I'd be lost without him...

Sometimes the back twinges are so excruciating, the work pressures so overwhelming that even the strongest chap feels the need of a pair of helping hands.

BY SARAH STACEY PHOTOGRAPS BY HITCH JENKINS

THE NATURAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER

PATIENT. Derek Fowlds (above right), 60, actor currently appearing as Oscar Blaketon in Heartbeat on ITV.

THERAPIST. Tom Marshall-Manifold, Wimbledon Clinic of Natural Medicine, tel: 0208-543 5477.

I heard of Tom six years ago when I was taking drugs for gout - they had some side effects which really put the wind up me. Tom convinced me that I could stop taking the drugs. I did, and I haven't had gout since. I had high cholesterol levels as well, and Tom explained that everything is interlinked: the gout was there because the kidneys weren't functioning properly, and the kidneys tied into the heart and liver, which affected my cholesterol levels. Plus I had a sluggish thyroid, which made me tired.

Biological Medicine - Prognos means using homoeopathy, herbs, acupuncture, nutrition and a German form of chiropractic manipulation which centres round balancing the meridians or energy lines in your body - segments in your spine relate to particular organs, so if you have a blockage in your back the organ won't work well.

Tom put me on a programme of natural medicine, including homoeopathic drops, herbs and supplements. I now go to him every six months and get balanced. He monitors everything from cholesterol and blood pressure to whether I'm happy or stressed out. I feel terrific now and have done for the last six years. Tom's been extraordinary. The only trouble is you can't get him on the NHS.