Niagara Therapy

History

The Niagara Therapy company was established in 1949 in the USA by Owen K. Murphy after purchasing a prototype and patent at auction for a 'therapeutic vibrator' device invented by Wiliam L. Wettlaufer. Niagara's website describes a range of products developed from the actions of a coal sifting device in the 1930s, including a range of adjustable beds with a vibration system called 'Cyclo-Therapy', a range of riser recliner chairs, a handheld massaging device and a massage pad. Under the name Accell they also manufacture a portable vibration device for cats and dogs, and a range of similar devices for horses sold under the name Equissage.

In 1961 Niagara Therapy expanded overseas into Europe, Australia in 1969 and New Zealand in 1985.

Niagara Therapy Australasia is an independently owned company, with its headquarters in Queensland. The company sources components from both domestic and international suppliers. Niagara Australasia has an network of distributors in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. The current Chairman is Peter Crealey. Niagara Australasia headquarters are based in the Brisbane suburb of Parkinson, where they opened a new manufacturing plant in 2014 for all of its medical devices for the Australasian market.

Niagara also has showrooms in Indiana, USA with the president named as Jeffrey L. Hibler.

Irving John Milsom is the current director of Niagara Healthcare and Niagara Therapy (UK) as well as director of several other subsidiary companies including Balance Master, Vibrant Medical Ltd. and Adjustamatic Beds Ltd.

Fairyland Centres

Niagara Therapy has been involved in charity work, through efforts at its Fairyland Centres, since 1954. In the 1950s actor Walter Matthau featured in a television program entitled, Doctor Ed. In this program, the beginning of the Fairyland Centre concept was described, with Matthau playing Dr. Ed Connor.

Niagara Therapy Fairyland are rehabilitation centres, serving children with physical and emotional disorders. Fairyland Centres offer children a place where they can both receive therapy and spend time, away from home. The Fairyland Centres place an emphasis on entertaining children through the use of internally developed therapeutic toys – such as the “big red chair” and trains. The toys used in the Centres are designed and manufactured by Niagara employees specifically for charity.

The Fairyland Centres receive most of their funding from internal sources. This includes numerous fundraising events conducted by Niagara and its personnel.

In 1954, the first Fairyland Centre was established in Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA. Owen K. Murphy, the founder of Niagara Therapy, joined forces with Dr. Ed Connor in creating the concept of the Fairyland Centre . It was here at the first Fairyland Centre where formative research for Niagara CVT medical devices took place.

Since 2008 Niagara has introduced the 'Niagara Therapy Fairyland Centres' concept to Australia and New Zealand. Under the scheme Niagara donates play equipment incorporating vibration devices embedded into play equipment to specialist schools for children with sensory impairment, physical disability or other special needs. One school for example received "a train, a bulldozer, three pads, three hand-held devices and a massage chair." The school then becomes one of the Fairyland Centres. There are around 13 schools in Australasia who have received donated products, the first being the Latrobe Special School in Traralgon, Victoria. Others include: the Kuraby Special School in Brisbane (Qld); the Bundaberg Special Developmental School (Qld); William Rose Special School and Orange Special Developmental School (NSW); Sir Keith Park Special School (NZ); Durham Road Special School (WA); and the Croydon Special Developmental School (VIC).

Sales method and criticisms

Sales people for Niagara work on a commission basis. In 2015 Niagara Healthcare sales representatives in New Zealand were criticized by Consumer NZ for their aggressive sales tactics and high prices. Consumer advocate Mark Hanna and the Advertising Standards Authority in New Zealand have also criticised claims made by Niagara for the methodology of the research they use to demonstrate the efficacy of their products, including sponsoring their own research through a grant from 'Vibrant Medical' (which is a subsidiary owned by Niagara Healthcare Ltd.) and reporting successes which are then not independently verified. which is against New Zealand advertising codes of practice.

New Zealand

In the Hawkes Bay area of New Zealand in 2014 a warning was sent out to all medical practices to advise patients not to arrange medical appointments in their homes with Niagara Healthcare as patients were receiving calls and confusing the company with genuine GP referral services. A representative of Niagara responded that they did very little cold calling and of the call centre staff, "These girls are properly trained"

In 2015 Niagara Healthcare was cautioned by the New Zealand Commerce Commission for failing to provide customers with information on their legal rights to cancel when making a sales agreement, under the Fair Trading Act 1986, after a case involving a lady who agreed to purchase a $13,000 massage chair. At the time of the incident Mr. Crealey said he was aware of the new laws which had been brought in and was in the process of amending the company's paperwork.

United Kingdom

In February 2002 Age Concern (now known as Age UK) commissioned a report entitled Sharp selling practices in the selling of assistive products to older people which looked at the selling techniques of specific assistive products aimed at the elderly or infirm. The report involved collating complaints from Age Concern and other advice agencies, consulting on types of selling experiences across the industry and arranged six 'mystery shopper' scenarios. Niagara Therapy was selected as one company "known to be often complained about". Several areas of concern were highlighted in the overall report and Niagara's response was included. The mystery shopper was told "she could be at high risk from gangrene as a result of poor blood circulation, a risk he claimed would reduce if she bought his £4,350 chair." Irving Milsom responded to correct some of the factual errors his sales representative had made during the visit and reiterated the company's commitment to maintaining ethical standards.

In October 2005 BBC television programme Rogue Traders aired an episode on Niagara Therapy prompted by a complaint from Chelford Homewatch about their targeting the elderly. In the episode the family of an elderly lady described how she had a 2-hour sales pitch in which she was told not to answer her phone by a salesman. During the programme actors invited a salesman who spent 4 hours selling them a vibrating chair using "several over the top medical claims". In response Tim Savage, director of Niagara Therapy said the actress deliberately slowed the saleman's selling pitch.

In July 2005 the Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom) upheld two complaints against Niagara Therapy (UK) Limited, concluding that Niagara Therapy offered "no valid scientific evidence that CVT administered through their beds, chairs and pads offered pain relief other than what might be attributed to a well-supported posture, or positional relief" and that the scientific evidence "was very old, poorly conducted and much of it had not been submitted to peer review prior to publication". The advertisers had been repeatedly told by the ASA to amend their advert.