Learn How To Prevent Injuries And Fix Your Own Aches And Pains.

Most of us, at sometime in our lives, suffer from occasional aches and pains. This can be something as minor as a stiff neck after a bad night’s sleep. Sometimes though, the problem can be much more deep rooted and debilitating. In some cases, the injury may have been originally caused by an accident of some kind. Most of the time however, it seems to have come out of nowhere.

I am regularly approached by people who have had back, knee or shoulder issues for months if not years. These people have often sought help from their doctor or a therapist (i.e. a Physiotherapist, Chiropractor or Osteopath). In some cases, the issue keeps reoccurring or just won’t go away. People often end up just putting up with the pain and resign themselves to the idea that they are permanently broken in some way. “Oh it’s just my knee, it knackered, I’ve tried everything!”.

From an exercise point of view, these issues can be more than just a nuisance. People naturally learn to avoid movements or actions that cause them pain. Our bodies are masters of adaptation. When we have to perform a specific task, our bodies find ways of accomplishing the task without it hurting. Now, this adaption isn’t always good for us in the long term. Sure we get the task done but it can be at the cost of causing more issues elsewhere. A sore neck often becomes a sore shoulder. A sore hip can become a back or knee injury. Even if a niggle or injury doesn’t cause us to compensate, it will often impede our exercise or sports performance.

 As most of my clients continue to train with me for many years, these types of issues used to be a real problem. How can I train a person who is constantly experiencing pain?

Now, what if I was to tell you that you can do something about it?

Now, I am not peddling any miracle cures here. Some injuries are so deep rooted that they can only be fixed by a talented surgeon. Most of the time however, you should be able to completely get rid of the problem or at least effectively manage it. You can also learn how to prevent and treat other injuries that may occur later in life. It’s a bit like having your own tool kit and performing your own body servicing.

Above all, I am a personal trainer, not a doctor. I am therefore not able to diagnose medical conditions. I have however, spent the last 13 years specialising in working with people with problems. I’ve learned to spot the tell tale signs that are the underlying causes of most of these types of stubborn niggles and injuries. I’ve also learned techniques that help both treat and stop injuries reoccurring.

Ok, so how do I learn to do this?

It’s basically a three pronged approach.

First we try to work out what is the underlying cause of the problem? This usually boils down to one of the following:

• A congenital issue (something you were born with) or the result of an old injury.
• Postural problems or poor movement (see Postural Correction & Why do I have back pain).
• Bad habits such as leg crossing, sleeping on a shoulder or poor sitting position.

Next we work on treating the root cause which helps prevent the issue reoccurring. We accomplish this by:

• Correcting your posture and learning how to move effectively during everyday life (this is an integral part of your exercise sessions with me).
• Cease the bad habits (very, very important).
• In the case of congenital problems, occasionally an orthotic may help. Most of the time though it’s a case of managing the problem (see next point).

Finally we work on cleaning up the mess of dysfunctional muscle through stretching and mobility work (massage and self massage). We do this by:

• Stretching and mobility at the beginning of each session.
• Home mobility programs that I will tailor specifically for you and your problem.

There is no extra charge for this service and I’m not trying to sell you mobility gizmos. I view this as an integral part of the service I provide to my clients. After all, I am hoping you will continue to work with me for a long time. I don’t want you to run into more problems further down the line. Also, a broken client doesn’t make a very good advert and I am hoping you will write me a great testimonial or refer others to me.