An Inspirational Story on How To Fix Balance Problems by Addressing Your Aches & Pains

This story in one of our clients’ own words, beautifully sums up how pain limits your life every day. It is also a story of persistence, understanding, and how physio and Pilates can work beautifully together to make you feel great and overcome your movement problems. Pain, balance, posture and strength problems can all be linked and overcome with the right plan and approach. It can take time but is worth it when you get your life back.

Thank you for sharing your story Ann. We all think you are amazing with what you have achieved!

“Before I came to the HealthHub, my main problem was bad knee pain. It was severely limiting my life. I’d seen an NHS physio for about a year - who gave me exercises. I could not do them because of my pain. I was told to work through the pain and ‘remember my form’, hard when it hurts! I’d got into some bad habits over the years, and it was now catching up with me.

My knee pain meant I could only do half a day’s gardening a week – it would take the rest of the week for the pain to subside. Housework was painful, I had to go downstairs one at a time like a child and could not walk down hills without severe pain. I had to change my car for an automatic as my driving was affected. I was falling over on rough ground as the pain affected my balance. Sleeping was painful. I had to wake up to turn over and, in the mornings, I could not weight bear on waking.

Until then I was a reasonably fit late 50s women, not overweight and cardio-vascularly fit. I felt let down by the NHS. But the thing that most concerned me was not being able to live a normal life in retirement

Due to work commitments and travel, it took me over a year to book my appointment. I did some Pilates classes first and enjoyed some massages but when I retired in 2019, I was able to spend more time on myself and started working one to one with Vic. It has been transformative.

I felt this was my last hope of fixing my knee pain. I was doubting it would ever happen, but I can now, for the first time in four years, walk down a steep hill without knee pain. HORRAY! Hence this testimonial

Vic and the team have worked so hard on every part of my body, put so much personal effort in, both in thinking through the problem and physically giving treatments. I am now thoroughly ‘bought in’ to the concept of how important breathing and ribcage mobility are on how I feel. The breathing has made so much difference, but if someone had told me that before I came, I would have been very sceptical!

Even though my knee pain has gone, I still feel I have a way to go, but know learning about my body and working on it is paying dividends. It is at times very hard work BUT, I pushed myself harder in January and February to work on my strength ahead of my return to skiing. I was able to build strength in my thighs and calf by working on the previously painful squat exercise. Always remembering ‘my form’. Which is why I think my pain has recently gone. I still must work at it and get stronger, or my pain comes back.

I now hope to be able to enjoy my retirement and be active at home and on the water crewing for my husband without the fear of knee pain limiting me.

I do actively advise anyone I see struggling with pain or movement problems to go to the HealthHub! I have worked hard because my life was becoming so limited. I wish I had taken more notice of ‘my form’ and body earlier in life. I have done Pilates for over 20 years and for many of those I was ‘cheating’. The Hub team have been so amazingly positive and ‘can do’ repeatedly correcting us until we ‘get it’! This is the key I feel to the health hub, small groups but especially to the wonderful thought and patient attention they give to all of us. They really know their stuff, but I feel it’s not just knowing your stuff, its actively communicating it and helping those who are willing but just can’t get it I just can’t thank Vic and the team enough.”

I hope you found some inspiration in Ann’s story. Have a fab week