My back pain story started when I was 13 years old. I was a budding gymnast and fell awkwardly off the vault whilst twisting in a somersault. I felt pain at the time of the injury around my lower back on the left-hand side and the sacroiliac joint.  I was referred for NHS physiotherapy, which helped a little. However, as the pain continued to impact my life and I could not do any exercise, I was referred to a BUPA consultant. The XRay was clear (there were no MRI’s back then!) and I was encouraged to get a TENS machine (for pain relief) and start moving again. I was devasted at the loss of my hobby gymnastics and sport in general.

I got mild relief by swimming and walking. However, around stressful events like exam time, the pain would elevate and I would be on the TENS machine consistently. I had to have extra exam time as I could only sit for shortened periods.

Life continued and I went onto physiotherapy college. I could not understand why all the electrotherapy machines we practised with, and the manual therapy techniques would not resolve my back pain. I had another course of physiotherapy treatment, but it resulted in no real change in the pain.

During pregnancy, my pain worsened towards the delivery date as myofascial tissues tightened. After a 26-hour labour, I ended up having an emergency caesarean due to the baby’s distress. Afterwards, it was not the scar site that gave me any trouble, but the back spasms that went from my neck down my left side to my knee. The nurses were shocked at the palpable muscle spasms and once again the trusty TENS machine came to my aid. Unfortunately, my baby suffered reflux badly, and my body would reciprocally respond by heightening my back pain.

I ended up having an MRI which showed disc degeneration at Lumbar 3, which was the site that the gymnastic injury pain had started from. Nerve conduction studies were all normal and it was then that I noted my anatomical findings on the MRI were no different to those of anyone else my age. That is when I started to realise something else might be driving my pain.

SIRPA revelation

One day in the Physiotherapy Frontline magazine, I noted an article on chronic pain by Georgie Oldfield. I bought her book “Chronic Pain : Your Key to Recovery” and read it with great enlightenment. The light bulb went on!  Due to my mother being ill for several years though, I was not able to pursue my new knowledge with action, although I continued reading more about SIRPA and the TMS approach.

I noted in my own clinic patients who had chronic back or neck pain, that they always commented their symptoms had commenced from a stressful time in their life. I collaborated with patients from the local pain clinic and saw the same pattern repeatedly. I noted one gentleman who had neck and arm pain. The arm pain resolved with acupuncture, but the neck pain only resolved within weeks of his retiring from a stressful job, and he started to live his retired life, when he experienced more fun in his life!

How did my back pain fully recover?

It was when I read John Sarno M.D’s book, “The Mindbody Prescription” and I started with a SIRPA-trained practitioner. The practitioner took me back to when I was 13 years old when my pain had begun.  At that time, my whole family went through an incredibly stressful period of events, which resulted in the loss of a family member. The circumstances were not allowed to be discussed outside the family. I learnt to keep the trauma and associated emotions deep down in my body. The fact that I had the gymnastic injury during this time, allowed my brain to funnel the emotions to this biological part of my body and associate it as a physical disorder only.

With the SIRPA practitioner, I learnt to rename and visualise the back pain as a tight rope which could unravel and loosen the trigger points. This is how muscular tissue does unravel with myofascial release techniques, like stretching. This helped to take the focus off the pain. As I dealt with the stored emotions of the teenage events, the pain and tightness lessened. I realised I needed to take responsibility for my own healing.

I drew my own timeline of past events and worked though these using journalling, practising somatic awareness and processing my emotions from the past. I wrote unsent letters to myself and others and I came to a place of forgiveness and acceptance, instead of fear.

Even when life was good, sometimes I would feel the back area twitch because of physical stress; for example during a long drive or doing sport. However, once I reminded myself that I was safe, the sensation abolished. This is due to changing my beliefs and the learned neural pathways. When negative stress affected my life, I learnt to journal, practice mindfulness and visualisations to reframe events.

I also enjoy the gym, swimming and dabble in DIY with no issues now!

I would encourage anyone to read more of these SIRPA success stories and/or one of the suggested books. If you have a gut feeling that your symptoms could be mind/body related, and they have been cleared by healthcare professionals, then I would allow yourself the space to look deeper.

Now, I have undertaken the SIRPA training and become an NLP practitioner, as I am committed to helping others find their freedom too from long term pain and other symptoms. If you feel this story resonates with your own, then click HERE and please do contact me. I offer a free phone/video call for you to discuss your needs and to see whether I would be a suitable therapist for you to work with.

I wish you all the best on your journey…

After decades of back pain that began with a gymnastics fall at 13, Sarah finally recovered through SIRPA mind‑body work, emotional processing, and neural‑retraining techniques—transforming her own life and ultimately training to help others do the same.

Join people who have found relief through the SIRPA approach to chronic pain.