I had the mishap to fall and did some damage to my ribs. The pain was so severe that my doctor wanted to put me on morphine. The A&E department at hospital was like a conveyor belt: I arrived, was examined and discharged. One morning the pain was so acute that I nearly dialled 999 for an emergency ambulance. However, thinking of my previous experience I telephoned a physiotherapist called Maureen Bennett whom I have known for many years. Maureen was once the British judo champion and when she retired from competition she became the physiotherapist to the British Olympic athletic team and then moved into private practise. If any one should know about falls it is Maureen. She examined me and diagnosed that I had fractured a rib and torn muscle and probably ligament. She applied strapping to me so that my ribs were held firm and for the first time in over a week I was able to sit down and stand up without nearly passing out with the pain. A good friend of mine has been suffering for months with what the doctors diagnosed as the early stages of arthritis. Maureen diagnosed that he had a vertebrae out of kilter and started treating him. The result is that his quality of life is starting to improve. There is magic in her hands. read more