Phyzz Soft Tissue Therapy

20/04/2026

Pulling your back can happen in a split second - lifting something awkwardly, bending down in the garden, or even getting out of bed the wrong way!

If you know, you know. And, sadly, I know only too well. I had a period in my life when pulling my back was a regular occurrence, including the time I missed my own son’s Christening after pulling my back bending over to put something in the dishwasher that morning! I spent the rest of the day on the kitchen floor while the ceremony went ahead without me 😥

I also know from experience that back pain can feel alarming. Even the smallest move can send a cascade of shockwaves, forcing you to brace and catch your breath. It’s easy to panic and think that something 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙙 has happened 😰

However, what I have since learned as a soft tissue therapist, and what most people don’t know, is that the level of pain you feel is NOT an indicator of damage or harm.

What’s more, the good news is that most back strains are manageable and improve quickly if treated with the right approach ⬇️

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮 “𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸” 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻?

A “pulled back” usually refers to a muscle or soft tissue strain – a small tear in a muscle, tendon or ligament.

It can happen from:

• Lifting something unusually heavy, or lifting awkwardly
• Sudden twisting movements
• Overuse
• Poor muscle recruitment or lack of muscle conditioning..

Pulling your back often happens at stressful times when your body is already carrying a level of tension and your nervous system is on high alert.

Common symptoms of a pulled back:

• Sudden pain or tightness in the lower back
• Muscle spasms
• Stiffness and reduced movement
• Pain when bending, turning, or getting up

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹! 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀?! 🥹

Intense back pain affects everything you do and can feel very scary. It’s easy to catastrophise and think that you’ve done significant harm. However, unless you’ve had an accident or suffered a physical trauma, this is MOST unlikely.

That’s because the level of pain you feel in your back is NOT indicative of the level of harm. In fact, sometimes you can feel pain when there is NO harm 🤯

That’s because 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 🧠‼️

Think of your brain as a security guard 🧑‍✈️ Its job is to keep you alive and well. Every second of the day and night it receives messages from the thousands of nerve endings in your skin and tissues that are constantly monitoring your environment – assessing your body’s exposure to temperature, movement, stretch, pressure, vibration and proprioception.

As the brain interprets these messages it quickly decides whether all is well in your world or whether you might be in imminent danger. If it is the latter, it produces pain as a warning signal.

The pain you feel forces you to act fast to protect yourself, eg, to pull your hand away from a naked flame, rest an injury, or avoid something harmful.

But sometimes the brain can be overly cautious and even a small injury, like a muscle strain in your back – or the threat of an injury – can produce a lot of pain.

How you deal with this situation can have a big impact on how quickly you resolve the pain and recover.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 💬

A 5 Step Plan…

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 1: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘! 😮‍💨

Stress or fear can make pain feel stronger by putting your nervous system into a fight or flight state, increasing your heart rate and breathing rate and creating further tension in your muscles.

With that in mind, the first thing to do if you pull your back is to try and stay calm. Reassure yourself that this is most unlikely to be anything serious.

⚠️ Remember, the pain you feel has been created by your brain as a warning signal and is NOT indicative of actual harm.

The best way to quickly calm your nervous system is to focus on deep, regular breathing, deep into your belly.

👉 Try the 4-5-6 method:

• Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4
• Hold your breath for a count of 5 and
• Slowly breathe out through your mouth for a count of 6, or even longer if you can.

As you breathe out, purse your lips, as if you were blowing up a balloon.

Repeat this breathing pattern for a number of cycles until you feel calmer, and whenever you feel panicky or in pain.

🚫 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 2: 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁

When you’ve pulled your back, it’s tempting to lie still and not move, either because of the pain or because you’re frightened that moving is going to make things worse – or both!

However, while relative rest is helpful at this acute stage, too much rest can slow your blood circulation and cause your muscles to stiffen up even more, hindering your recovery.

👉 Instead:

• Keep moving gently (e.g small pelvic tilts, hip rotations and side bends) but avoiding anything that sharply increases your pain
• Change position regularly..

