PHP Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /s101/home4/backcare/pages/t_pages/trustees-who-is-who.php:1) in /s101/home4/backcare/security/users.php on line 33
BackCare - Care for your Back
Andrew studied Physics and Chemistry at Manchester University and was awarded a First Class Honours Degree.
His research career began at the Royal Institution of Great Britain~ photophysics of small organic molecules
and van der Waals clusters. After Post Docs in California and Oxford he became Fellow of Physical Chemistry
at Jesus College, Oxford. Research into van der Waals clusters continued~ revealing structures and
intermolecular dynamics.
He is now the Director of Re: Liability (Oxford) Ltd advising insurers, NGOs, unions and the civil
services about civil liability risks associated with personal injury and environmental harm. Research
work into stress, deafness, whiplash injury, back pain and asbestos injuries has been influential.
Andrew was project manager for the FOM back pain guidelines. The main focus of the advice is on new and
emerging liability risks as indicated by evidence from science research and case law.
Frank Davies
Sir Frank Davies has a background in industry and has been Chairman or Director of several international
companies.
He served on Oxfordshire Health Authority for 10 years, most of it as Chairman of the Finance and Estates
Committee.When NHS Hospital Trusts were formed he became one of the first Chairman. His Trust was the
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust which was part of Oxford University Medical School. He held this
position for 8 years.
From 1993 to 1999 he was the Chairman of the Health & Safety Commission, the body which makes the
Health & Safety regulations and is responsible for the Health & Safety Executive which enforces their
regulations.He believes that there are too many regulations which either confuses industry or causes
small companies to give up trying to comply due to the complexity It is not surprising therefore that
during his term of office 40% of regulations were repealed.However at the same time the number of
fatalities in all industries reduced to half.
He served as Chairman of BackCare from 1999 until 2003.
Liz Dodgson
Liz has a BSc Psychology from York University (1982), a CNNA post Graduate Diploma in HR Management (1983)
and an MSc Human Resources Management 1984) both gained at Sheffield Hallam University.
Obtaining an Alexander Technique (AT) teaching diploma from the Constructive Teaching Centre in London
run by Walter Carrington in 2000, Liz is now a full time AT Teacher (STAT registered) running a
successful practice in Chiswick and has a special interest in working with AT and sports. Prior to this,
Liz had a career in business incorporating many years experience in Health and Safety, Training and
Development and Personnel Management in very diverse industries. Liz was Personnel Controller at BBC News
and Current Affairs between 1995 and 1997 followed by Personnel Director at William Hill from 1997 to1999.
Alan Gardner
Mr Gardner was born in Southampton, England and was educated at Oxford graduating from the Middlesex
Hospital Medical School, London in 1962.
After an overland journey from London to Bangkok in 1967 he received orthopaedic training in Hong Kong for
two years. On his return to the UK his orthopedic training was completed as Senior Registrar in Portsmouth,
Alton and Southampton.
In 1974 Mr Gardner wsa appointed consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with an interest in spinal disorders
in the South Essex Group of Hospitals practicising in the National Health Service and private sector.
Over the next 20 years Mr Gardner continued in a specialist spinal practice. Between 1990 and 2000
Mr Gardner carried out around 900 Graf stabilisation operations for intractable low back pain.
Mr Gardner has been an active member of many orthopaedic and Spinal Societies. From 1976 to 1986 he was
founding secretary and treasurer of the British Scoliosis Society, becoming President in 1997/8. From 1991
to 1996 he was on committees of the Scoliosis Research Society of North America and was the first overseas
chairman of a committee.
He was a founding member of the European Spinal Deformaties Society in 1983 becoming President from
1994-98. In 1997 he was visiting Professor of Spinal Surgery at the University of Denver.
Mr Gardner is also a Trustee and Council Member of BackCare, the leading charity in the back pain
field and of SAUK, the Scoliosis Association UK.
Having retired from active surgery, Mr Gardner continues as as Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon
specialising in personal spinal injury claims and is a member of the Society of Expert Witnesses in the
medico-legal field.
Mike McKiernan
Until 2003 Mike was Director of Occupational Policy at EEF (Engineering Employers’ Federation) where he
was responsible for the development and representation of national policy and best practice on Health,
Safety & Environment and Education & Skills. He was previously Group Director Health, Safety &Environment
at Lucas Industries and later LucasVarity.
