Pain Free Start

07/06/2026

When your job doesn’t allow you to rest… but your knee still hurts

I recently received a lovely review from a tennis coach I saw in clinic who was struggling with knee pain.

One thing that stood out is something I see a lot in practice.

When your job relies on you being active - coaching, demonstrating, being on court, rest simply isn’t always realistic. You can’t just step away from your work while things settle.

But the knee doesn’t care about your schedule. It still flares up, still aches, and it can feel like you’re constantly trying to manage symptoms while still doing your job.

The good news is, settling pain doesn’t always mean stopping everything you love.

In clinic, it was about finding the right balance - calming the irritation, keeping him moving in a way that didn’t overload the knee, and building strength so it could cope better day to day.

That’s often the shift people need: not complete rest, but the right plan that fits real life.

And when that clicks, things really can start to change.

03/06/2026

02/06/2026

Life is too short to play small.

Last week I was reflecting on two people I've worked with recently.

One was Richard, who completed the West Highland Way with his daughter after initially struggling to walk for more than a couple of hours because of back pain.

The other was a lady in her early twenties who had stopped dancing and exercising because of an Achilles tendon problem she'd been dealing with for almost seven years.

Seven years.

Think about that.

Seven years of avoiding things she loved because her body didn't feel capable of doing them.

Pain has a habit of making our worlds smaller.

We stop exercising.

We stop travelling.

We stop saying yes to opportunities.

We start adapting our lives around pain instead of addressing the pain itself.

The good news?

It doesn't have to stay that way.

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping people rebuild confidence in their bodies and get back to doing the things they love.

Whether that's walking the West Highland Way, dancing again, playing sport, gardening, travelling, or simply keeping up with your family.

You only get one life.

Don't spend it sitting on the sidelines if there may be a solution.

If your body is limiting the life you want to live, I'm here to help.

31/05/2026

Six months ago, Richard walked into my clinic with significant back pain.

Walking for more than a couple of hours would aggravate his symptoms, and the pain would spread.

During our first appointment, he told me he'd been invited to walk the West Highland Way with his daughter.

It was something he'd always wanted to do.

Many people would have decided it was impossible.

Richard didn't.

We got to work with a combination of treatment, exercises, postural re-education and a progressive walking programme. More importantly, Richard committed fully to the process and put the work in.

Last week I received this email:

"Quick note to say the West Highland Way went really well with my daughter. One of the best things I've ever done. No back issues. In fact, no issues at all. I felt full of energy and had a great time. Thanks so much."

Messages like this are why I love what I do.

It's never really about fixing a back.

It's about helping someone get back to the things that matter most.

If pain is stopping you doing something you'd love to do, don't automatically assume you have to live with it.

Sometimes the right plan can take you much further than you think.

19/05/2026

Today it finally arrived! My certificate for my understanding nutrition in health course 🥳

I’ve always had a passion for nutrition and health. It all started years ago when I watched Doctor in the House with Dr Rangan Chatterjee. I was fascinated watching people struggling with skin complaints, gut problems, headaches, depression, diabetes and many other health conditions, only to discover how much improvement could come from personalised nutrition and lifestyle changes.

As a physio, I see first-hand the impact nutrition can have on health, recovery, energy levels and overall wellbeing. It’s something I’ve become incredibly passionate about, because so many people underestimate just how powerful the right nutrition and lifestyle changes can be. That’s why 6 months ago I enrolled in an understanding nutrition in health course. I’ve learnt so much and it has just fuelled my passion even more.

So today feels like a real full-circle moment.

This morning my qualification arrived in the post, and now I’m heading to the airport to spend time with an inspiring group of professionals who are equally passionate about nutrition, health and helping people thrive.
I’ll be joining an incredible community of dentists, doctors, opticians, beauticians, aesthetics practitioners, coaches, fitness instructors, physios and other health and wellness professionals - all committed to learning, growing and sharing knowledge to help improve people’s lives. The calibre, positivity and passion within this group is genuinely inspiring, and I feel very grateful to be part of it.

Marbella, here we come ✈️☀️

13/05/2026

If anyone needs my support please get in touch, I would love to help you.
You deserve a Pain Free Start

Take care, Helen

Visit the website - http://painfreestart.com
email - [email protected]
phone/txt - 07742210405

12/05/2026

Are you getting the most from your life?????

This is something I’m so passionate about. If your body is stopping you from doing everything you want then I would love to help you live your best life.

Future proof yourself with my strong for life assessment.
Https://painfreestart.com/stay-strong-for-life/

Or for support with pain, injury or optimising your body please get in touch.

I would love to help x

10/05/2026

I listened to a brilliant podcast from Mel Robbins while I was at the gym this week… which felt quite fitting really because I was working on both my body and my brain health at the same time 🧠💪

The episode talked about 5 key habits that research proves helps support brain health and healthy ageing using the simple acronym NEURO:

🟢 Nutrition
🟢 Exercise
🟢 Unwind
🟢 Restorative sleep
🟢 Optimise your brain

One of the biggest takeaways for me was this:

Your future brain health is not just down to genetics.
Your daily habits matter.

As a physio, I spend a lot of time helping people stay strong physically - but healthy ageing is about so much more than muscles and joints.

It’s also about:
✔️ movement
✔️ sleep
✔️ stress management
✔️ routine
✔️ purpose
✔️ learning
✔️ keeping both body and brain active

It got me thinking…

👉 What would your brain health score be?

This is actually something I include within my Strong For Life Assessment because I believe ageing well is about looking at the whole picture of health.

The response to these assessments has been amazing recently and they’re proving incredibly popular 😊

Learn more below and if you’d like one get in touch, lets book it in.

https://painfreestart.com/stay-strong-for-life/

Learn more in my full blog. With link to the episode there were so many great takeaways all very clever and easy to add in.
https://painfreestart.com/5-brain-health-habits-to-support-healthy-ageing-the-neuro-method/

Take care, Helen.