Couple at helm of Derbyshire osteopathic practice celebrate 20 years of helping patients to move better

Globally recognised osteopath Jamie Archer has helped thousands of patients since he launched Alma Osteopathic Practice in Clay Cross.

His wife Gila is practice manager and is also a Pilates instructor providing 1-1 matwork Pilates and Reformer Pilates.

Gila, 49, said: "Pilates can be a powerful addition to osteopathic care when used in the right way. It helps patients build awareness of their body, improve control and develop strength that actually supports their day to day movement. This is not about forcing change or chasing quick fixes. It is about giving the body better options so it can move and adapt more efficiently over time. When combined with tailored osteopathic treatment, Pilates can help patients feel more stable, more connected and more confident in their recovery journey.

"Our experience shows that focused osteopathic care and personalised Pilates exercises are a powerful combination."

The practice supports patients of all ages, from babies who have colic to a 101-year-old woman with lower back pain.

In 2022 Jamie and Gila launched The Osteopathic Academy of Applied Technique which trains osteopaths to gain confidence and clarity in clinical and technical skills. Training is provided online and courses are run from the practice in Clay Cross that draw delegates from London, Scotland, Portugal and Switzerland.

Gila's training as a teacher enables her to bring these skills to The Osteopathic Academy of Applied Techniques, where she is co-founder and director. She ensures that the training and courses take into account how different individuals learn and help delegates apply their learning back in their own clinics.

Jamie has had an interesting journey to becoming an osteopath.

He left school at 15, passed out the following year as a Royal Marines Commando and served for eight years all over the world including USA, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Norway and Northern Ireland. He said: "During this time, I was the Royal Marines 400m track and field champion and had the opportunity to travel and compete. I decided to leave the Royal Marines to pursue a career in health and fitness."

Jamie studied Fitness Training and Sports Therapy with Premier Global Training. He worked as a personal trainer at David Lloyd in Brighton and opened two sports therapy clinics in Brighton and Hove.

He then trained at The British School of Osteopathy for five years to become a registered osteopath, graduating in 2005 with distinction. In his final year he also achieved a Diploma in Classical Osteopathy and after qualifying he started teaching Classical Osteopathy in Kent.

Gila said: "In Kent Jamie had worked with the oldest osteopaths in the country (and world) in his first year as an osteopath."

Jamie and Gila decided to relocate to Derbyshire after seeing the practice and adjacent house up for sale. Gila said: "Moving to Clay Cross was the first time running our own practice.

"The practice grew and by 2019 Jamie was seeing 32 patients a day. Some were local, some regularly travelled over an hour to see him, and some travelled from abroad. They travelled from Portugal for treatment having seen a video of Jamie demonstrating osteopathic technique on our YouTube channel.

"His reputation grew and he was asked to teach osteopathic technique across the world. In America he was invited to speak at the Founders Day in Kirksville, Missouri which is the birthplace of osteopathy. He has published articles on some of the early osteopathic inventions and even made a replica of a training chair, designed by the founder of osteopathy A T Still."

Jamie, 50, has been the Clinical and Professional Osteopathic Lead and Senior Clinic Tutor at The College of Osteopaths since 2023.

Gila trained and worked as a primary school teacher in the south of England. She said: "When we first moved to Derbyshire I worked at Inkersall Primary School for two years."

She then worked as a Primary Physical Education Consultant in Derbyshire, supporting teachers in delivering high quality PE lessons and implementing programmes to help children with a delay in their physical development to build core strength, gross motor control and improve their fine motor skills. Gila said: "As a PE consultant I travelled to and worked in many different primary schools delivering teaching training and teaching example PE lessons.”

She has also done supply teaching in schools in Alfreton, Belper, Ripley and Chesterfield.

Gila became the manager of Alma Osteopathic Practice in 2019, enabling Jamie to serve more patients.

She not only teaches Pilates at the practice but also in Wirksworth. Through an online site, Gila offers bitesize Pilates to women who struggle to find the time to exercise and has also published a book "Keep Moving and Feel Fabulous: A Pilates Lifestyle for Busy Women."

Jamie and Gila have two sons, aged 12 and 15 years old, and a daughter who is 13 years old.

Twenty years on from its launch, Alma Osteopathic Practice has become part of the fabric of Clay Cross, growing alongside a regenerating town that is encouraging its community to move better, live well and invest in their long term health.

For further details, go to https://almaosteopathicpractice.co.uk