He was a Health & Safety Commissioner from 1996–2000 and a Trustee Director of RoSPA (Royal Society for
the Prevention of Accidents) from 2000-2005.
He is a medical graduate from the University of Birmingham, an accredited specialist in Occupational Medicine
in the UK and Australia and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.
His work has taken him to many parts of the globe and he has practical hands on experience of health, safety
and environmental issues in Europe, Asia, North & South America, Africa and Australia.
He is currently undertaking part-time a postgraduate research degree on Renaissance images of trade and
industry at the History of Art Department, Barber Institute of Fine Art within the University of Birmingham.
David Newbound
Originally a Mechanical and Electrical Engineer (BSc Hons) and latterly
European Director of a communications company (Paradyne), David started
a company called Backinaction (back care specialist retailer with 3 stores
and a web shop) in 1988.
David was already known to BackCare.
In the mid 90's David did
voluntary work for us (then NBPA) as Chairman of our "Children's Working
Party" which looked at children's spinal health and campaigned for
better treatment of children's backs. During his time with NBPA David
help also appeared many times on TV and Radio representing our Charity.
He says of that time "the Children's Group was enjoyable and frustrating
in equal measure....Every day I see adults who are suffering from the
effects of long term misuse of their spine yet we dump our children in
bucket chairs which create the seeds of future problems" He says "Its
rewarding to offer remedies for adult back pain, but the real remedy is
to avoid it...we need a higher level of investment in both school and
home furniture and legal protection for children to match that given to
adults. We may also need parents to become more vocal".
David says he feels "under-qualified" medically on BackCare's
Board but
hopes his experience compensates. In addition to his business experience
David brings to BackCare
20 plus years experience of fighting his own
back pain. He was motivated to become "an expert on his own back" after
a drunk drove into the rear of his car leaving him with whiplash
injuries. He is a long term student of Alexander technique, has
extensive experience of different treatments and products, and has
developed his own Postural Training methods which are now used in his
company.
David says his engineering degree was useful to understand the way
postural stress creates pain, but he believes the biggest advances come
from taking a risk and getting "back in action". He tries to employ
largely people with a history of back pain in order that they can assess
products for effectiveness and offer advice on optimising activity
levels.
His particular wish for BackCare
is that we invest in creating a world
leading resource centre on the web and that the Charity's web site
offers those with Back Pain the inspiration to never give up.
Charles Pither
Although, like many pain specialists, I initially trained as an anaesthetist, I now work full time
in the field of chronic pain, and no longer administer anaesthetics. Prior to setting up The RealHealth
Institute I was a Consultant Pain Specialist at St Thomas’ Hospital, a post to which I was appointed in
1986. Before to this I had received training in the USA when I worked as a Fellow in Pain Management for 1
year.
In 1989 I set up the INPUT cognitive behavioural pain management unit and was Medical Director of
this programme until 2004. This programme has been one of the pioneering units in the country
offering cognitive behavioural treatment of chronic intractable pain. I subsequently set up a
similar unit in Wales where I still visit monthly. I was actively involved in the research programme
at St Thomas’ Hospital where much seminal work was undertaken examining the way pain affect individuals
and how they can be helped by holistic cognitive behavioural approaches.
I am a member of the Pain Society of Great Britain and the International Association of the Study
of Pain. I sit on the committee of the Society for Back Pain Research and have lectured and talked
in Europe and America on pain and its management. I have published numerous scientific papers on
various aspects of pain, and contributed chapters to dozens of books and journals. My research
interests include examination of the ways that pain affects people and the best ways of
treating this from a holistic perspective. I have been involved in numerous sci-art collaborations
looking at pain from both the medical and artistic perspective. I sit on the board of the European
Spine Journal and the Back Care Research committee.
Liz Prosser
Since 1978 Liz Prosser's career has evolved within Physical Education with expertise developing in Exercise
and Health. Her work has spanned the Private and Public Sector, commerce and industry.
Initially, as a PE teacher she taught children 2-18 years including those with special needs. Her links with
the fitness industry began as a self-employed entrepreneur developing ‘Exercise Enterprise,’ a network of
adult and child exercise classes in the 1980s. Then, with the PE Association of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland (now Association for Physical Education), she began training Exercise and Fitness Instructors,
which culminated in a national
level appointment to develop their ‘ PEA Certificate in Exercise and Health Studies.’
Diversifying (in the 1990s), she moved into lecturing, management and advisory/inspection roles for a London
LEA both as a PE Adviser and health promotion consultant. This included work with the Sports Council,
Youth Sport Trust, YMCA Fitness Industry training and the (then) Health Education Authority.