When you do rest, try using some extra cushions or pillows, eg, underneath or between your knees, to help find a position of ease.
Lying on your back with your legs slightly elevated is often the most comfortable position, but find what works for you.

🔥 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 3: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁

If you’re not moving about much – or if, as I did, you initially find yourself lying on the floor – you can quickly get cold, adding to muscle stiffness. So, when you’re resting, cover yourself with a blanket or your duvet.

In addition, for most back strains heat application is better than ice – and a lot more pleasant! 😅

Heat helps relax tight muscles and improves blood flow to the area which helps the healing process.

👉 Try:

• A hot water bottle applied to the area or
• If you’re mobile enough, a warm bath or shower.

Use for 15–20 minutes at a time.

💊 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 4: 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻

It’s never a good idea to take painkillers longterm, and some people may not be able to take paracetomol or ibuprofen due to allergies, gastric issues, or contraindications with other medication. If you’re unsure, call your pharmacist.

However, if you can take over-the-counter pain medication, it’s a useful short-term strategy to help reduce inflammation, make you feel more comfortable and get you moving again as quickly as possible.

⚠️ Be sure to follow the daily dosage instructions on the pack.

🚶‍♀️ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 5: 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆

After the initial pain settles (usually within 24–48 hours), it’s important to begin some normal, gentle movement again.

👉 Try:

• Regular, short walks on level surfaces, even just 5–10 minutes will help
• Gentle stretching, eg, lying on your back and slowly bringing one knee at a time to your chest
• Light daily activity

👉 Avoid:

• Heavy lifting or other strenuous activity
• Sudden twisting
• Getting back to normal activity too soon
• Pushing through sharp pain

⏳ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿?

If you follow the steps above, most simple back strains improve within 24 – 48 hours and, at most, a week or two.

As the days progress, you should notice a gradual reduction in pain and improved movement.

👉 If the pain hasn’t improved in 1-2 weeks or you have:

• Sharp, burning pain shooting down your legs (possible nerve involvement)
• Numbness or tingling
• Severe or worsening pain

seek medical advice.

⚠️ Importantly, go to A&E or call 999 if at any point you experience:

• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Loss of feeling or pins and/or needles in the saddle area between your ge****ls and back passage

🔍 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽

Once the acute pain settles, soft tissue therapy can help reduce lingering muscle tension by using mindful, hands-on treatment and gentle mobilisations to help down-regulate your nervous system, making your brain less likely to overreact.

I can also advise on appropriate strength and mobility exercises to:

• Improve your movement
• Speed up your recovery
• Help prevent it happening again.

👉 Many people find that what feels like a “pulled back” is actually:

• underlying tightness
• movement restriction or
• repetitive strain patterns

and find a regular soft tissue treatment helpful and reassuring.

Having suffered with recurring back pain myself over the years, I have a particular interest in helping others who don’t know where to turn for help.

If that’s you, you can contact me at:

📧 kate@phyzz.co.uk

Or find out more at:

🕸️ https://www.phyzz.co.uk

And if anyone in your life has a “bad back”, please share this post 🙏🏻

13/04/2026

👀 If you’re experiencing pain shooting down your leg, or a stubborn ache in your lower back and buttocks, you may be wondering if you have sciatica or whether it’s just tight muscles?

This was exactly the question asked by a client in my Sidford clinic last week. And the answer matters, because the right treatment, and the length of time it typically takes to recover, depends on the cause …

🧠 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚?
Sciatica isn’t actually a condition, it’s a set of symptoms caused by irritation, inflammation or compression of the sciatic nerve, the thickest and largest nerve in your body.

The sciatic nerve originates on each side of your lower spine, travels through your hips and buttocks and then down each leg.

Sciatica is often caused by:

• Age-related changes to the spine
• A herniated or slipped disc
• Spinal stenosis
• Injury/trauma

Common signs of sciatica include:

• Sharp, shooting pain down one leg
• Tingling or “pins and needles”
• Numbness in the leg or foot
• Pain that worsens when sitting
• Weakness in the leg

💪 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬?
Muscle tension, especially in the buttocks, hamstrings, or lower back, can mimic sciatica but is usually mechanical in nature rather than nerve-related.

