Man fined for falsely practising as an osteopath

File photo / Thinkstock

A massage therapist who learnt about osteopathy by watching an acquaintance and then listed himself in the phone book in the osteopath section has been fined $4000.

Rodney Warren Faulkner was yesterday sentenced in Manukau District Court on six charges of performing a restricted activity he was not authorised to perform. He was fined $4000.

An investigation by the Ministry of Health was carried out after a woman complained following a series of neck spinal manipulation treatments performed by Faulkner.

She said she found his clinic listed under the osteopath heading in the phone book and approached him in March 2010.

But after a number of treatments the woman became concerned with the aggressiveness of the treatment and questioned Faulkner.

She found out his only experience in osteopathy came from observing an acquaintance who was an osteopath.

The Ministry of Health today said it welcomed the conviction and sentencing.

The ministry's chief adviser of integrative care, David St George, said there was only a handful of medical interventions that were restricted to registered health practitioners and the treatment Faulkner carried out on the woman was one of them.

"This is because it can be potentially dangerous when carried out by unqualified and inexperienced practitioners - although it is safe and beneficial when performed by an appropriately trained and experienced professional, such as an osteopath."