Patient Stories

"I am delighted to recommend Simeon's work, I am sure you will all gain benefit from his technique for treating your frozen shoulders."

George Michael (Singer/Songwriter)

"My shoulder had been painful for many years! Now I can do semaphore with flags. Finally ships understand me."

Eddie Izzard (Comedian)

"Simeon thanks for fixing my shoulder - you are a life saver."

Trinny Woodall (TV Presenter)

"I am happy to recommend his work to a wider public and wish Simeon well with his revolutionary new treatment for frozen shoulders."

Victoria Wood (Comedienne)

"Simeon's was the strongest, most powerful form of treatment I have ever experienced. I highly recommend him."

Martin Kemp (Actor)

"Aka Sacha Baron-Cohen
Muff respec - to the MacDaddy of de shoulders."

Ali G (Comedian)

"Thanks for all of your amazing work and helping so many peoples' shoulders."

Tamzin Outhwaite (Actress)

"What an amazing technique; you are utterly brilliant."

Tim Pigott-Smith (Actor)

"I like you"

Borat (Reporter)

"Zhanks – your treatment is definitely ‘in zhe ghetto"

Bruno (Fashion reporter)

"Your frozen shoulder self help book really saved my mum’s shoulder – thanks so so much"

Isla Fischer (Actress)

"I don't know what I would so without Simeon's Techniques - they definitely help to keep me at the top of my game."

Elizabeth Cann (Elite Athlete)

"Simeon, thanks for your amazing techniques they have helped me so much over the years."

Julia Mann (Elite Athlete)

'He's given me back my freedom'
Woman’s Own magazine

KATIE MASH aged 54 from Woking, suffered with Frozen Shoulder Syndrome for more than a year before finding Simeon.

It started with a niggle in my right shoulder. I run an interior design business and thought I'd pulled something lifting a roll of fabric but within a few months, the pain was so bad that I could not sleep at night.

A specialist diagnosed 'classic' Frozen Shoulder Syndrome, but the only suggested treatment was an operation under general anaesthetic to manipulate the shoulder. The operation had only a 20% success rate and, as I'd just had a hysterectomy and operation on my mouth, I didn't want to risk another anaesthetic so soon. By this point my arm was so stuck that Steve, my boyfriend, had to help me wash my hair, shave my underarms and pull up my jeans.

Because it isn't life-threatening, frozen shoulder is often thought of as a bit of a joke, but it's horrendous. There were times I was suicidal with the pain. I'm no cry-baby but I remember bursting into tears doing my Christmas shopping; it was agony just holding my handbag.

Then a customer of mine heard about Simeon and I immediately booked an appointment. He took photographs of how far I could lift my arm to the front, side and back. Then I lay on my side and he worked on my shoulder. Even after the 1st session I could move my arm a bit further.

Over 2 months I had six sessions - and I've now got 98% of my movement back. I still can't believe it. Even this morning I was lying in bed having a lovely big stretch - and broke into a smile because I was using both of my arms. I don't think I can thank Simeon enough - he really has given back my freedom.

Katie Mash (Woman's Own magazine)

Embassy of the United States of America (Connie)

To whom it may concern,

In 1998 I was told by a Doctor at the American Embassy Medical Unit in London that I had Frozen Shoulder and needed to see an Orthopaedic Doctor. I was not sleeping at night, due to the pain and I could barely raise my arm to comb my hair. I was reluctant to see an Orthopedist as I had worked in an Orthopaedic clinic in a hospital in the States for 9 years, and I knew the treatment would either be cortisone shots or surgery. A colleague of mine recommended Simeon Niel-Asher, an Osteopath, who she had seen in the past for a back problem.

At this point, with all the pain I was in I was willing to try anything short of a cortisone shots or surgery, and I am happy to report that after just 2 visits with Simeon, I was able to comb my hair easily; after approximately 6 visits, I was totally cured and I have not had a problem since. My Embassy Doctor, after seeing my good results, is now referring all his patients with Frozen Shoulder to Simeon Niel-Asher.

I would definitely recommend Simeon Niel-Asher (and I do often) to anyone who has a Frozen Shoulder. Here at least in the American Embassy, we refer to him as our 'miracle worker'.

Office of the U.S. Customs Attach

"It seemed like a miracle to me."