At a local level, sheI has helped to develop PCT physical activity strategies and has run two National
Healthy School programmes in very contrasting London boroughs. Recently, she have written a national training
programme for Exercise Instructors (‘Active Back Management’), which is to be embedded in YMCA Fitness
Industry training’s Register of Exercise Professional training programme. This will enable Exercise
Instructors to help people with back pain.
She is currently, developing a
School Back Pain support programme with fellow BackCare
Trustees to help young people prevent and manage
increasingly prevalent back pain. In her spare time, I am a child helper on Diabetes UK
family weekends.
This broad and enriching experience has lead to post-graduate study in Exercise and Health and to a strong
and powerful conviction of the mental and physical health benefits of exercise.
Kerry Teakle
A chronic back pain sufferer for over 20 years and redundancy from a job in public relations led Kerry
Teakle to retrain as a Body Stress Release practitioner, in South Africa in 2003, under Ewald and Gail
Meggersee. Kerry has completed further study, the intensive review and advanced workshop, at the BSR
Academy in April 2005.
With a personal interest in chronic and acute pain, Kerry - Scotland’s first Body Stress Release Practitioner
and Chairperson of the Body Stress Release Association (UK) - practises in Edinburgh, in addition to working
part-time freelancing in public relations. The Body Stress Release Association (UK) is a full member
organisation of the British Complementary Medicine Association.
Suitable for everyone from a newborn to sports people to the elderly, Kerry says that body stress releaase
can bring effective relief from all forms of musculo-skeletal pain, tension and discomfort including back ache.
During the initial 30 minute appointment, a detailed case history is taken. It is carried out on the client
fully clothed, lying down on a special couch. Using light but definite touch to release muscular stress and
tensions that may have become locked into the muscles as a result of stress overload, it encourages the body
to let go and facilitates the body’s own self healing ability.
The process may provide instant relief or require a number of sessions, depending on the severity and
duration of the stress. This is because tight protective layers of muscle tend to relax by degrees back to
their normal tone.
A practitioner will also work with the client, educating them on the importance of posture, correct
exercising and will recommend various simple, self-help techniques to strengthen the back and help release
further muscular tensions.
Kerry Teakle practises at Medicalternative, a private GP clinic in Edinburgh.
Kevin Tesh
Dr.Tesh is currently Ergonomics Manager for the Ethicon Franchise Worldwide (WW), a division of the
Johnson & Johnson worldwide family of companies. Kevin, who is based in Scotland just outside Edinburgh,
has worked at J&J for the last 5½ years where his role has taken on increasing responsibilities firstly at
site level for J&J Medical in Edinburgh, Europe Middle East & Africa for Depuy and now a worldwide role for
Ethicon. Ethicon is one of the largest manufacturers of surgical sutures and wound closure products outside
the USA. Kevin’s main responsibility across the Franchise is to co-ordinate and align ergonomic activity
across its fourteen WW sites and provide technical, conceptual and operational expertise.
While at J&J Medical Kevin has collaborated with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on a number of
publications and ergonomic awareness campaigns. The latest campaign, to be launched later this month,
is on musculoskeletal case studies where cost benefit analysis (CBA) has been carried out to demonstrate
the business argument for implementation of sound ergonomic practice.
Prior to joining J&J Medical, Kevin had gained over 15 years experience working and practising ergonomics
within industry and as a consultant. Initially employed at Jaguar Cars as a project ergonomist he worked
on product design issues before moving north to the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) in Edinburgh
where he focussed on occupational ergonomics. While at the IOM Kevin conducted a number of high profile
research projects in collaboration with the HSE on evaluating the Manual Handling Operations Regulations
and Pregnancy and Lifting. Prior to joining the IOM Kevin gained a PhD from the University of Strathclyde
for his work on the structure and function of the lumbar spine, which was awarded a gold medal by the
Back Pain Society in 1986.
Between 2000 – 2003 Kevin chaired the Scottish Ergonomics Forum (SEF) Steering group, which helped raise
the profile of his profession across Scotland and sits on the Board of Trustees for BackCare
as their
ergonomic expert. Kevin is also a member of the Working Backs Scotland partnership group representing the
SEF and BackCare. With BackCare
, Dr. Tesh has contributed to a number of books and leaflets on topics such
as driving, handling clients within the community and carers.
