A large percentage of my private clients often find me originally with some sort of pain and injury after running the gamut of contradictory advice , money draining services and no change or improvement despite doing everything their physios say.

That said, I work collaboratively with some fabulous physios and have even trained a couple of small team groups in pain education updates the last couple of years and they can really set the standard in care, useful diagnosis and advice.

However, I often hear sad tales of people missing their friends, support network and favourite activities due to outdated and misplaced advice.

Example: A fit man being strictly told to give up tennis, golf and yoga because it’s dangerous and harmful to his sciatica- which he still has over a year later despite being warned to only receive treatment from his physio.

The only new progress is sadly adding loneliness and depression into the mix

People told not to go to the gym or bend forward with bad backs and convinced their knees will blow out with too much bend or straightening. It’s outdated, unhelpful, fear mongering and absolutely not person centred.

So here are some signs you may be getting rotten physio advice:

First up, transparency.

Whether we want to admit it or not, the reality of most pain and injury cures or fixes is that time takes care of it. To be brutally honest everything else we do is at worst a distraction whilst time passes by or at best we use that time to rebuild safety for the nervous system, learning coping mechanisms, learn about our pain and scale back our return to activity. This is something I am very clear on with all prospective clients that there is no set exercise, number of reps, combination of movements that is going to fix something.

So transparency and honesty are key in my book.

If you aren’t receiving this, shop around for different care.

Narrowing your world.

Pain is a thief of time, joy, energy and pleasure. What we do not ever want to see is people told not to do things they enjoy or return to them. Fear mongering, scary warnings and strict instructions not to move in certain ways or participate in activities enjoyed is the polar opposite of the direction modern care takes us in.

We want to hear enthusiasm, encouragement and hope.

Movement optimism.

The absolute number one thing your physio should be doing is getting you back to what you love. Everything is possible because everything is scalable.

If you aren’t receiving this, shop around for different care.

Signposting

Collaboration is key in person centred care both with them and any other person working with them. Creating gatekeeping around what can and can’t be done and what other treatments they pursue screams of not wanting anyone else to touch the cash cow they are feeding with fear. There are big bodies of evidence around how negative language directly impacts and increases pain perception and recovery set backs. Your provider should be helping you find a recipe that not only meets needs but you enjoy. If juggling pineapples on a bicycle makes you feel more safe in your body they should be clapping not scoffing or banning you from it.

If you aren’t receiving this,shop around for different care.

Takeaway

Ask yourself; in following their protocol and sticking to their rules around treatment and which movements they have permitted, have I radically improved?

In spending money and/or investing time with this physio has my situation changed?

Under this imposed  regime do I have increased quality of life and joy, crucially have I returned to what I love to do?

Is it time to regain agency over my situation?

If you aren’t receiving this, shop around for different care.