One of my lovely clients has kindly given me permission to share her story. I’ve changed her name and a few personal details to protect her privacy, but everything else is true.
Let’s call her Lisa.
Lisa came to see me because of back pain.
Or at least, that’s what she thought.
She was 56, working full-time in a desk-based job, caring for ageing parents, supporting her family and doing everything she could to help with her young grandchildren.
She’d been living with lower back pain for years.
After several severe episodes of pain and muscle spasms, she’d become frightened of bending, lifting or twisting. Every movement felt risky, so without even realising it, she’d stopped trusting her own body.
But as we talked, I realised this was never just about her back.
She was carrying so much more than physical pain.
The pressure of work.
The responsibility of caring for everyone else.
The guilt of not being able to help with her grandchildren in the way she wanted.
The feeling that she was constantly giving to others but never giving herself permission to stop.
When Lisa came into my clinic, she cried.
People often apologise for crying, but I always reassure them they never need to apologise here.
Sometimes those tears have been waiting a long time.
When life is busy, we become very good at putting on a brave face. We keep going because everyone else needs us.
Until one day, our body starts asking us to slow down.
As physiotherapists, we’re trained to assess joints, muscles and movement.
Of course that’s important.
But over the years, I’ve learnt that lasting recovery often means looking beyond the painful body part.
Pain doesn’t happen in isolation.
Stress changes how we move.
Fear changes how we move.
Poor sleep changes how we move.
Busy lives change how we move.
When we’re constantly rushing, carrying everyone else’s worries and putting ourselves at the bottom of the list, our bodies often carry that load too.
So yes, we worked on Lisa’s back.
We helped her move without fear again.
We rebuilt her strength.
We introduced simple exercises she could realistically fit into her day.
But we also explored the barriers that had stopped her looking after herself for so long.
The guilt.
The fear.
The pressure.
The belief that everyone else’s needs came before her own.
We practised breathing exercises.
Meditation.
Gentle walks.
Ten-minute movement routines.
Small changes that felt achievable rather than overwhelming.
Slowly, she stopped bracing every movement and started trusting her body again.
Six months later, she was lifting her grandchildren.
Going to the gym
Enjoying coastal walks with her husband again.
Her back became stronger.
But something much more important happened.
She got her freedom back.
This is why I love being a physiotherapist.
I don’t believe recovery is about handing someone another sheet of exercises.
It’s about understanding what’s keeping them stuck.
Because until we understand the barriers, it’s very difficult to create lasting change.
Every person who walks into my clinic has a story.
My job is to listen to that story, understand the bigger picture and help them rebuild confidence in their body, one step at a time.
Pain can make your world feel smaller.
My goal is to help make it big again.
Because movement isn’t just about exercise.
It’s about having the freedom to live the life you want.
Movement is freedom.
Ready to find your freedom?
If this story resonated with you, perhaps it’s time to start writing your own.
Whether your goal is to lift your grandchildren, return to running, enjoy long walks, travel with confidence or simply move without fear, I’d love to help you get there.
I’d be honoured to be part of your journey.
Rhi Bowden
Chartered Physiotherapist & Movement Specialist
Helping people find freedom through movement.