Patient consultation for chronic pain management

Biopsychosocial Model

What We Offer

Understanding Pain — So You Can Overcome It

Chronic pain is defined as pain persisting beyond expected tissue healing — typically more than 3 months. It involves changes in the nervous system known as central sensitisation, and is influenced by psychological, social, and lifestyle factors far beyond the original injury site.

The biopsychosocial model of pain explains why the same injury affects different people in vastly different ways — and why effective treatment must address all contributing domains, not just the physical tissue. At Inflexion Health, we take this whole-person approach seriously, combining pain science education with movement therapy and lifestyle support to produce meaningful, lasting change.

Whole-personapproach

8–12weeks to meaningful improvement

Self-managementfocused outcomes

Conditions

Persistent Pain Conditions We Address

Our team has specialist experience in a wide range of chronic and persistent musculoskeletal pain presentations.

Persistent Lower Back Pain

Non-specific and chronic lower back pain — one of the most common and debilitating conditions globally — managed with graded exercise and pain education.

Fibromyalgia & Widespread Pain

Central sensitisation syndromes with widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance — managed through pacing, graded activity, and lifestyle strategies.

Chronic Neck & Shoulder Pain

Persistent cervical and shoulder girdle pain — often driven by postural, psychological, and sensitisation factors alongside mechanical dysfunction.

Neuropathic & Referred Pain

Radicular pain, sciatica, and referred pain patterns from sensitised neural structures — managed with targeted neural mobilisation, exercise, and education.

Post-Injury Persistent Pain

Pain that persists well beyond expected tissue healing — requiring a shift from structural to neurophysiological management strategies.

Osteoarthritic Pain

Chronic joint pain from degenerative change — best managed with graded exercise, education, and load modification rather than rest and avoidance.

Our Approach

A Five-Pillar Path to Recovery

Managing chronic pain requires a systematic, multi-modal approach. Our clinicians guide you through a structured programme that builds knowledge, movement confidence, and long-term self-management skills.

1

Pain Science Education

Understanding why your brain generates pain — and how central sensitisation, fear-avoidance, and lifestyle factors maintain it — is itself a powerful therapeutic tool supported by strong evidence.

2

Graded Activity & Exercise

A gentle, progressive return to meaningful movement — carefully paced to build tissue tolerance and reduce pain sensitisation without triggering fear or flare-ups.

3

Manual Therapy

Targeted hands-on techniques to reduce peripheral sensitisation, improve joint and soft tissue mobility, and support confidence in movement.

4

Cognitive & Lifestyle Strategies

Sleep hygiene, stress management, and activity pacing — the lifestyle pillars that modulate pain neurophysiology and without which other interventions are less effective.

5

Goal Setting & Long-Term Self-Management

Building independence and resilience through personalised goals, self-monitoring strategies, and a clear plan for maintaining gains beyond the clinic.

Patient in calm physiotherapy consultation for chronic pain

FAQs

Your Questions, Answered

Not necessarily. Chronic pain often persists because the nervous system remains sensitised, even after tissue healing is complete. The brain continues to produce pain signals as a protective mechanism, even when the original injury has resolved. Understanding this distinction is itself a powerful tool for recovery and can significantly reduce pain-related fear and avoidance.

Yes — graded, progressive exercise is one of the most robustly supported treatments for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The key is starting gently and progressing gradually, monitored by a clinician who understands the neurophysiology of chronic pain. Exercise helps reduce central sensitisation, improve mood, restore function, and build confidence in movement.

Medication may reduce symptoms short-term, but physiotherapy-led chronic pain management addresses the underlying drivers of pain — movement deconditioning, central sensitisation, psychological factors, and lifestyle contributors. This produces more durable results and builds your own capacity to manage pain, rather than relying on ongoing medication.

A modest, transient increase in symptoms when introducing new activity is common and generally not harmful — it is sometimes called a "flare-up." We monitor this closely and adjust load to keep your experience within acceptable limits. We will also prepare you for this possibility so it does not become alarming or demoralising.

Chronic pain recovery is a process measured in months, not sessions. Many patients notice meaningful improvement in pain levels, function, and quality of life within 8–12 weeks of consistent engagement with the programme. Full recovery to pre-pain levels is achievable for many patients, though individual timelines vary considerably.

Chronic Pain Management