It’s often caused by:

• Sitting for long periods
• Overuse of muscles, or a sudden increase in activity (eg, running, walking, gardening)
• Lack of mobility
• Stress and anxiety

Common signs of muscular pain include:

• Dull, aching discomfort
• Localised pain (doesn’t travel far down the leg)
• Stiffness, especially in the morning
• Pain that improves with movement
• Tender spots in the muscle

🔀 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚…
Confusingly, symptoms of sciatica and tight muscles aren’t always clear cut 🤔

There are six muscles deep in your buttocks which externally rotate your hip. If these muscles get tight, in particular the piriformis muscle, it can irritate the sciatic nerve that passes under or through them.

This is often called piriformis syndrome and can cause symptoms that feel like sciatica, but the root cause is actually muscular.

🔍 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬: 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐯𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Typically, the key differences between sciatica and tight muscles are:

1. Type of pain

• Sciatica: sharp, burning, electric
• Muscle tightness: dull, achy, tight

2. Where the pain travels

• Sciatica: often radiates from lower back → buttock → leg → foot
• Muscle tightness: usually stays in one area (eg, buttock or hamstring)

3. Neurological symptoms

• Sciatica: tingling, numbness, weakness
• Muscle tightness: none of these

4. Response to movement

• Sciatica: can worsen with certain movements or prolonged sitting
• Muscle tightness: often eases once you get moving

🛠️ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬?
If you’re not sure whether you have sciatica or tight muscles, it’s important to get an assessment first as the treatment protocol for each is different.

If it’s likely tight muscles:

• Soft tissue therapy / massage to down-regulate the nervous system
• Stretching and mobility work
• Regular movement (eg, no prolonged sitting, standing or driving)
• Progressive loading of the muscles involved
• Heat therapy

👉This is a circumstance where hands-on treatment can make a noticeable difference quickly.

If it’s likely sciatica:

• Gentle movement (even if moving hurts, it’s not harmful and can help you get better faster)
• Avoidance of high impact exercise and repeated bending or twisting
• Targeted exercises, tailored to your own tolerance levels
• Sometimes physiotherapy referral

👉 Soft tissue therapy can still help to reduce sciatica pain but needs to be applied mindfully so as not to aggravate an already irritated nerve. Hands-on treatment works in a supporting role alongside a personal programme of exercises.

The symptoms of sciatica typically take a few weeks to months to resolve, but sometimes longer. Occasionally, if the symptoms become chronic and/or the pain is unmanageable, a doctor might recommend a steroid injection.

❗ 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩?

You should seek medical advice from your GP if you have:

• Severe or worsening pain
• Significant leg weakness
• Persistent numbness
• Pain that travels down both legs

You should go to A&E or call 999 if you have:

• Loss of feeling/pins and needles between your inner thighs or ge****ls
• Numbness in or around your back passage or buttocks
• Increasing difficulty when you try to urinate
• Loss of bladder or bowel control

💬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩

I offer soft tissue therapy from my clinic at the Sidmouth Hospice at Home Day Centre in Church Street, Sidford, focusing on:

🔍 identifying whether pain is muscular or nerve-related
💫 reducing tension and improving movement
🏃🏽‍♀️ helping you get back to normal activity as quickly as possible

So, if you’re struggling with ongoing pain in your lower back or hip that travels down one leg, feel free to get in touch to see if treatment could help.

📧 Contact me at kate@phyzz.co.uk 🙏🏻

🕸️ Or find out more at https://www.phyzz.co.uk

16/02/2026

07/02/2026

My Tuesday morning Pilates venue is also a warm and welcoming, dog-friendly cafe with amazing walks on the doorstep ♥️🔽

The Oak Lodge Cafe

12/01/2026

Thinking about a steroid injection for pain relief? 💉💉💉 Read this first 🔽🔽🔽

Whilst they have their uses in some circumstances, they are not a long term solution…

Here’s a regular question and something that often comes with some myths and misconceptions.

