By now, you know of my recurring back issues. It's a condition that's plagued me for years, flaring up to a pretty maddening level since just before we left the U.S. I acquired pharmaceuticals when I was in Denmark, but the relief was temporary. My problem is muscular in nature, and that's not going to fix itself with a pill, as much as I'd like.

After doing some research online and asking some local opinions from people I trust, I settled on Elite Health in Knutsford, England. Yes, they do list some of the more woo-woo "treatments" on their website, but I was hoping that was more a market-based need than a core philosophy. Two sessions in, and I'm pretty sure that's the case.

I've seen Rowan for something called a "sports massage" twice now. It's unlike any other massage I've had. Gentle? I think not. Rowan is a personal trainer and a champion cyclist, with a pair of mitts that could squeeze the juice out of granite. Which he proceeded to do on and around my right shoulder. For an hour. Got a deep, knotted muscle that won't release? Heh. Not under those hands. I was sore for a solid two days after, but noticed a marked improvement in mobility and a reduction in tension -- exactly what I needed.

I've also seen Jacqueline, owner of Elite and another personal trainer specializing in back pain. Hey, that's me! Jackie is putting together a custom set of at-home exercises for me, as she knows I'm traveling the remainder of the year (at least) and can't really come into the physio on a regular basis. She's probably also quite upset that I'm typing this on my laptop. But I'm trying to sit up straighter!

Pricing is more than reasonable. They are attentive, spend an inordinate amount of time with their clients. And they're quite friendly. Even better -- I'm getting better, thanks to the great staff at Elite Health!