The magic fingers of Pat Allen

by NATHAN RYAN

CARLTON defender Luke Livingston is not generally perceived as a trend-setter in football circles. But he certainly started a trend when he recommended to Carlton team mates that they head to Donald in north-central Victoria if they have problems with difficult conditions such as the groin complaint known as osteitis pubis.

Livingston grew up on a farm outside Quambatook, near Swan Hill. For nearly 20 years, his family has been driving more than an hour from Quambatook to Donald to see Pat Allen, a 67-year-old who has won a nation-wide reputation as a rare healer.

"My dad, Bryan, was a good country footballer for Kerang and Wandella and he went to him for a long time," Livingston said. "My grandmother had drop foot once and she could barely move from the knee down. Surgeons were going to operate but Pat got her going.

"It's amazing some of the things he does. It's a shame he's 300 kilometres away or I'd see him every week."

Livingston, from Kerang Football Club via Bendigo Pioneers, convinced Heath Scotland to make the drive to Donald after Scotland had suffered a bout of osteitis pubis almost two years ago, when he was still at Collingwood. Now a Carlton player, Scotland's experiences convinced Blues team mates such as star forward Brendan Fevola and captain Anthony Koutoufides to make the long, dusty journey to Donald.

Fevola has been for a shoulder complaint and a mild case of osteitis pubis, while Koutoufides had concerns with his shoulder. When Allen ventures to Melbourne, usually for the spring racing carnival, he works on Fevola, Koutoufides and Livingston from his motel room.

While ostetis pubis has had some of the best medical minds baffled, Allen has players ready for action after as little as one treatment. "For the first 15 years it was known as a groin blockage - I used to do three cases per season," Allen said. "Now I'm curing 10 cases per week."

Allen has helped sportspeople, mainly footballers from towns between Hamilton and Swan Hill, get onto the field for 27 years, but only recently has he grabbed attention throughout the country by declaring he could cure osteitis pubis.

"Osteitis pubis is when there is inflammation of the pubic bone located at the bottom of the pelvis," Allen said. "The player cannot twist or turn and the more work they do causes the pain to increase because inflammation irritates the nervous system.''

His secret is working on the body's nervous system. His treatment requires him to use 48 Band-aids a day to protect his fingers.

"The nervous system controls our whole body. It's responsible for our circulation, the workings of our organs of the body and if there is no pressure on the nervous system then there is no pain," he said. "I find 95 per cent of cases can either be cured or eased. We do hands-on work and release the pressure to get a result.

"Everyone has a gift, they just need the opportunity to use it.''

Allen believes that tightness in three areas of the body - the back, quadriceps and abductor tendons - cause osteitis pubis. He said he is able to cure the problem by releasing the tightness in these areas through a method that increases nerve circulation into the muscles.

"You need to release the tightness in the three areas to get nervous system working around the pubic bone to dispense inflammation - that's the real secret," he said. "The treatment means you don't have to have any rest.

"Most players usually need two sessions, sometimes three, depending on the time they have had it.''

There are many who doubt Allen's work because of his lack of formal qualifications.

"There are sceptics and I can understand the doubt but many doctors in the area either send patients to me or are happy to know my opinion on a complaint," he said. "I respect modern medicine and think it's great that we can work together Ü hopefully we can work together more in the future.

"If people ask what my qualifications are, I tell them I was taught by the smartest man in the business, the legendary Bert Donald from Stawell, and the hundreds of premiership photos I've got on my wall.''

Late last year former Sydney forward and current Norwood coach Dale Lewis invited Allen to work on several players in Adelaide, including Port Power ruckman Brendan Lade.

Lewis' brother Wes had recommended Allen. Wes has been visiting him for the past 10 years, even when playing for Palm Beach in AFL South Queensland. Wes, currently playing for Tyntynder after coaching Woorinen to a flag in 2002, was diagnosed with osteitis pubis at the end of last season and had four months rest before the problem flared reared again.

" I saw everyone and had the works, but nothing, even rest, fixed it," Lewis said. Three visits to him and I was as right as rain, the pain just went away.

"I don't really understand what he does; all I know is that it works so I don't care. "Obviously there are certain things he can't fix but I know he can fix osteitis pubis, I can guarantee that.''

John Harvey, a former Port Adelaide Magpies hard-man and two-time Minyip-Murtoa coach, believes Allen influences the minds of his patients as well as their bodies.

Harvey became coach of the newly formed Minyip-Murtoa in 1996, after transferring from Adelaide to Horsham through work. At 35, his body was feeling the effects of a bruising career.

"I had chronic thigh problems and kept breaking down," Harvey said. "Someone suggested to go to Pat and virtually through his positive talking and his belief in himself and what he does he manipulated my mind as well.

"To his credit he must align everything and get blood flow going quicker.''

After missing most of the 1996 season, Harvey kicked four goals in a second semi-final against Stawell, the hot favourite after beating Minyip-Murtoa by 18 goals in their previous encounter. Harvey, with plenty of help from Allen, also played in the rematch against Stawell in the grand final.

While he had little influence in way of possessions, his younger teammates walked taller with their leader on the field and ran away with the flag. Immediately after the final siren Harvey found Allen and thanked him.

"You would think physios, chiropractors and acupuncturists would have more benefit than a little outback place at Donald," Harvey said. "But after a couple of visits everything felt free.

"He's obviously got some sort of gift, he puts his hands on you and in a couple of visits you recover quicker - or at least he instils belief you'll be back a lot quicker."

First published in The Age.

22 September 2005

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