My Journey with NAT - Andy Eckley

In the week immediately following his NAT certification, Andy Eckley was able to use NAT to significantly help a client with frozen shoulder.

When Andy Eckley was 14, he developed a prolapsed disk in his back. He saw a doctor, who told him that he would have to spend 3 weeks in the hospital in traction. As an alternative, his mother took him to a man in town who was part osteopath, part chiropractor but not formally trained.

This man treated the entire town and the local sports teams. He was able to heal Andy completely in 20 minutes. This opened up Andy’s mind to the idea that there were other ways to heal outside of the traditional medical system, and this spurred his interest in manual therapy techniques. After he completed his A levels, Andy decided against going to university for financial reasons. Instead he studied Reiki, Bowen therapy, Emmet therapy, and trigger point therapy.

In the week immediately following his NAT certification, Andy Eckley was able to use NAT to significantly help a client with frozen shoulder. As far as patients go, this one was very difficult to work with. He owned an Indian restaurant and was extremely busy and on the go all of the time. He was always late, and he was always rushing out at the end of the session. His phone rang constantly during the treatments.

He expected Andy to get rid of his pain completely in one session, which would be very unusual. “I explained to him that he had to come back for more sessions if he wanted to get his full range of motion back,” said Andy. The patient returned for 4 or 5 more sessions, and his pain did decrease significantly. He also regained his full range of motion.

Andy Eckley - NAT Practitioner

We reached out to Andy a few months after he took the NAT master course to find out how he was getting along. Andy immediately reported that he was impressed with the NAT technique, and finds that it has both enhanced his reputation and enriched his practice.

In addition to using NAT to identify and treat frozen shoulder, Andy also uses NAT on clients with osteoarthritis, or with just about any pain or restriction. “Like so many others, I have learned to believe completely in the effectiveness of NAT for treating many painful and restrictive movement disorders”.

Patient Case History

Name: Deborah Silver
Age: 49
Diagnosis: Frozen shoulder, stage 1
Symptoms: Pain at night, reduced movement
Therapist: Andy Eckley

Q. How did your shoulder injury happen?

A. Actually it happened very suddenly. I was at my desk at work and I turned to say something to a colleague who had her desk behind mine. I must have turned in an awkward way, because my shoulder seized up in pain. Suddenly I couldn’t move my shoulder or arm at all. And that was just the beginning of the problem.

Q. What were your symptoms?

A. I had such bad pain that I couldn’t sleep at night at all. For days I would get almost no sleep, and this led to terrible headaches during the day. I walked around in a daze a lot of the time and I couldn’t get anything productive done. I also had very limited arm and shoulder movement, which also made it hard to do anything.

Q. How did the symptoms affect your life?

A. I had to take a lot of time off work because I couldn’t work with an injured right arm and shoulder. Also, because I was so sleep deprived, I really couldn’t focus at work. It affected my mood tremendously and my ability to get things done.

Q. What treatment did your doctor suggest?

A. My doctor wanted me to do physiotherapy, but there was a 10 week waiting list. A good friend had gone to Andy for treatment for a shoulder injury. She recommended him highly, so I decided that I had nothing to lose and I set up an appointment.

Q. What did the massage therapist suggest for your condition?

A. He suggested using NAT as treatment for my frozen shoulder. He also wanted to take measurements before and after each treatment to see how far I could move my arms. That way we could see if the treatment was effective.

Q. How many sessions did it take before you felt an improvement?

A. After the first session, my pain didn’t decrease at all. After 5 treatments, I was able to stop the sessions. My night pain had disappeared entirely, and I had most of my range of motion back. According to Andy there was about a 12% increase in my range of motion after each session.

Q. Did the effects of the treatment last?

A. Yes, the effects of the treatment were permanent. My pain went away, my full range of motion returned, and the symptoms never returned. This is not a ‘quick fix’ treatment – it’s a very legitimate, very effective form of therapy.

Q. How do you feel about NAT as a form of treatment?

A. I think it’s an extremely effective treatment for frozen shoulder, and probably for other conditions as well. It’s also very relaxing; it’s not painful, so it’s a pleasure to come for the treatments. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend NAT and Andy Eckley as an NAT therapist.

This trigger point therapy blog is intended to be used for information purposes only and is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment or to substitute for a medical diagnosis and/or treatment rendered or prescribed by a physician or competent healthcare professional. This information is designed as educational material, but should not be taken as a recommendation for treatment of any particular person or patient. Always consult your physician if you think you need treatment or if you feel unwell.