3 Steps to Heal Your Body

In the Physio7 clinic, I use a 3-step system to treat complex, chronic and persistent pain. The system ultimately empowers you to take ownership of your body.

The human body has a tremendous capacity to self-heal. If you cut yourself, you can watch it heal. There is a process, and it takes time — but it happens, usually without you doing much to help. If it’s a deep cut, you might need stitches and a dressing, but those interventions are simply there to provide the right conditions for your body to do the healing.

So, when I see someone suffering from persistent, chronic pain, I ask myself: what’s preventing their body from healing?

With that in mind, this 3-step system begins with a thorough assessment. I aim to identify which tissues are contributing to your pain (often easier said than done, as persistent pain can involve multiple tissues), and more importantly, understand WHY those tissues are damaged or sensitive.

I look for stiff, weak, or tight links in your body — imbalances that may be placing excessive strain on the painful areas.

I assess which parts of your body move well and which don’t; which muscles are functioning effectively and which aren’t pulling their weight; and which movement habits are contributing to the issue.

Assessment is an ongoing process. With complex, long-standing pain, it can take time to fully understand the root causes.

So I encourage you to be patient and persistent. Quick fixes are sometimes possible — but if your issue has developed over years, it’s worth investing time to properly fix it.

STEP 1: RELIEF

I’m always aiming to treat the root cause of your pain — but I also know your first priority is often simply to feel better. So, the short-term goal is to relieve your symptoms as quickly as possible.

This step may include desensitising painful tissues, relieving inflammation, relaxing muscle spasms, and teaching you simple pain-relieving postures or exercises.

I'm also a strong believer in identifying muscular trigger points — those tight “knots” that can cause surprising patterns of referred pain. Did you know there’s a small muscle in your hip that can cause pain all the way down to your ankle, mimicking sciatica? With the right treatment, I’ve seen years of pain relieved in just minutes.

STEP 2: RELEASE & REALIGN

When your body is stiff, tight, or not moving properly, it can throw everything out of balance. At Physio7, we focus on releasing what’s restricted and realigning how your body moves—so that pain reduces, movement improves, and you can get back to doing what you love.

A. RELEASE. Freeing up the body

A large part of my work involves releasing stiff joints and tight muscles. Movement is essential for keeping your tissues healthy and your body functioning at its best.

a. JOINT RESTRICTIONS

Take joints, for example. Their surfaces are bathed in synovial fluid — the body’s natural lubricant. Moving the joint stimulates fluid production, helping nourish and protect the joint.

As physios often say, “Motion is lotion.”

But not all movement is good.

Every joint has a precise pattern of roll, spin, and glide. If the joint capsule — the elasticated sleeve surrounding the joint — is too tight, that pattern is disrupted. The wrong parts of the joint become compressed or overstretched, increasing shearing forces. Over thousands of steps, this misalignment can lead to premature wear.

If the joint capsule is the problem, specific mobilisation techniques are needed to restore normal movement and reduce joint stress.

b. MYOFASCIAL RESTRICTIONS

Restricted muscles and fascia can act like stiff links in the kinetic chain, triggering pain elsewhere in the body.

For example, a tight hip flexor on one side of the body can lead to a malaligned pelvis, leading to a twisted lower back and compensations right down to your feet. It can also lead to excessive extension movement in the lower back, causing irritation of facet joints and secondary spasm in the lower back muscles.

Stretching is sometimes effective in releasing a tight muscle, but not always. I am always asking myself WHY that muscle is tight. Is it in spasm to protect a nerve or a painful joint? Is the muscle weak and trying to protect itself? Is the muscle glued together by scar tissue after old injuries?

Only a detailed examination can reveal the best approach. That could involve the use of active release techniques, massage, instrument assisted release, vibration or percussive massage, hold-relax and contract-relax PNF techniques or stretches.

B. REALIGN. Restoring balance

Once we release restrictions, we focus on restoring control and realigning your body.

Having lots of flexibility might sound great, but extreme flexibility may leave you more prone to injuries. Loose, floppy joints that don’t have muscular control leave the joint surfaces and surrounding tissues at risk of strains, sprains and other injuries.

So while we aim to increase the mobility of stiff joints and tight muscles, it is just as vital that you can control all that movement.

Just like the wheels on a car need aligning for smooth driving and even tyre wear, your joints need muscular balance and coordination to move safely.

Movement control exercises can help improve the stabilisation and alignment of joints and reduce our likelihood of developing joint pains and injuries. They can improve the way you walk, run, lift, push, and pull. Better alignment leads to fewer injuries and more efficient, pain-free movement.

STEP 3: RESILIENCE

Resilience is about building a body that can handle life’s demands, from daily tasks to high-level sport.

Before adding strength, speed, or power into your rehab plan, we first ensure your joints and movement patterns are working well. Just like you wouldn’t install a Ferrari engine in a rusted-out car, we don’t overload a system that’s not ready.

First we need to discover what you need. The physical demands of a firefighter who plays rugby are different from those of a desk worker who plays video games on the weekend. Your plan should reflect that.

Next, we balance the loads placed on your tissues with their current capacity. Do too much, too soon, and you risk setbacks. Do just enough, and your body adapts, getting stronger and more durable.

Many people avoid challenging their body for fear of pain. But this can lead to a false sense of recovery. The moment they return to an activity — like jogging or heavy gardening — their tissues can’t cope.

True resilience is built by gradually increasing challenge — pushing your body in measured ways so it adapts, grows, and thrives.

Whether your goal is running, lifting, or just keeping up with your kids, resilience is about building the capacity to meet life’s demands — and enjoy it pain-free.

Chris