Kirsty Dixon, a menopause educator from York, joined a unique holistic programme focused on rewiring the brain. She’s now pain free for the first time in three decades.

I sat on my sofa, head in my hands, crying in frustration as another ripple of pain went up my back.

I was 27 but I felt 87. I was desperate to get my life back.

This was in 1994. I’d woken with a niggle in my lower back. By that evening, pain was shooting up to my shoulder and neck. And it continued. On a bad day, I could feel all the muscles in my back, shoulders and neck tighten in spasms. It stopped me doing what I loved. I was a real gym addict but it aggravated my pain. Not being able to exercise really got me down.

Over almost 30 years. I saw countless doctors and specialists. When I moved from Cumbria to York, I was referred to the hospital physios three times. They gave me exercises. Desperate to get better, I did them religiously but they didn’t help.

I had three decades of trying everything, from massages and acupuncture to seeing osteopaths, physiotherapists and chiropractors - even a podiatrist. While they provided some temporary relief, by the next day I was always in the same pain, or worse.

I couldn’t sit for long periods of time. I’m generally a very positive person but it was impossible to stay upbeat.

By September 2020, in my early 50s, my back got even worse. At one point, I was spending £160 every month on a physio and chiropractor. The last straw came after an x-ray in late 2021; a chiropractor told me I should never run again.

Desperate, I scoured the internet for anything offering hope. In January 2022, I spotted a Facebook advert for physiotherapist Dr Sarah Mottram, founder of The Healthy Movement Programme.

Sarah used a science-based, holistic approach focused on gaining a deeper understanding of pain and rewiring the brain.

I was still sceptical but within minutes over Zoom, I knew I had to try it. Sarah got it straight away. Years of pain had completely changed how my body organised movement. My body was in a state of confusion trying to find a way to exist that didn't hurt! I needed to learn to move in a totally different way- more efficiently. That was the key to stopping the pain.

I signed up; I’d find the money somehow.

We started with one-to-one daily online practices to build awareness around how I moved. I watched specialists’ talks on the mind-body connection and Sarah’s live online sessions, and joined group movement awareness sessions. With personalised mentoring, and addressing the underlying causes of pain rather than simply managing the symptoms, it started to make sense.

Sarah was there to guide me and offer oodles of encouragement. It was hard work though. At about week six, I remember banging my fists on the floor while on a call with Sarah. I did laugh, but I shouted, 'why isn't this working?'. I had a lifetime of protective movement habits to retrain.

Week eight was my eureka! moment. My body finally stopped fighting the new patterns and the pain started to dissolve. I still had to be mindful. But after six months, I found myself naturally moving as I should.

For the first time in 29 years, I was pain free. Today, at the age of 58, I feel awesome.

It was absolutely worth every penny. I’ve got control of my life again.

Over the decades, I blew at least £10,000 on specialists who couldn’t help. Since Sarah’s programme, I haven’t needed any other treatment. It's wonderful.

Pain isn’t something we need to live with. Everyone should have this opportunity.

This is the future of healthcare for joint and muscle aches and pains. It's about helping people resolve their issues for the long term, and helping them to keep their joints in the best possible health for active aging.

Dr Sarah Mottram

For the last three decades, Dr Sarah Mottram has worked as a physiotherapist, clinician, researcher, author, entrepreneur and international educator. She’s championed how changing the way people move can have a profound effect. Her healthy movement approach involves rewiring the brain and is backed by science.

Follow Sarah on Instagram here

More information at The Movement Works: https://www.themovementworks.co.uk