“My pathway into chiropractic was a little different to most and involved some interesting ideas, people and opportunities. “Thirty years ago I was treating animals. Literally, cats and dogs, horses and goats. I was the local vet in Queenstown and Southland. I enjoyed it. What I found curious was that every animal seemed to get basically the same treatment - a jab, a pill or potion, or we would cut something out. That was our paradigm. It worked most of the time. But I wondered if there was something more “I met the local chiropractor, Dr David Bridson and he worked on a couple of my really tough cases. A cat miraculously regained bowel and bladder control and was able to walk and run again. A dog that was fading away suddenly found a new lease of life. That sparked my interest. “I started getting adjusted myself. . The adjustments were gentle and felt great. I noticed more flexibility and ease in my body. My breathing improved and I didn’t have headaches. I was sleeping better, concentrating better and had more energy. To top it off I ran my best marathon ever. The chiropractor explained how the adjustments removed stress from my spine and freed up nerve flow to help my body function better. It made sense. I decided to take the opportunity and headed to chiropractic college. “I went to where chiropractic started. I spent four years at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa in the US and graduated in 1992. I then worked for several years in the Middle East and South Australia before coming home to NZ to start Gentle Chiropractic. “I am naturally curious. During my later years at college and in the years since I have spent a lot of time learning more about chiropractic and the different approaches out there. I found that the gentle techniques, particularly SOT and TRT, worked the best for me and the people I worked on. It also intrigued me how such gentle adjustments could have such profound effects. It expanded my understanding of how the body works. “When I started Gentle Chiropractic I knew I wanted to share and deliver the ‘magic’ I had found. I wanted to help people to feel really healthy with genuinely gentle adjustments. I wanted people to realise just how amazing our body’s are when we find a way to release the stress and tension that holds us back. “Outside the practice I enjoy a full and active life. I enjoy spending time with family and friends and with my two young adult sons, Oliver and Jacob. I enjoy sports of all kinds and have done the odd marathon, bike race, ocean swim and even the NZ Ironman a couple of times. For relaxation I enjoy the great NZ outdoors and in particular the bush and beach of the West Coast, which is my happy place on the weekend. “Ultimately I believe that every man needs a mission. Mine is to help others and contribute to a better world with with the best tool I have - genuinely gentle chiropractic. Contact us today and we will see how we can help you.”