Hyderabad Quadris: The human engineers who work their fingers to the bone

They come in pain and anxiety and go back happy and relieved. Be it fractures, dislocations, lumbar spondylosis, arthritis, cervical spondylosis, or neurological disorders, the one place people make a beeline in Hyderabad is Shah Ali Banda – the Quadri Estate to be precise.

Over the years family members of late Dr. Ghulam Ahmed Quadri have been providing sureshot cure for every type of bone injury. Where doctors fear to tread, the Quadris rush in. And come out successful.

No surgery, splint, sling, or plaster of Paris cast – just manipulation to reposition the bones. The Quadri brothers and sisters have brought immense relief to lakhs of people through their non-invasive manipulative reduction techniques.

The Ortho Neuro techniques found and practiced by Dr. G.A. Quadri for 60 years since 1935 have been mastered and improved upon by his children. With eight sons and two daughters engaged in the same profession, the Quadris claim to be the single largest family of osteopaths in the world – a feat worthy of mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. The entire Quadri clan - Dr. Nayeem Quadri, Dr. Faheeem Quadri, Dr. Saleem Quadri, Dr. Rafath Aziz, Dr. Nusrath Alia, Dr. Aleem Quadri, Dr. Vaseem Quadri, Dr. Kaleem Quadri, Dr. Azeem Quadri and Dr. Raheem Quadri practice separately at Shah Ali Banda. Women patients usually rush to Dr. Rafath Aziz and Dr. Nusrath Alia – the only lady practitioners of Quadri's Ortho Neuro techniques.

Now the third generation has also stepped into their fathers' shoes. Youngsters like Salahuddin Quadri, Nooruddin Quadri, and Shabbir Quadri are learning the ropes. The interesting thing is none of the Quadri children have gone to a medical college or studied medicine. "We have inherited the time-tested techniques of our father and done our research to further improve them", said Dr. Aleem Quadri who has now specialized in treating spinal disorders. His three children Asfiya Quadri, Afreen Quadri, and Ahmed Alam Quadri, who are in the final year of MBBS, are set to take up the family business. Dr. Aleem has great hopes for his daughter, Asfiya, who has done her MS in Orthopaedics.

Interestingly, Asfia Quadri is the same girl who created a record during her school-going days by wearing new shoes and socks every day. From June 16, 1997, to June 14, 2003, she wore 1251 pairs of school shoes.

What exactly is the Quadri technique? It is nothing but the human touch. The Quadris are all engineers – human engineers. They practice non-invasive drug-free manual therapy. They work magic with their hands applying gentle pressure and doing stretches and resistance to realign the bones in the correct position. "You have to know the human anatomy – where to push and pull and what to feel and release", said Dr. Aleem who has studied the medical books on anatomy on his own.

Osteopathy, according to Dr. Aleem, is a patient-centered rather than a disease-centered technique. Any pain in the body has a cause and the cause has a location and the osteopath must locate and remove it. After massaging the body they apply pain relief oil and put the patient through physiotherapy exercises. ``Most of the patients get 50 to 60 percent relief in the first sitting itself and three to four months they are back to their normal life", said Dr. Aleem.

When someone ends up with a fractured bone he is usually rushed to a doctor. But in Hyderabad, they head to the traditional bone setters like the Quadris. Though the treatment is a bit painful, the result is excellent. Without resorting to surgery the Quadris mend the damaged bones perfectly. Their technique has drawn appreciation and laurels from well-known Orthopaedic Neurosurgeons and general doctors from both within and outside India. Dr. Bryan M. Pereira from the Spine Neuro Surgery Institute of North East Wisconsin, USA, was amazed when he visited Dr. Aleem's clinic and saw him working. "The treatment is fantastic. There is a scientific base. He aligns the bones and spine perfectly according to anatomical and biomechanical concepts", he remarked.

Dr. C.V. Ratnam from Liverpool University, UK, is also appreciative of Dr. Aleem's technique. "Over 40 years I have never been able to manipulate a fracture as precisely as is done by this young man", he said after watching a demonstration given by Dr. Aleem.

The Quadri's fame has traveled far and wide. Patients from different parts of India come to Hyderabad for treatment – some of them are doctors themselves. Take the case of Dr. Fouzia Farhat, a dentist from Maharashtra. She suffered from cervical and lumbar problems and was completely cured by Dr. Aleem. Her parents also were successfully treated by him.

Among the Quadri patients are a good number of celebrities and VIPs also. When people find the going tough with modern medicine they turn to the Quadris. Not just simple fractures but even complicated cases where doctors advise emergency surgery get cured here without any operation.

What next? Dr. Aleem Qaudri plans to set up an Ortho Neuro Techniques Research Institute to offer a four-year diploma course in his technique. He is also in the process of writing a book explaining the non-operative methods of treatment with pictures and results of treatment. He goes about his work very meticulously. He has maintained a record of patients treated by him. He routinely takes X-rays before and after the reduction of fractures, dislocations, and neurological disorders to see whether bones and joints are set in proper alignment. He has over 50,000 X-rays, 40,000 MRIs, and over 200 C.T. Scans from April 4, 1995, to October 10, 2000. All these he has converted into 602 CDs for safe preservation. He also has 209 video cassettes of patients' case history, opinions, and remarks. "This is useful for academic advancement", he said.

Their method of treatment may be a bone of contention with some. But as long as one finds relief it shouldn't matter.