This might sound a little strange…
but I kind of love it when someone comes to see me the second time they’ve hurt their back.
Not because I want anyone to be in pain (I mean… I’m not a monster)
But because something powerful shifts that second time around.
To be clear, I’m not talking about chronic or persistent pain here. That’s a whole different conversation, with its own layers of complexity.
I’m talking about the woman who strained her back once, recovered, and then months or years later has another acute flare-up.
The second time, something is different.
She’ll say things like:
“I knew what to do this time.”
“I wasn’t as scared.”
“I trusted my body to come good.”
That right there is HUGE.
Because the first time you have an acute injury, it’s often panic. Fear. Overprotection.
A whole lot of “What if I make it worse?”
Pain researchers have a name for this: adaptive overprotection.
It’s when your nervous system senses threat and cranks everything up – more tension, more sensitivity, more “don’t move!” messages…
Even if the actual tissue is relatively okay.
It’s your body trying to keep you safe.
But here’s the thing: that protective response can hang around long after the tissue has healed.
It can stop women from moving forward, even when their body is ready.
And over time, it can quietly shrink your movement world.
The longer you avoid something, the more foreign it feels, and the more threatening it becomes.
That’s why the second injury (weirdly) matters.
Yes, it can be extremely frustrating.
But there’s often this quiet confidence too: “Okay. I’ve been here before. I know what I need to do.”
That’s not fearlessness.
That’s self-trust.
And it’s one of the most important things we can build, especially as we age.
Because while strength is important, it’s this belief – that you can move, adapt, and bounce back – that changes everything.
Recently, on the podcast, I talk about the Cautious Mover – one of the six exercise personality types I see most often (if you still haven’t taken my quiz, take it now!)
The Cautious Mover is the one who watches the workout first.
Checks the trainer’s credentials.
Worries about doing it wrong.
She wants to feel stronger, but doesn’t want to get hurt.
She might be you.
She is lots of women I see, as a physio.
If you’re nodding along, here’s what I want you to know:
You don’t have to throw yourself in the deep end.
But you do have to start nudging the edges of your comfort zone.
Because your body – and your brain – are shaped by what you do often, not by what you avoid.
Want to explore this more?
🎧 Listen to the podcast episode here – I’ll share 3 powerful tools to help you move from fear to trust in your body again.