About Spine Plus

Multi-Practitioner and Multi-Disciplinary Service

Unlike many physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic clinics, Spine Plus operates as a multi-practitioner and multidisciplinary team, supervised by clinical directors and our founder Robert Shanks. This means your case is considered from multiple clinical perspectives, not just one.

If your condition is complex or long-standing, you have access to a whole team of senior clinicians rather than the opinion of a single practitioner working in isolation.

Osteopaths and Physiotherapists with Advanced Training

Our osteopaths and physiotherapists follow structured in-house training that goes well beyond standard undergraduate education. Every clinician receives ongoing mentoring from our senior team, and all are trained in medical acupuncture (trigger point dry needling) as part of their standard skill set, included at no extra charge.

We also invest in postgraduate CPD in specialist areas including IDD Therapy, focused shockwave, TECAR, and spinal assessment, so our team stays at the leading edge of musculoskeletal practice.

Consultant-Grade Osteopaths and Physiotherapists

Our team includes access to consultant-level osteopaths and physiotherapists, several of whom have been caring for patients in our clinics for over 10 years. This depth of experience is normally only accessible privately through a GP or specialist referral at a fraction of the usual cost.

Patients come to us from across Essex and London, and occasionally from further afield, specifically to see our senior clinicians for complex or long-standing spinal conditions.

Expert Hands-On Care, Integrated with Advanced Medical-Grade Technology

The foundation of our approach is expert hands-on therapy. Where appropriate, this is integrated with advanced, medical-grade treatment technologies including:

• IDD Spinal Decompression Therapy, the gold standard for disc injuries, sciatica and spinal stenosis
• Focused Shockwave Therapy, approximately 100x more powerful than standard radial shockwave, with laser-like precision
• TECAR Therapy, deep radiofrequency heating to accelerate tissue recovery
• Class IV Laser Therapy, stimulates cellular healing at depth
• Stimpod NMS460, FDA-cleared nerve stimulation for chronic nerve pain and neuropathy

This combination of skilled hands and clinical technology sets us apart from practices that rely on either manual therapy or machines alone.

Pioneering Treatment for Disc Injuries and Sciatica

We are one of the UK's most experienced providers of IDD Therapy, the leading non-surgical spinal decompression treatment. In 2011, we established the first IDD Therapy clinic in Essex and the third in the UK. Two years later, we opened the first IDD Therapy clinic in central London.

This means we have depth of clinical experience with complex disc injuries, spinal stenosis, trapped nerves and chronic sciatica that very few UK clinics can match. We see patients who have already tried general physiotherapy and chiropractic care without lasting success, and frequently achieve results where others have not.

We can also arrange rapid access to a gold-standard 3T MRI with expert radiologist report if you do not already have recent imaging, typically from £350.

Clear Onward Pathways, When You Need More

Over 25 years, we have established a trusted network of surgeons, consultants and radiologists. If your condition requires imaging, a specialist second opinion, or surgical assessment, we can facilitate a rapid, well-informed referral, sparing you the frustration of navigating the system alone.

We also have strong links with diagnostic services including the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital radiologists, and can arrange MRI reporting at no extra cost in some cases. Our clear onward pathways mean patients are never left in limbo.