“I am a 72 year old retired career registered nurse of 43 years standing. I am fit and healthy but have been living with life limiting back pain for more than 20 years. I have had endless expensive investigations and all sorts of therapy and treatment, ultimately diagnosed with ‘thoracic sensitization’ of unknown cause, which is excruciatingly and chronically painful on a daily basis and has no effective treatment. All that ever happened was that it got worse.
Jo spent 3 hours doing the most thorough examination I have ever had – and diagnosed the problem in one. It turned out to be postural. He has provided more specific and effective advice and therapy in a few weeks than I have had in 20 years!
Most importantly he has given me hope for the future for the first time.”
Elizabeth Robertshaw
(New Zealand)
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“Thanks to Jo, I’ve experienced a remarkable improvement in my back pain. His expertise, tailored exercises, and guidance have made a significant difference in my daily comfort and mobility. I’m grateful for his dedication to my well-being and highly recommend his services to anyone seeking relief from back issues.”
Korgan Hucent
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“After a lifetime of competitive cycling I was forced to retire in 2015 due to a bad back. Since then I have had to manage daily back pain whilst trying to stay fit and active. At the end of my tether I sought help from two neurosurgeon’s. One told me he didn’t want to help yet and offered no other advice, the other booked me in for an L5-S1 spinal fusion. Luckily a friend put me onto Jo Venter and after a couple of months I am now pain free and have started some eMTB riding and am soon to get back into the gym. Life changing is an understatement.”
Andrew Barcroft
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“I came to Jo in pain, limited in movement and weak. He has carefully guided me to pain free movement and a marked reduction in my sensory symptoms. I am now back to almost all of my pre-injury activities – stronger and moving better – without the need for back surgery. I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
Dr Mark Perrin, Cardiologist
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My injury came on slowly and I was recommended core exercises while no one could tell me what it was. When walking started hurting and I could no longer do the sports I enjoyed, I had an MRI that showed a bulging disc. Things stayed in a bad state until I had an episode and ended up crawling around the apartment for 8 days. I had seen 2 Osteos, 2 gp´s, 3 physios, all with various degrees of relief, but no solution except surgery.
I heard about Stuart McGill and the McGill Method from a colleague and started researching, luckily enough I found Jo and booked a consultation. After a lengthy thorough check up it was evident that I had an injury but most likely manageable.
Jo showed and instructed me on how to use spine sparing movement patterns to let my back and nervous system return to normal.
Jo gave me the knowledge and tools to become more engaged in my movements and a route back to training
Now I can work mostly pain free and am returning to doing the things I love. There are a lot more good than bad days now.
Thanks Jo for all your help and I gladly recommend your services.
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“I am a former multiple world champion wood chopper from New Zealand and in 2019 I bulged a disc in my lower back for the second time. It has been a slow and painful process and my attempts at recovery have been ineffective. I reached out to Jo for help. He arranged for me to meet with him in Sydney while Dr Stuart McGill was visiting for an assessment.
I met Jo in person on the 4th February 2020. I had to fly in from New Zealand but Jo made the whole process stress free for me.
Immediately I felt at ease with him. He was kind and professional. He was interested in my condition. At no time did I feel uncomfortable. I was in immense pain in my hip and back, but at no time was my body handled without care. The assessment was thorough and professional. I was asked to describe my life and what lead me to this point something I struggled to do, as I found I have had to focus on the future and my goals to keep moving forward. It was unusual for me to not feel pressurised and under a time constraint when seeing a specialist. Nothing was rushed all pain mechanisms were tested. I was shown better ways to move to spare my back and I was given an exercise plan with instruction by Jo. The movements and exercises gave me immediate relief. My xrays were studied toward the end of the assessment and confirmed what the physical checks had indicated. I returned to New Zealand later that evening feeling inspired. Finally someone has treated me as an individual with respect according to what I have done in my life. There were no agendas. The advice given was honest and accurate. My back health has been positively affected by this assessment and from the exercises setout by Jo and the McGill method. I now know that I am in control of my back recovery. This has empowered me. Moving better and exercising correctly is really up to me now that I’ve been shown the proper techniques.
I urge anyone suffering back pain to contact Jo for an assessment. I have my sights set on recovering and competing in another championship. Jo has given me hope and direction to realize this.
Thank you Jo and Dr Stuart McGill.”
Jason Wynyard
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“I first met Jo Venter from Fit Spines 2 ½ years ago after a friend referred him to me. Thanks to five disc prolapses and severe sciatic nerve pain, by the time I walked into Jo’s consulting room I had been suffering chronic pain 24/7 for over 6 months. I was permanently lopsided, on constant pain medication and any form of walking was a challenge. The supermarket trolley had become my best friend and I was considering buying a walking frame to help me get around. I feared I would have to undergo spinal surgery and Jo was my last hope.
Working with Jo and his tailored exercise program gave me my life back. It was slow progress but week by week I improved. I now have a strong core, did not need an operation and have been pain free for 2 years. I would highly recommend Jo to anyone suffering from back pain. I cannot thank him enough for helping me”.
Alexandra Dodd