About Back to Back

Back to Back Osteopaths in Earlsfield, Wandsworth

Back to Back is a family-run practice with deep roots in the Earlsfield community. Principal osteopath James Dodd qualified in 1999 and began his career renting a room at the local Earlsfield Practice, where he built relationships with GPs and took his first steps into the community he still serves today.

In 2001, with the support of his wife Annie, James opened Back to Back (a former plumbing shop) on Garratt Lane — with two osteopaths, one vision, and Annie keeping everything running behind the scenes.

In 2011 Annie graduated with a master's degree in osteopathy and joined the clinical team. The practice expanded, adding treatment rooms and broadening its offer to include massage therapy and reflexology. Over the years a team of highly skilled osteopaths has grown around the founding pair, including a specialist paediatric osteopath and a dedicated reception team.

As the practice has grown, so has the Dodd family — their two daughters, who once helped out at the front desk, have since forged their own paths. The clinic they grew up in continues to be run with the same care and values it started with.

Clinical credentials and continuing education

Back to Back Osteopaths holds an unusually high level of postgraduate qualification across its senior team — a reflection of a culture of learning that has been central to the clinic since it was founded.

Four of our osteopaths — James Dodd, Annie Fonfé, Anja Davidson and Stephanie Gammell — hold the Fellowship of Applied Functional Science (FAFS), awarded by the Gray Institute for Functional Transformation in the USA. The FAFS is one of the most rigorous postgraduate qualifications available to musculoskeletal practitioners anywhere in the world. It requires completion of the Gray Institute's GIFT (Gray Institute Fellowship Training) mentorship programme — an intensive, applied course in 3D movement analysis, functional biomechanics and whole-body movement assessment. Fellows are trained to assess and treat the body as an interconnected system in motion, rather than focusing on isolated symptoms or structures.

The Gray Institute, founded by Gary Gray — widely regarded as the father of functional training — works with elite sports teams, orthopaedic surgeons and performance specialists worldwide. Holding FAFS means our practitioners think and work at the level demanded by professional sport, applied to every patient regardless of their activity level or age.

Three of our team additionally hold the Anatomy in Motion (AiM) qualification, drawing on Gary Ward's pioneering approach to gait analysis and movement restoration. Regular in-house CPD sessions are led by James Dodd, ensuring the entire clinical team continues to develop.

All osteopaths at Back to Back are fully registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) — the statutory regulator for osteopaths in the UK.

What do we do?

Our osteopaths look at how the body moves as a whole, not just where pain is felt. Through careful assessment of joints, muscles, posture and movement patterns, they identify areas that may be stiff, overloaded or compensating for something else. Hands-on treatment is then used to improve movement, reduce pain and support the body's natural ability to recover.

Clear explanations and practical advice help patients understand what is going on — and reduce the risk of it coming back. Many of our practitioners are also trained in Western acupuncture, used alongside osteopathic treatment where appropriate.

Exercise and movement management is key is most areas with out patients.

Who we see?

Patients come to us through self-referral and on the recommendation of GPs and consultants. We commonly help with back and neck pain, postural problems related to work or pregnancy, and sports and activity-related injuries.

We place particular importance on seeing acute injuries promptly — early, appropriate care can significantly reduce the risk of longer-term problems. Your osteopath will always discuss their working diagnosis with you before treatment begins, and you will leave with clear guidance on movement, exercise and posture — not just short-term relief.

Complex cases can be reviewed at senior level, and second opinions are always available when needed.

Find out more about our treatments, our team and who we can help