A BUNGLED operation left Hong Kong registered nurse Debi Zacharia with major nerve injury to her lower back. She couldn't walk for three months, and was still suffering chronic pain 21/2 years later.
Zacharia sought relief in all sorts of ways. 'I'd been to multiple practitioners from many specialities, including Chinese medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, physiotherapy, chiropractic, orthopaedic and neurology.' she says. 'I even went to England for a consultation about a procedure where they burn the nerve so it can no longer transmit pain.'
Eventually, Zacharia was referred to physiotherapist Caroline Rhodes - and at last she found relief. Rhodes is founder of the Body Group and a practitioner of a technique called Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT). After five sessions, Zacharia says her pain eased by about 75 per cent.
Developed 30 years ago in the US by physiotherapist Sharon Weiselfish-Giammatteo, IMT is based on a view that most health issues are due to so-called blockages in the body.
Practitioners use gentle palpation to check the health of all parts of the body, including the lymphatic system, organs, muscles and bones. In this way, they say they can locate the source of pain and help the body heal itself.
Weiselfish-Giammatteo recently visited Hong Kong to give a lecture and host a workshop for local health professionals. A fit and healthy athlete, Weiselfish-Giammatteo graduated with a degree in physical therapy in 1970 and began work in a neurological unit at one of New York's biggest hospitals.