Chronic Pain
Physiotherapy for Chronic Pain
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that (directly or indirectly) you’ve been told at some point that your pain is all in your head, that there’s nothing more to be done, you’re “hysterical”, and you just need to live with it.
Chronic pain is real, and it’s common. Around a third of UK adults live with it. And the most important news is that it responds to the right kind of care. That care looks different from the treatment you’d get for a fresh injury, because pain that has been present for months or years is a different problem from pain that’s been present for days. At Found Physiotherapy, we specialise in the difference.
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is any pain that has persisted or recurred for more than three months. Unlike acute pain (which is usually a signal of tissue damage that needs attention) chronic pain is driven by changes in how the nervous system processes signals over time. The original injury, if there was one, may have healed long ago. The pain system itself has become sensitised.
This is why chronic pain can feel so bewildering: scans come back clear, rest doesn’t help, treatments that should work don’t, and the pain can shift, spread, flare for no obvious reason, or be affected by things that seem unrelated, like sleep, stress, mood, and the weather. It needs a different treatment approach; you can’t un-sensitise a nervous system with the same tools you’d use to heal a sprained ankle.
The good news is that a sensitised pain system can heal. We can help.
What we treat
We work with people living with a wide range of persistent pain conditions, including:
- Long-standing lower back pain and neck pain
- Persistent pain after injury
- Fibromyalgia
- Persistent headaches and migraine-related pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Persistent pelvic pain
- Post-surgical pain that hasn’t resolved as expected
- Pain associated with hypermobility (including hEDS)
- Pain connected to neurodiversity
- Widespread or unexplained musculoskeletal pain
- Chronic nerve pain
Not sure whether we can help with what you’re experiencing? Get in touch. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you honestly and point you toward someone who is.
You don’t need to have a diagnosis to see us. In fact, part of what we do is to work with you (and other specialists if needed) to help you understand what’s going on.
A different approach for a different problem
Treating chronic pain well means treating the whole system, not just the painful part. That means understanding that the body, the nervous system, the mind, movement, sleep, stress and daily life are all part of the same picture, and that working with all of them produces far better results than working with any one alone.
Our approach combines:
- Pain science education, so you understand what’s actually driving your pain, and why some of the things you’ve been told don’t match the evidence. This alone can significantly reduce pain for many people. Understanding tends to reduce threat, and threat feeds pain.
- Hands-on treatment, including soft tissue work, fascial release, and joint mobilisation used thoughtfully to calm the system and create space for movement rather than to “fix” anything.
- Graded movement and exercise, built carefully around what your system can currently handle, with the intention of gently expanding that window over time. We do this with you, not to you, and we adjust constantly based on how you’re responding.
- Practical strategies for the things that influence pain but rarely get addressed in a medical appointment: pacing, sleep, flare-up management, returning to activities you’ve avoided, and rebuilding confidence in your body.
What a course of treatment looks like
Your first session (60 minutes) is longer and more in-depth than for an acute injury, because chronic pain is rarely a simple story. We’ll take a detailed history of your pain, your treatment so far, your life and what it’s cost you. We’ll then carry out a physical assessment. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of what’s going on and a plan that genuinely fits where you are.
Follow-up sessions (around 60 minutes) combine hands-on work, gently progressive movement, and ongoing education about your pain system. We make sure you understand your exercises. This matters especially with chronic pain, where consistency between sessions is often where the real change happens.
As you progress, the work evolves. Early sessions usually focus on calming the system, building confidence, and establishing foundations. Later sessions gradually expand what the movements and activities you can do and build your ability to manage flare-ups independently.
What to expect
Chronic pain work is rarely about finding the one thing no one else found. It’s about understanding your system, giving it the conditions it needs to change, and being patient and consistent while it does.
You might experience meaningful shifts in the first few sessions. You might not see much change for several weeks and then notice a difference that surprises you. Progress is often uneven, with flare-ups along the way that feel discouraging but don’t mean you’re going backwards. We’ll help you understand why, and what to do when they happen.
We can’t promise to completely remove your pain (no one can). What we can promise is this: we’ll take you seriously, we’ll explain everything we’re doing and why, and we’ll work with you as a partner rather than someone to be managed.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a GP referral to see a physiotherapist?
No. You can book directly with us, no referral needed. If you’re claiming back through insurance, your insurer may have their own referral requirements, so it’s worth checking with them.
I've tried physiotherapy before and it didn't help. Why would this be different?
Most general physiotherapy is designed for acute injuries, treating a specific painful part and expecting it to heal. Chronic pain doesn’t respond well to that approach, and a lot of patients we see have been through it without much benefit. What we offer is totally different: a specialist approach built around how persistent pain really works.
Do you work alongside other practitioners?
Yes. Chronic pain care often benefits from a team approach, and we’re happy to work alongside your GP, rheumatologist, pain consultant, psychologist, or other practitioners where that helps.
I've had scans and nothing showed up. Does that mean my pain isn't real?
Absolutely not. Clear scans are common in chronic pain and don’t mean your pain isn’t real; they usually mean the driver isn’t structural damage. This is one of the most misunderstood parts of chronic pain, and something we’ll unpack properly with you.
What if I don't know exactly what's wrong?
That’s completely fine, and actually very common. Many of our chronic pain patients arrive without a clear diagnosis, or with several contradictory ones. Part of what we do is help you make sense of what’s going on.
What should I wear?
Something comfortable you can move in.
How soon can I be seen?
We usually have availability within the week.