Dear Mr Niel-Asher,

I wanted to thank you for the wonderful relief I have experienced as a result of treatment from you last December and January, on my right shoulder, neck and arm, after suffering six months of agonising pain. Following a stay of 7 days as an in-patient in East Surrey Hospital last June, during the period of July to December 98, I had 22 sessions of physiotherapy, acupuncture, bone marrow scans a veinogram, 18 X-rays, MRI scans steroid/cortisone injections, plus staggering amounts of very strong pain killers and anti-inflammatory tablets. By December the improvement was minimal. While not wishing to appear ungrateful for the time and effort from the hospital, I must admit that by the time my daughter persuaded me to see you in December, I was in despair and utterly depressed. The despair was due to the fact that I was never given a diagnosis by the hospital- it confounds me after so many tests a patient cannot be told what is wrong. Bearing in mind that after a 20 minute consultation you told me that I had a torn tendon, a Frozen Shoulder and a sub-acromial bursitis, one can be forgiven for losing all confidence in the abilities of hospital consultants. Suffice to say I wish I had come to you sooner. After the first treatment, I was able to use my right hand for cooking, writing, carrying light shopping, driving etc. etc. Just being able to brush my teeth properly, do my hair and use a knife and fork was marvellous.

After the 4th treatment, although my arm was weak, I was able to lift it right up without pain. From being in constant pain 6 weeks previously it seemed like a miracle to me. I have since been able to sleep all night undisturbed by pain. Now life is nearly back to normal.

I am particularly grateful to you for you sincere empathy and caring you showed me. You knew straight away the root of the problem and tackled it with astounding results. You also explained what was wrong and were confident it could easily be cured in 4/5 sessions, which lifted me out of the pain/depression downward spiral. I finally believe that nobody knew or cared what was wrong with me and I could not for see a time when the pain would be gone.

Once again I thank you. I think you're brilliant and I have (repeatedly) told all my family and friends - and the hospital consultants.

Mrs Brenda Michaels

"My advice is... see this man."

"My G.P had told me nothing more could be done and recommended me to see a Shoulder Specialist (surgeon) at my local private hospital. Talk of shaving off part of my shoulder bone was discussed, as this seems to be quite routine these days for shoulder operations. Fortunately for me, I didn't take his advice.

My private health company agreed to pay for eight sessions of treatment with Simeon Niel- Asher, and review the situation after that. From my first session there was a rapid decrease in the pain, and where previously my Frozen Shoulder had constantly reminded me of the disability it gave me, very soon days went by when I hadn't even noticed my painful shoulder. A few sessions later I was completely cured.

Having had a Frozen Shoulder four years earlier, on my other shoulder and experienced two shoulder operations and numerous physiotherapy sessions, I can honestly say nobody knows more than Simeon Niel-Asher on how a shoulder works, and how it can be fixed.

My advice to anyone with Frozen Shoulder is make an appointment to see this man. You'll be amazed- he really is that good."

Mr Gerald Cohen

"Mission accomplished."

"I first began to develop the symptoms of frozen shoulder in May 2003. My right shoulder became increasingly restricted in its movements and there was a gradual increase in the pain. The pain was of two types: 1) when I tried to increase the movement of my arm which was slowly restricting, and 2) a permanent static pain which affected my entire arm - particularly the upper arm - down to the fingertips, up into my neck and also my right shoulder blade. This latter pain had to be endured 24/7 for months on end. I tried every conceivable type of pain-killer: paracetemol, codeine, anti-inflammatories, tramadol, external medications and so forth. These had little or no effect. In addition to the pain my right (i.e. natural) arm was pretty-well semi-disabled. Needless to say, I could hardly sleep at night - 3 or 4 hours at the most - since the pain was always worse during the twilight hours. Given the pain, disability and lack of sleep, I had to stop working in early June.

At first my GP would not even diagnose a frozen shoulder; she simply put 'shoulder pain' on my certificates. I had to pay £125 to see an orthopaedic surgeon at Wimbledon Parkside hospital and he confirmed that which I already knew - yep, it was a frozen shoulder alright. In terms of treatment, however, he had little to offer: Steroid injection? Very hit or miss, likely to miss in his experience. Surgery? No way! The cure would in all probability be worse than the disease. What then? Just have to sit it out I am afraid. Well at least he was honest. He predicted 18 months. Six months freezing, six months frozen, six months thawing, and then physio rehab of an unspecified duration. I reckoned that that would have taken me up to the spring of 2005. By which time I would have been out of a job and on Incapacity Benefit.

