren’t thinking about pain or discomfort.”

“They are re-learning how to control their muscles without even realising it.”

To contact Neil, please call 01942 386200.

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