Why Does My Pain Keep Coming Back?
If you have ever said:
“My back pain keeps returning.”
“My neck pain improves, then flares up again.”
“I’ve had physio, massage, chiro… but it always comes back.”
You are not alone.
Recurrent pain is one of the most common frustrations I see at Perfectly Human Physiotherapy here on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
The real question is not: — How do we get rid of the pain?
It is: — Why does your body keep recreating it?
The Real Reason Pain Keeps Returning
Pain that keeps coming back is rarely about a “tight muscle” or a “weak glute” alone.
It is usually about:
A nervous system that does not feel safe
A compensatory movement pattern that has become your default strategy
A body that is doing the best it can with the information it currently has
Your body is not broken.
It is adaptive. And sometimes those adaptations are what keep you stuck.
The Body Is Always Doing the Most Intelligent Thing Possible
This is a core philosophy at Perfectly Human.
Your body is always trying to:
Protect you
Stabilise you
Keep you upright and functioning
Survive stress
If you sprain an ankle, your hip may tighten to protect you.
If you have prolonged stress, your breathing may change.
If you feel unsafe physically or emotionally, your nervous system may increase tension as a protective strategy.
Over time, these protective patterns can become:
Chronic muscle tension
Recurring back pain
Persistent neck pain
Shoulder impingement that never fully settles
“Niggling” injuries that never completely resolve
The problem is not the tension. The problem is the strategy.
Compensatory Patterns Must Be Detected
Your body develops compensations for a reason.
Common examples:
• Overusing neck muscles to stabilise a weak thoracic spine or breathing
• Tight hip flexors compensating for chronic stress leading to weak core
• Shoulder tension driven by rib cage positioning
• Foot pain caused by hip instability
The knee often “cops it” when the hip and foot are not communicating well.
The neck often “cops it” when breathing mechanics are inefficient.
The lower back often “cops it” when the body lacks a stable base.
If we only treat where it hurts, we miss the system that is driving it.
A New Strategy Must Be Given Before Tension Is Taken Away
This is the critical piece most people miss.
Before we release tension, we must:
Show the body a safer, more efficient way to move
Improve stability through the right systems
Regulate the nervous system
Create a new default strategy
Only then can we remove protective tension sustainably.
At Perfectly Human, we work to provide your body with the information it needs:
How to breathe
How to stabilise
How to transfer load
How to move without threat
When the body feels safe and capable, it lets go of unnecessary tension naturally.
Addressing the Root Cause of Recurring Pain
If your pain keeps coming back, ask yourself:
Has anyone assessed how my whole body works together?
Has anyone explained why my body is holding tension?
Have I been given a new movement strategy?
Has my nervous system been addressed?
Root cause treatment means:
Treating the nervous system
Identifying compensatory patterns
Rebuilding efficient movement
Empowering you with tools
Not just passive treatment.
Why We Aim for Fewer Sessions, Not More
Our goal at Perfectly Human Physiotherapy is not to keep you coming back forever.
It is to:
Empower you with understanding
Teach you how your body works
Provide practical tools
Help you become independent
When you understand your body:
Flare-ups become manageable
Stress is easier to regulate
Movement improves
Recovery speeds up
Pain stops cycling
That is how we create long-term results.
The Bottom Line
If your pain keeps returning, it is not because you are weak
It is not because you are fragile
It is not because your body is failing.
It is because your body is protecting you with the best strategy it currently has.
Change the strategy.
Regulate the nervous system.
Give the body better information.
Then the pain no longer needs to return.
Searching For:
Why does my back pain keep coming back?
Why does my neck pain keep returning?
Chronic pain that won’t go away
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If you are in Manly, Freshwater, Curl Curl, Balgowlah or surrounding areas and struggling with recurring pain, Perfectly Human Physiotherapy offers a whole-body, nervous-system-focused approach designed for lasting results.
You deserve more than temporary relief.
You deserve to understand your body and move forward with confidence.