Having been off sick for four months and in excruciating pain I went to see Simeon Niel-Asher at his clinic in North London. This was in October 2003. After about 4 treatments the pain was gone and I was back at work; I remember it well 3rd November 2003. Although at the time I still had not re-gained full range of movement, my arm was good enough to work and I was sleeping nights. Within 7 sessions I was massively improved. Since that time my arm has reverted to its full range of movement. In addition to returning to work I now do rowing, go to the gym and reckon my arm range is - at the time of writing March 2003 - about 95% of what it was before and getting stronger all the time. I aim to see Simeon for a final check-up on the anniversary of the onset of my condition in May 2004. Mission accomplished.

It was really a piece of luck that I came across the Frozen Shoulder clinic, but like many of those important life events it was completely fortuitous. I can't say that I really understand the theoretical underpinnings of Simeon's treatment procedures, but what I do know is that his methods worked and that was good enough for me. I have no hesitations, therefore, in recommending Simeon's treatment of frozen shoulder to anyone suffering from this particularly painful and protracted affliction."

Francis Vincent Lee

Unlocking the frozen shoulder

Liz Maliphant, a 51-year old Consultant Psychotherapist from Gloucestershire, runs a busy practice from home and onsite in special education colleges.  As well as working particularly with patients with dual diagnoses such as learning difficulties and mental health problems, she spends a great deal of her working day training and report writing. 

In April 2006, Liz fell and damaged her shoulder.  At the time, she was stressed and over-worked and had just lost her mother.  “I was really exhausted and when I fell I didn’t realise the extent of the damage to my shoulder because I was more concerned with my ankle,” she explains.  Liz had turned her ankle in a pothole in the road and had instinctively put her left arm out, jarring it in the process.  “I am right-handed, although I use my left hand when I work on the computer.  I carried on working, hoping it would just get better on its own.  Instead, my shoulder was gradually ceasing up.”

Liz’s shoulder was painful for a few days and then her hand started to go blue.  “I started to find typing uncomfortable and my back and neck were starting to ache so I went to see my osteopath who has always really helped me with ongoing difficulties relating to adhesions around my liver.  I still mistakenly thought this was the source of the problem and didn’t even think to tell him I’d fallen.  But instead of improving, my shoulder started to get worse.  I was getting severe, deep pain in my arm, which went from my neck and shoulder all the way to my wrist and the joint of my thumb.  At the same time I was losing mobility and I couldn’t lift my arm sideways beyond about 40° or forwards more than 75° without suffering extreme pain.  I felt like the character in Oliver Sachs’ book ‘The man who mistook his wife for a hat’ who woke up and thought he was touching someone else’s leg because he had lost all feeling in it.

“I lost all nerve connections in my arm and it became totally useless.  I couldn’t move it forward or backwards and I couldn’t sleep.  I went to my GP who was quite concerned about how disabling it was and she referred me to a physiotherapist.  I had physiotherapy twice a week for a long time and the physiotherapists were great.  They did sacro-cranial therapy, acupuncture, manipulation and gave me exercises, but nothing really changed.   They suggested that because I was working frequently with trauma cases at the time, maybe I was stressed and burnt out and needed to change my job. 

“I was taking prescribed anti-inflammatories and Paracetomol to help deal with the pain but by October 2006, I was completely wiped out.  I was unable to function and my doctor signed me off work – something that had never happened to me before, but I was in such a pickle that I knew I couldn’t work. 

“I was referred to a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon who gave me an MRI scan, which detected a tear in the supraspinatus tendon and he also diagnosed Frozen Shoulder Syndrome.  The surgeon gave me a six-week window in which to have an operation which involved manipulation under anesthesia.  By this time, just before Christmas, the pain had become slightly more bearable – my shoulder ached rather than being extreme agony.  The surgeon warned me that to operate on it would put me back into the extreme agony initially before it improved again with the aid of intensive physiotherapy; but he also thought it was serious enough to do the operation as quickly as possible. 

“It was very difficult to make sense of it all and ultimately, I was only being offered this one option. I was completely exhausted and really didn’t want the operation.  He was very nice but basically said that this was the only answer.  I don’t doubt that it was from the best motives, but his solution to the problem was confined to the limitations of his craft as a surgeon.

“He told me that if I chose not to have the operation within the specified period, I shouldn’t go back to him in a year’s time asking for it.  He didn’t want to restart the whole pain process if I got that far down the line and suggested that the pain would diminish and that I would learn to live with the disability.

