Our Approach
The Back Pain Movement Roadmap™
If your back pain keeps coming back, it’s usually because the real driver hasn’t been found.
Most people are treated where it hurts.
We trace the problem upstream.
That’s the difference.
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Pain Is Usually the End of the Chain
Your back is often not the starting point.
It’s the area that’s compensating.
For example:
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A stiff ankle can change how your hip works.
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A weak hip can overload your lower back.
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Repeated loading in one direction can irritate sensitive tissues.
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Protective muscle tension can build over time.
The pain shows up last.
The driver shows up earlier.
Our job is to find that driver.
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Step One: Identify the Pain Mechanism
Back pain is not random.
It is driven by a mechanism.
That mechanism may involve:
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Joint restriction
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Direction-specific disc sensitivity
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Motor control deficits
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Load intolerance
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Nervous system upregulation
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Or a combination of these
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Until that mechanism is clear, treatment is broad.
When it’s clear, the roadmap becomes precise.
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The Foundation: The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA)
At the centre of our system is a structured diagnostic framework called the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA).
SFMA does something most standard assessments don’t:
It examines how your entire body moves — not just where it hurts.
It helps us determine:
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Is the painful area the true problem?
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Or is it compensating for dysfunction elsewhere?
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Is the issue mobility?
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Stability?
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Direction-specific loading?
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Or system sensitivity?
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SFMA gives us a decision-making tree.
Each test leads to the next logical step.
It reduces guesswork.
It increases precision.
And it provides a map.
Without a map, recovery becomes trial and error.
Layered, Not Linear
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SFMA is the diagnostic spine of our approach.
But it’s not the only layer.
We integrate multiple methods into one coherent system.
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Movement & Biomechanics
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SFMA principles
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Functional movement screening
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Segmental joint assessment
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Directional preference testing
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Muscle & Load Testing
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Manual muscle testing
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Endurance and load tolerance measures
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McGill-based spinal capacity principles
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Targeted Intervention
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Precision manual therapy
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Muscle inhibition and activation sequencing
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Light-force laser therapy when appropriate
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Nervous System & Pain Science
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Education on how pain works
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Sensitivity regulation strategies
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Behaviour and load management
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Each layer informs the next.
This is not random tool use.
It is sequenced integration.
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Why This Matters
Recurring back pain often persists because:
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Compensation patterns were never identified
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Exercises were given without proper classification
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Load capacity wasn’t measured
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Sensitivity wasn’t addressed
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Progression wasn’t structured
​We remove those blind spots.
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​Structured Progression
Once we identify the mechanism, you move through clear 4 week phases:​
Reset. Reduce protective tension and restore baseline movement.
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Rebuild. Increase control, endurance, and load tolerance.
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​Resilience. Develop robustness under real-world stress (if required).
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This is not symptom management.
It is capacity development.
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Who This Is For
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Active adults with recurring or persistent back pain
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People who feel they never received a clear explanation
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People frustrated with short-term fixes
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People willing to follow a structured plan
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What You Can Expect
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A detailed movement-based assessment
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Clear classification of your pain pattern
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A structured roadmap
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Reassessment to measure progress
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Education so you understand what’s happening
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You don’t leave guessing.
You leave with clarity.
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Your First Step
The Full Body Muscle & Movement Diagnostic Session (€150)
If your back pain keeps coming back, the next step is clarity.
In this in-depth diagnostic session, you’ll leave knowing:
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The likely driver behind your recurring pain
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How your body is compensating
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What needs to change — and in what order
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Whether a structured plan is appropriate for you
If this approach isn’t right for your situation, we’ll tell you.
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