Move Free from Pain—And Beyond! More Success Stories to Inspire You

It's hard to believe just over a year has passed since my book MOVE FREE FROM PAIN launched on Amazon. It's been wonderful to receive such positive feedback and to know so many people have found the help they were searching for to overcome their pain through Pilates.  One aim of my book was to share real stories of my long-term client's amazing journeys out of pain to inspire and give hope to those currently dealing with chronic pain. In this post. I'm going to share more real client success stories. Jeff and Dianne have overcome their pain enabling them to enjoy life in a way they never thought possible. This has all been achieved solely virtually as I've never met either of them in real life! 

Jeff Overcomes Constant Injury Through Pilates

In September 2020, Jeff started virtual Pilates with me on the recommendation of his osteopath. An avid sportsman in his early 60s, Jeff regularly played cricket and tennis, competed in cycling events, and did strength training at the gym. He also enjoyed challenging hiking holidays. Jeff was passionate about his sports but was constantly injuring himself. Back pain and knee and shoulder pain were a regular occurence for him and he was having osteopathic treatments every couple of weeks. Jeff's osteopath wanted me to work on his pelvic stability as his global muscles were strong but his local or stabiliser muscles weren't providing enough support and needed strengthening. Jeff feared a future without his beloved sports as he aged. He applied himself to Pilates to overcome his painful injuries and prevent further injury so he could enjoy his sports for many more years.

At first, Jeff found it hard to connect with his abdominal muscles as he was used to big movements so I continually encouraged him to use the breath and when in doubt go smaller and more subtle with his approach. I was asking him to view movement in a different way than he had in the past and before long he started to see some positive changes. After 6 months his osteopath sent me a message to say she was very happy with Jeff's core stability and she rarely had to adjust his sacroiliac joint anymore.  His posture and body awareness improved and he was able to take what he learned in Pilates into his sports preventing further injury. Accidents happen and Jeff caught a ball in cricket that saw him impact the ground with his shoulder.  With osteopathic treatment and intensive Pilates, his recovery time was remarkably quick in comparison to his previous injuries.  After 4.5 years of Pilates, Jeff is delighted with the results.  We now focus on challenging sessions and he sees Pilates as his vehicle to continue his active lifestyle well into his retirement years. Without PIlates he is sure he would have retired from all the sports he loves - it has transformed his life!

Dianne Enjoys Pain-Free Walking Tours For the First Time   

It was June 2023 when Dianne's osteopath of many years suggested she start virtual Pilates with me as her health issues were worsening with age  As I put this on paper, I can't believe it's not even 2 years that DIanne has been doing Pilates as she has come so far in such a short time. At 57, Dianne had painful joints as well as nerve pain in her feet and legs. Peripheral neuropathy, chronic fatigue syndrome and osteoporosis combined with extreme hypermobility were severely impacting her ability to enjoy life. She had poor sleep quality due to reflux and while her osteopathic treatments provided relief it was short-lived.  She wanted to walk for enjoyment but even after short distances, she was fatigued and in pain.

Dianne enjoyed a weekly session with an exercise physiologist but sometimes the sessions were too challenging for her leaving her exhausted and in pain. Having chronic fatigue syndrome myself I understood the frustration and despair Dianne was going through and we went right back to basics and began with the breath. Understandably her nervous system was on high alert and we worked on calming and releasing before we focussed on strengthening.  Dianne was previously very fit in her younger years and her body awareness was excellent. This enabled her to progress quickly and before long she was feeling stronger and experiencing less joint pain. She used my on-demand video library between sessions and she could walk short distances without pain and she very gradually increased the distance. She set a goal - a walking tour in Central Australia where she would walk 7 km per day for a week scheduled for June 2024. We knuckled down and kept working steadily towards this goal. In June last year, I received a text message and some photos of  Dianne at the end of the tour. She looked elated!   She had done it!   I was so happy for her as this was something she thought was out of the question for her.  Earlier this year Dianne travelled to Scandinavia for more walking.  She sent me a video of her riding a bike on cobblestones and clambering through the forest up a hill. She still has pain-flare-ups but they are manageable. She continues with regular osteopathy to release the fascia in her legs which becomes very tight due to the neuropathy and Pilates helps to maintain everything between sessions. She now enjoys her weekly gym session as she is so much stronger and no longer feels held back by chronic pain. Dianne is grateful she discovered Pilates as it's opened up a whole new world for her she had only dreamed about. She sees it as insurance as she ages. 

If you are ready to overcome your pain and transform your 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 - a library of on-demand videos, and start straight away.  It would be my pleasure to assist you on your Pilates journey to pain-free living!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  q