“I was very depressed so I spoke to my osteopath who was very reassuring about the diagnosis of Frozen Shoulder Syndrome.  He recommended that I contact Simeon who he knew specialised in treating Frozen Shoulder.  My husband, Ralph, is a massage therapist and he had been documenting my lack of progress.  We looked at Simeon’s website together and, being a very cynical person, I couldn’t believe his claim that he was able to cure Frozen Shoulder.  I really wasn’t feeling confident, but was desperate to do something and I knew that if I had the operation it would delay my return to work even more.  I have several long-term clients that I feel responsible for and I didn’t want to be away any longer than was absolutely necessary.”

Ralph wrote a report of Liz’s history and sent it to Simeon.  An appointment was arranged for a couple of weeks later.  “Ralph has been to all my consultations,” comments Liz.  “In fact, he was so interested in Simeon’s treatment that he recently attended a course run by Simeon on how to treat Frozen Shoulder Syndrome.”  At her first consultation, Simeon took Liz’s case history and looked at all the tests and reports.

“The presence of a tendon tear meant that this was not a straight forward case of Frozen Shoulder syndrome,” explains Simeon. “Liz had a very nasty secondary frozen shoulder.  In such cases, the advice is to treat the frozen shoulder first to improve the range of motion and then to focus on the tear – and that is exactly what we did.  I started to treat the Frozen Shoulder but I needed to keep reviewing the tear,”

“Simeon was really honest and straight forward and told me that he could help but that he would have to look at the damaged tendon which worried him more than the Frozen Shoulder.  I really appreciated the fact that he didn’t make any promises.  I had tried other treatments and people had said that they would work although they didn’t.  I felt really confident with Simeon.  The physios knew they couldn’t really help me and were less confident in their treatment.  Simeon’s confidence and integrity were very apparent and inspired unusual confidence in me.    

“The first few sessions irritated the tendon so I left feeling really wiped out but I very quickly started to regain my mobility.  Simeon could get better mobility than I could in a session.  He could raise my arm up and I could hold it with my other arm but I still needed support to bring it down, I couldn’t do it alone.

“I had weekly treatment for a couple of months and now I have treatment fortnightly.  The day that I could hold a hairdryer in my left hand was incredible.  It was just before Easter and it was an amazing feeling!  I can now hold my arm more or less straight up without help and during the last few sessions Simeon has stopped working on the Frozen Shoulder and started working on the tendon.  I only need one more session and then I will just need some rehab.”

According to Simeon, although less common than the idiopathic (self-induced) frozen shoulder, this type of problem is common but extremely difficult to treat. “There was no doubt in my mind that if my method failed, Liz would be under the knife. I do get a good level of success in such cases with my method.  They tend to be extremely intellectually and emotionally demanding cases, but very rewarding when they get better”.

“My GP told me that I was being a bit of a twit when I made the decision not to have the operation and couldn’t really understand why I didn’t have it.  I gave her Simeon’s website to look at but she seemed to be of the opinion that since the surgeon had recommended an operation I should be having it. She told me that my arm was in an appalling state and is absolutely staggered with the results of my treatment.  I obviously didn’t need the operation, absolutely 100% not!

“I was in agony when I went to see Simeon.  The pain interfered with my brain.  You can really understand why people think of him as ‘Simeon the magnificent’.  He knows what he is doing and has a confidence that he transmits, putting you at ease.  I am so very grateful to him; until he began treating me, I did not know what to do with myself. 

“Simeon was a real find and he upholds my view of osteopathy.  My local osteopath is a fantastic person and has helped me through the after-effects of jaw problems, cancer, and gangrene of the gall bladder.  My faith in osteopathy as opposed to conventional treatment is immense and has only been reinforced by Simeon.”

Case History: Liz Maliphant

45-year old Carolyn Ferguson from Barnet first went to see Simeon Niel-Asher in January 2007 with severe pain in her shoulder, neck and arm.

Although her job as a freelance journalist required her to spend a lot of time in front of the computer, she was also very active, playing and teaching tennis on a regular basis.  However, with four children at three different schools, she found herself in the car for up to five hours a day and this had begun to take its toll.   “I thought I had pulled a muscle playing tennis last summer but the problem had got worse and it seemed to be linked to the amount of driving I had been doing which had made my shoulder feel stiff,” she explains. 