It’s true that corticosteroid injection can be helpful at reducing joint pain for many conditions in the short term (up to 3-6 months potentially, but not always - it depends on the person and the experience/ skill of the person administering it).

We see a more elderly population sometimes report much needed and sometimes dramatic relief from these injections too.

But we have very little evidence to support medium to long term benefit, in fact we even see younger people who receive regular CSI to the knee have worse long term outcomes on occasion compared to those that don’t.

What we should be putting into context is that the real benefit of these potentially is what this pain relief in the short term may allow us to do to help the long term.

We can be more mobile, get fitter, get stronger and address some of the issues that can aggravate osteoarthritic knee pain that may be limited or difficult when pain is present.

They provide the controversial “window of opportunity” to rehab and / or lifestyle change.

In the elderly this can literally be the difference between independent living and / or being affected by severe mobility issues.

Do I have a major issue with people receiving them?

Well In short no, as long as the education and balanced “what it will do and what it won’t do” conversation happen first and the patient or athlete comes to an informed decision.

And of course if their use is diligent and sensible.

Too many people simply receive regular jabs from a GP/PCP without any other advice or intervention.

Where I do have an issue is if this isn’t addressed or if they are overly administered without education, particularly in the athletic population as a way to make it through a training plan or to make it to a start line.

03/01/2026

📣 New block of Pilates classes for Runners starting THIS WEEK in Sidford Social Hall!

👉 Thursdays at 8.15am – FULL
👉 Fridays at 8.15am – FULL
👉 Fridays at 4.30pm – spaces available 🤩

Cost? 💰 £32 for a 4-week block booking. All equipment provided 👌

What other runners say? 🤔

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Your classes are excellent value for money. I know how much time and effort you put into the preparation and how knowledgeable you are – it’s really evident from being in the sessions. They make a huge difference to how I feel physically and mentally.” ANNA

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I’m so enjoying the classes. Thanks for all your hard work in preparation and delivery.” CATHERINE

Make THIS the year you commit to improving your strength, posture, balance and control so that you have the best possible chance of staying injury-free 🏃🏾‍♂️🏃🏽‍♀️🏃

Email me to book your space or for further information: kate@phyzz.co.uk 🙏🏻

03/01/2026

Incredible moon and a dusting of snow above Sidford this morning ❄️🌕

02/01/2026

📣 Pilates classes for Horseriders starting NEXT WEEK! 🔽🔽🔽

WHERE? 🏡 Oak Lodge, Budleigh Salterton Riding School

WHEN? ⏰ 8.30am on Tuesdays, starting on 6th January

COST? 💰 £40 for a 4-week block booking, payable in advance. All equipment provided 👌

Make THIS the year you improve your posture, strength, balance and control. Your 🐴 will thank you for it - and you will become a more confident and competent rider🤩

For more information, or to reserve your space, please email me: kate@phyzz.co.uk

17/12/2025

Red sky in the morning..

27/11/2025

Your body doesn’t care how old you are, it cares about how well it can move…

31/10/2025

📣 Horseriders! New 4-week block bookings for my Pilates for Riders classes at the Oak Lodge, Budleigh Salterton Riding School, begin NEXT WEEK! ⏰

💫 MONDAYS @ 11am - 4 spaces left 🏇🏇🏇🏇

💫 TUESDAYS @ 8.30am - only 2 spaces left!! 🏇🏇

If you’d like more strength, mobility and control in the saddle, contact me to book your space on the mat. All equipment provided 👌🤩

Email: kate@phyzz.co.uk

20/10/2025

It’s World Osteoporosis Day 🦴 Use this free tool developed by the Royal Osteoporosis Society to understand the risk factors and check out your own bone health…

Take the free 3-minute Great British Bone Check from the Royal Osteoporosis Society. Quick, expert-backed, and confidential - understand your bone health risk today.