feelgood factor

"I did my back in. I woke up one morning and couldn't get out of bed. My back went completely.

But I found this fantastic osteopath. She's really good. She does the Scottish rubgy team.

So I had to take my clothes off in front of this very pretty blonde lady. But I'm a Tory MP - I'm supposed to be used to these situations.

I walked in in agony. She took one look at my back and she said it would take two manipulations to put it right, and by God she knew her business.

She examined my spine and said the muscles had spasmed here and were out of kilter there. Then she laid me flat out and jumped all over me, put her knee in my back and cracked things here and cricked things there. I think I had my eyes closed at that point - I held a pillow as she jumped on top of me and held my neck.

You don't feel instant relief.

The whole process takes about half an hour and she gave me lots of useful advice on how to get in and out of a car. I discovered that my left leg is slightly shorter than my right - so I've been walking around in circles for years.

I went back a couple of times. She gave me a couple of simple exercises to do if my back gets ropey again; lying on my back with my knees up to my chest, which I do in the morning.

It was good. From being in agony, taking an hour to get out of bed and not being able to get in the car, within a few days I was back to normal and running eight miles a day."

Jerry Hayes, Conservative MP for Harlow, was interview by Nick Walker.