Clients who suffer from back pain will be only too familiar with how debilitating and frustrating it can be. Ongoing back pain can be extremely complex to fix. The truth is, it is often impossible to accurately identify the tissues causing your pain, even with a scan! For that reason, some patients may feel that they aren’t fully believed by health professionals, or they may have been told that nothing can be done to help.

At Physio7, we aim to keep things simple with our 2 stage approach. Even if we can’t fully identify which sensitive tissues cause your pain in Stage 1, we can certainly help to figure out your major underlying factors. You may have stiff joints in your spine, pelvis or hips that are contributing to your pains. You may well have tight soft tissues, weak muscles, or poor movement patterns and postures. Perhaps your training is loading your back in a way that adds to the problem, or  you might have some beliefs about your body or the injury itself that affects the way you function. With a thorough assessment, we can identify the most critical factors, and start to improve the way you function. Stage 1 is all about helping you to cope with your back pain.

Stage 2 is more in depth rehabilitation those underlying problems, to allow you to perform at your best. In reality, people with a longstanding problem may still experience discomfort, but there is no reason why you shouldn’t get fitter, stronger, more supple and move more freely. We don’t want you to settle for coping, we want you to thrive!

After 6 months of zero progress at a private physio clinic employed by the NHS, I was basically told to get used to living with constant back pain. This left me with a very cynical view of physiotherapy, and I did live with the pain for 3 more years. After seeing my quality of life gradually worsen, friends and family persuaded me to give physio another try, so I contacted Chris.

I went to the first appointment as a total sceptic, but am very pleased to have been proven wrong. After taking some details on my pain, Chris performed a thorough visual and physical examination of my lower back and identified and area of tightness. Chris gave me some stretches to do and we made an appointment for the following week. The stretches were very painful at first, but after just 5 days I could feel a definite improvement. 10 or so sessions with Chris over 6 months and I am now completely pain free for the first time in years. I’m now back to strength training and am looking forward to doing martial arts again.

After years of near constant pain I still catch myself flinching every now and again expecting a huge jolt of nerve pain from my lower back, and being pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t occur.

Matt Johnstone

What to bring

If you have back pain, it is helpful to bring a few items to your physiotherapy appointments:

• Shorts, if you have lower back or leg problems
• Ladies- a strappy vest top, if you have upper back or neck problems
• Reading glasses if you need them
• A list of your current medication

Not sure if we can help? – Free phone consultation available

You may like to take advantage of our FREE 10 minute phone consultation service to talk with a Physiotherapist prior to booking any treatment. The consultation will not involve an examination but it will be an opportunity to discuss your particular problem and whether you feel we can help you. Call us on 01473 569 007 to see if we can help.