About John O'Dowd
John O'Dowd combines extensive clinical expertise with a keen interest in the non-surgical treatment of back pain. Since 1994, he has focused exclusively on spinal disorders and, during that time, has become a pioneer in the field of biopsychosocial pain management.
He is the founder and former director of the RealHealth Institute in London — an evidence-based organisation for the multidisciplinary assessment and treatment of chronic and complex spinal conditions. He is currently the clinical director of RealHealth at Sint Maartenskliniek in Nijmegen, a national referral centre for non-surgical care for complex lower back pain.
John has built up extensive clinical experience, including as an honorary consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square (London) and as a reconstructive spinal surgeon for complex procedures in adults and scoliosis in children.
His research interests have led to publications and presentations on spinal injuries, scoliosis, low back pain, non-surgical spinal care and outcome measures. He is a reviewer for leading journals, including Spine, the European Spine Journal, the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and Injury. He is president of the Society for Back Pain Research and a member of, amongst others, the British Association of Spine Surgeons, the British Scoliosis Society and the North American Spine Society.
John was one of the founders of AOSpine — now the largest professional organisation for spinal surgeons worldwide — and was responsible for its educational activities globally.