She had gone to see a physiotherapist in early November 2006, but he was unable to help and the pain had got worse.  “He told me that I had scar tissue inside the joint, although he didn’t attribute it to Frozen Shoulder Syndrome.  Despite having helped me with other problems in the past, he felt that this was something he could not treat effectively,” she explains.  “After a few weeks, it was still getting worse so I went to see my GP.  At the time, I was in so much pain that I wasn’t able to sleep and I was tired and short-tempered as a result.  My doctor thought I was depressed and told me that I needed to see a counsellor!  However, I was put on prescription painkillers and was referred to a sports injury specialist.”

Carolyn went to see the specialist in mid-December: “The specialist took x-rays of the affected area and told me that my bones were worn and rough on the edges.  He explained that this was causing the muscle at the top of my arm to tear every time I moved it, which was why I was in such pain,” she says.  The consultant told Carolyn that she needed an operation to file down and smooth the edges of the bone to prevent any more damage.  

“I didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of the operation so I decided to think it over whilst I was away over the Christmas period,” she explains.  “When I came back, a week before I was due to go in for the operation, I went to see a consultant at a specialist shoulder unit to get a second opinion.  He told me that the diagnosis I had been given was wrong and that what I was actually suffering from was Frozen Shoulder Syndrome.  It turned out that had I gone ahead with the operation, it would have been detrimental rather than beneficial to my condition. 

“Instead, he recommended that I have a steroid injection.  The injection had to be put into the joint under x-ray, followed by a saline injection which was meant to break down the capsulitis,” she explains.  “The process was incredibly painful and was carried out without any anaesthetic.  To make things worse, it only produced a minimal improvement so a week later I went back to see the consultant.”  Carolyn was then given three options:  to do nothing – the shoulder would get better on its own over the course of about 18 months; to have another injection – there was no guarantee, but often the second injection is more successful than the first; or to have an operation to remove the scar tissue from the joint.

“The problem was that despite the fact that removing the scar tissue would relieve the symptoms and give me more movement, it wouldn’t cure it.  At this point I couldn’t lift my arm above waist height in any direction and the options I had been given made me feel quite desperate.  I asked him if there was anything else that I could do and he couldn’t suggest anything so I went home, had a good cry and began to research Frozen Shoulder on the Internet.”

Carolyn came across www.frozenshoulder.com and was amazed:  “I had just come home from my appointment with the consultant where I was told that there was no alternative option and here was a website stating that there was a cure for my condition – and the clinic was just down the road!  I was skeptical but when I discussed it with my husband we decided I really had nothing to lose.  I managed to get a cancellation and went with an open mind to see Simeon the following week.” 

“At my first consultation, Simeon told me he could get me better in seven sessions,” she continues.  “I didn’t believe him, but he was confident that it would be gone.  As soon as I realized that I wasn’t actually tearing the muscle every time I moved, I was able to cope much better.”

“Carolyn presented with moderate to severe phase II capsulitis,” explains Simeon.  “Her movements were severely restricted and she was still in some pain.  Fortunately, such cases are normally straightforward and patients respond well in around seven treatments.  Carolyn was anxious and needed re-assurance, but she relaxed once she started to feel the benefits.  I really love treating difficult shoulder conditions as they are both intellectually challenging and incredibly rewarding.”

“Simeon aimed for a 15 degree increase in my range of movement at each session and by the sixth session I could almost move my arm up to the level of my ear.  After the seventh session, I was pain free, had regained over 95% of my shoulder movement and was back doing my Pilates tapes and hitting tennis balls with my son. 

“Even more amazing was the fact that after the very first session, I had no more pain.  I began to sleep again and I have only suffered from the excruciating, jarring pain that characterizes Frozen Shoulder once since I began treatment – and that was because I was jumping over a ditch, having forgotten that I had a problem in the first place!

“As the treatment progressed, Simeon put more pressure on my shoulder.  The actual treatment can be uncomfortable, but it’s only during the session, I am always fine afterwards.  It’s surprising how quickly you forget just how bad the pain was once you start to get better.”

“Carolyn responded well to my treatment methods partly because the longer a patient has had a problem, the easier it is to treat,” comments Simeon.  “The technique I use fools the brain into re-engaging shoulder muscles that have been switched off.  By using pressure points, I am able to reach hidden receptors embedded in the muscles in a unique sequence.  This sequence of movements fools the brain into releasing the pain and restriction of movement and helps the body to heal itself.”

“Simeon’s technique is fantastic – it’s like magic.  He is a great person with a gift to help people and I’m proof that this technique really does work!”

CASE HISTORY: CAROLYN FERGUSON