Think rehab is just for pop celebrities and disabled athletes? Think again.

It seems to be a forgone conclusion that aches and pains start in your 30s and progressively get worse as we get older.

If I had a dollar for every time I asked someone with back pain, “are you suffering with back pain?” and get the response of “Oh, no, not really. Just old age things,” I wouldn’t be writing this blog, and would instead be sipping Mai Tais in Hawaii.

However, aside from passing a psychological wall of ‘turning 30’, another phenomenon happens around this age… we become more sedentary. Whether it be through stresses of a full time job, paying a mortgage, having a pregnant wife… our fitness and overall strength declines, as we spend more time hunched over a computer, sitting at an office chair, or simply not running and playing like we used to when we were younger. This is what causes our aches and pains to begin! Here are some examples:

– Have you heard of ‘glute amnesia?’ – this term obviously started as clickbait for internet journal articles, but there is some truth in this phrase. Prolonged sitting restricts the blood flow to our gluteal muscles causing them to de-condition, and stop firing even when we perform exercises to specifically strengthen our glutes. This glute weakness is associated with a plethora of conditions including lower back pain, piriformis syndrome, hip pain and more!

– What about the athlete who has returned to playing weekend footy after taking a break for the last 10 years… They are often hampered by recurrent soft tissue injuries such as hamstring strains and calf strains. These are the muscles that always feel tight, and no matter how much stretching you’re performing, they stay tight! But there is a reason for it… these are your weaker muscles.

Go To Rehab!

Here are Move Physiotherapy we believe that muscle tightness occurs for a reason. If you are being constantly hampered by neck pain – and yes, a massage is fantastic and gives you a re-set to eliminate this neck pain for 3-4 weeks, but then it gradually returns – perhaps it is time to work out the cause of this neck pain! The following picture is the most typical presentation for those suffering with neck pain.

Your rehab may involve a period of ‘loosening’ work such as massage therapy or dry needling for muscles including your pectorals and upper trapezius muscles, but in order to prevent these muscles from getting tight we need to strengthen the inhibited rhomboids, serratus anterior and neck flexor muscles!

The above picture is typical of most lower back and hip pain scenarios. Here we see tightness through our hip flexors and lower back musculature, with associated weakness occurring through our gluteals and abdominal muscles. For those suffering with back pain, I’m sure many have received a fantastic treatment where these tight muscles have been released and your pain eradicated, however, this pain can often return… and sometimes with a vengeance!

If you are looking for the ‘forever fix’ of these aches and pains, Move Physiotherapy Fremantle has you covered. We perform a comprehensive 1-hour initial assessment to identify these areas of tightness and weakness, and provide you with a written treatment plan to address these issues. We then guide you through these exercises 1:1 utilising our fully equipped gymnasium providing you with a home exercise program to combat these issues once and for all. Follow the link here or at the top of the page to book your appointment online today.