When Arthritis Felt Like the End of the Road.
He was in his late 40s, a carpenter, and the kind of bloke who just gets on with things. Back pain? He had lived with it on and off for years. It never stopped him. But over the past couple of years, something had shifted. It wasn’t just the occasional ache anymore. It had become a daily frustration. More stiffness. More pain. More worry.
Like a lot of people, he did what he thought he should do. He went to his GP, who handed him some painkillers and sent him on his way. When the pain didn’t shift, he went back. Again and again. One day, fed up, he asked the doctor outright for a scan. The GP finally agreed, though not enthusiastically.
The results? Arthritis in his spine. The words that followed felt like a hammer blow. You’ve just got to learn to live with it.
Learning to Live With It? He Wasn’t So Sure
That phrase “learn to live with it” really stuck with him. It made him feel like he had no options left. Like it was only going to get worse. And for a bloke who works with his hands, lifts heavy things every day, and loves his job, the thought of not being able to do what he loved was terrifying.
But then someone at work, someone he trusted, told him about us. He’d had a similar issue and said physio had turned things around. So this chap booked in. Not with huge expectations, but more with the feeling that he had nothing to lose.
And honestly, what we found surprised even him.
Yes, He Had Arthritis. But He Also Had Hope
He came in thinking the scan told the whole story. But what we care about isn’t just the scan. It’s the person in front of us. And the man standing in front of me had plenty going on that could be helped.
His leg couldn’t fully straighten past 60 degrees when we tested it. His hips, which should rotate 40 to 45 degrees, were stuck at 20. His glutes? Very weak. His lower back? Stiff and overloaded.
We explained it simply. Yes, the arthritis is there. It’s common. If we scanned 100 people his age, most would show some signs of arthritis. But that doesn’t mean they all have pain. And more importantly, it doesn’t mean nothing can be done.
We weren’t going to treat a scan. We were going to treat the man.
Getting Back to Work Pain Free
We gave it to him straight. Let’s give it three sessions. If you don’t feel a difference, we’ll rethink. But we believed we could help.
After the first session, he already felt looser. His movement improved by the time he left the clinic. Week after week, he kept progressing. By session six, he was about 85 percent better. Sure, he still had the odd bit of stiffness if he’d done too much at work, but he said, and I quote, “It doesn’t bother me. I can live with that.”
And now? He comes in every six to eight weeks for a bit of maintenance. He’s working full time. He’s off the painkillers. He’s moving better. And most importantly, he feels like himself again.
The Truth About Arthritis That Most People Never Hear
This blog isn’t about one man’s lucky break. It’s about the truth so many people never get to hear. Yes, arthritis in the spine is common. But it doesn’t automatically mean pain for life. And it absolutely doesn’t mean you’re finished.
Sadly, a lot of people are told by their GP that nothing can be done. They’re told to stop working, stop exercising, or take painkillers indefinitely. And that’s often where the story ends, not because there’s no hope, but because they were never shown another path.
But there is another path. This chap is proof of that.
We want to celebrate him in this blog. Because he didn’t accept the first answer. He asked questions. He took action. And he gave something new a go, which led him back to a life that actually feels good again.
Joe Sharp
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
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