Invest in Yourself For Pain-Free Living

Long before my Mum, Pam started Pilates with me she suffered from sciatica which could impact her daily activities.   My sister lived in Singapore and had come home for a week-long visit packed with catching up and lots of socialising.   My Mum had a flare-up of sciatica which was steadily worsening.  On the morning my sister was due to fly back to Singapore, my Mum's pain was so bad she couldn't get out of bed. She couldn't stand up. I hadn't started my Pilates training at this point and didn't know what to do. It was hard to believe she couldn't get to the airport to farewell my sister who she may not see again for another year.   She insisted I go and reassured me she would be ok eventually. All I could do was leave her with a hot water bottle and some Panadol.  The airport is a tricky place to navigate if you are in pain but Mum's pain was so bad she couldn't even walk down the front stairs to get in the car.  Everyone was incredibly disappointed but that's what chronic pain does.  It limits your life and your opportunities and can negatively impact family relationships.  

When I became a Pilates teacher a few years later, I started teaching my Mum straight away and she responded very quickly.  She never had another flare-up of sciatic pain like the one that prevented her from going to the airport again.  In fact, after only a few months of Pilates, she never had any sciatic pain again.  My Mum used to have chiropractic treatments for her sciatic pain many years ago but when her trusted chiropractor retired she didn't feel confident to go to an unknown practitioner.  My Mum has since had chiropractic and osteopathic treatments for other musculoskeletal issues which have been highly beneficial. What she has found very empowering has been having the Pilates skills she needs to manage any pain flare-ups as they occur.  She injured her ribs several years ago during a gardening mishap. Osteopathic treatments were invaluable but as pain flare-ups occurred between visits, she was able to keep the pain under control with Pilates.

Taking the First Step Towards a Pain-Free Life

Back in the very early 2000s when my Mum had her sciatica flare-up, there was very little information available about how to overcome chronic pain. She found her original trusted chiropractor by word of mouth from the mother of one of my primary school classmates.  In 2024 we have a wealth of information available to us, yet so many new clients start Pilates with me who feel alone in their chronic pain journey and don't know what their future holds. There are solutions for chronic pain out there. You need to decide that you are going to find a way out of pain and follow that path until you achieve your goal.  If it isn't working for you find another solution. Everyone is different. Don't give up and accept chronic pain as a normal state, because it isn't and you don't have to struggle alone.

Arm Yourself with Knowledge

While getting recommendations via word of mouth is incredibly valuable, utilise the information on the internet to research as much as you can about solutions for your pain. I understand this can be difficult when you are actually in pain but think of it as your way out of pain. The more knowledge you have about your condition and how it impacts your body and mind the more empowered you will be and the easier it will be for you to eventually become pain-free.

Invest in Yourself with Pilates

The majority of my clients are long-term clients who have become pain-free with Pilates and then gone on to make Pilates a way of life.  Next month one of my lovely clients will celebrate 15 years of Pilates with me. She has overcome lumbar disc injuries, knee surgery, and most recently cervical disc injuries caused by working at a computer for long hours in a highly stressful job.  Right now, thanks to her Pilates training, she is back in fine form and still practicing Pilates regularly to keep her mind and body as strong and resilient as possible as she ages. Where would she be now without Pilates? Surgery for her spinal issues would have been an option but would it have been successful? She may still be in pain and living a very limited life. Fifteen years of Pilates may seem like a long time but my client thinks of it as an investment in her health and well-being. Without good health, our lives are greatly diminished so by investing your time and money in Pilates you are saving yourself from a life of pain and ill health which can be very expensive financially too.  We plan for our retirements financially so plan for good health and fitness in your later years too,

 If you are ready to invest in yourself for pain-free living, my book MOVE FREE FROM PAIN by Joanne Sutton is a great place to start and is available on Amazon worldwide.  If you are ready to start Pilates email me at [email protected] .  Alternatively, you can book an Initial Assessment with me here or  take the free 10 day trial of JS Mind Body Pilates, my online studio which is a library of on-demand videos, and start straight away.  I also offer 1 on 1 sessions virtually via Skype.  It would be my pleasure to assist you on your Pilates journey to pain-free living as you age!