Do you ever listen to your friends or family saying how much they enjoy walking, running, or going to exercise classes? Have you ever felt that you would love to do those things too but can’t? What’s stopping you? For many the answer is pain, it may be limiting what you would really love to be able to do. Well, the good news is, there are solutions. But it may not be as simple as you think. Below are reasons why you may have failed other traditional approaches to fixing this problem.

1. You have always looked for a quick fix or short-term pain relief: the reality is for long term pain and stiffness issues there are no quick fixes, nobody is fixed in one session. You might feel better after one session, but the pain often returns for long term issues. Remember injuries and pain can occur for several reasons so it takes time to resolve each one. For example, somebody might come to me with hip pain, but in the past, they have had an ankle sprain. On assessment there is often no issue with the hip, the problem is the ankle is still not happy to tolerate load when walking or standing, so until we get the ankle happy the hip will never be happy!

2. You don’t have time for exercises or getting exercise – the exercise prescribed at AON physiotherapy are bespoke to you and your issue. They are what you need to do to change something. It may be that one group of muscles are weak, or a joint is very stiff. Unless you change that your pain or stiffness will not change long term. Also, consistency in doing the prescribed exercises is key. It takes time for your body to change, and it will only change with consistency.

3. You just want hands on treatment – As mentioned above consistency with exercises is vital. “Hands on” therapy like massage will probably help you feel better in the short-term but not long term. At AON Physiotherapy we work to figure out the root cause of the issue and fix that. This amounts to 80% of the work we do, with 20% hands on treatment. If you are looking for short term relief, there are several treatments like massage, heat therapy, cupping etc.

4. You are not clear on your goals – ask yourself if you could wave a magic wand and be pain free, what would you love to achieve or be able to do? For some it might be able to play golf or run a 10k, for others it may simply be to be able to be pain free. Having a goal gives structure and a plan for your rehab. This will keep you on track.

Remember, to get better and achieve your goals, you need to be motivated to get better, and be willing to do your exercises daily. Physiotherapy can’t help you if you aren’t willing to help yourself.