When I started treating patients, I thought physio was all about fixing pain, giving the right stretch, and correcting posture. But over time, the more people I saw, the more I realised… It’s not that black and white.

There’s a lot of stuff we were told that just doesn’t line up with what happens in real life. And honestly, some of those old ideas just don’t make sense anymore. So I’m writing about what I’ve experienced from treating people.

Sitting at a System Doesn’t Break You

A lot of people blame their job for their neck pain or back pain. “I sit at the system all day, that’s why I’ve got this pain”. But the thing is, it’s not about sitting. It’s about only sitting.

Our bodies are not made to stay in one position for hours, whether it’s sitting straight or slouched, or anything in between. I’ve seen people who sit all day and don’t have any pain, and others who barely sit and still feel stiff.

It’s not the system job that’s the villain here. It’s the lack of movement. Your body just wants you to move around a bit, stand, walk, and change posture. Keep it simple.

Core Strength Isn’t Just About Doing Planks

A lot of people think building core strength means holding long planks or doing a hundred crunches. But that’s not really how the core works in real life.

Your core is meant to support you while you move, like when you lift something, change direction, or even when you’re just standing for a long time. It’s not just about bracing and holding tight. It’s about being able to switch on and off at the right time.

I’ve seen people who can hold a perfect plank but struggle to stay steady while picking up a kettlebell. So, core strength isn’t just what you do on the mat. It’s what your body does without you even noticing. 

Tomoko Okada et al in the study done on the “Relationship Between Core Stability, Functional Movement, and Performance” reported there were no significant correlations between core stability and functional movement screen (FMS) scores.  This suggests that traditional core stability assessments may not directly predict functional movement capabilities.

Stretching Isn’t the Fix for Everything

Stretching feels good. No doubt about it. But we’ve hyped it up too much. It’s not the miracle cure we make it out to be.

Some people stretch all day and still feel tight. Why? Maybe it’s not about making muscles longer, it’s about calming things down. If stretching helps you relax or gives your mind a break, that’s great. But if you’re forcing it just because someone told you to, maybe take a step back.

Your Brain Plays a Big Role in Pain

Sometimes people still feel pain even after their body has healed. That’s because the brain gets used to the pain and stays stuck in that mode.

Seoyon Yang et al., in their study, found that chronic pain causes structural and functional changes in brain areas linked to emotion and thinking. This helps explain why pain can persist even after the body has healed.

Like, if you’ve hurt your back before, your brain might think, “not going to injure again!” and send pain signals, even if nothing’s actually wrong now. That’s why part of physio is helping people feel safe to move again.

The pain is real, but it’s also something you can get past.

Confidence > Strength

What really gets people moving again isn’t always stronger muscles; it’s trust. Confidence.

I’ve had patients who were already strong, but scared. They avoided certain movements because they thought they’d make things worse. Sometimes, just showing them they can move without any adverse effects, that’s what really changes things.

Strength matters, yes. But confidence? It matters more.

Forward Bending Isn’t Dangerous

“Don’t bend your spine forward, it is dangerous for your back.” I used to believe that, too. But now I feel like we’ve made forward bending look scarier than it actually is.

Most back issues don’t happen because someone bent forward once. They usually happen when people stop moving their backs completely or avoid bending out of fear.

The spine is made to move in all directions, including forward. If you build confidence slowly and move without fear, forward bending can actually help your back get stronger and feel better.

Not Every Pain Needs a Fancy Diagnosis

This is something I’ve learned over time. People often want to know exactly what’s causing their pain. But most of the time, a label doesn’t change much.

We don’t always need an MRI or a complicated medical term to help someone. Most pain improves with education, slow movement, and graded loading. Let’s avoid making people feel broken just because they have a label.

Rest Isn’t Always the Answer

We still hear this “Just take rest  for a week or two.” And yes, sometimes rest is needed. But total rest? That can actually slow things down.

The body likes movement. Even after an injury, gentle movement helps blood flow, builds confidence, and speeds up healing. The trick is graded exposure to find what you can do, not focus on what you can’t.

Posture Isn’t That Important

This is one thing people always argue about: “Sit straight or you’ll get pain”. But I don’t believe that anymore.

I’ve seen people with what looks like bad posture, and they’re doing just fine. And I’ve seen people with perfect posture who still have pain.

Christopher et al., in their systematic review of 41 studies, found no clear link between specific spinal postures or physical exposures and low back pain. They concluded that posture alone is not a consistent cause of pain.

Posture does matter a bit, but it’s not the main thing. What really matters is how you move and how often you move. The best posture is probably the one you keep changing during the day.

Hope that made sense

In the end, physio isn’t just about finding the perfect stretch or fixing pain

It’s more about helping people feel safe and trust their body again

You’re not as weak as you think

Pain doesn’t always mean something is broken

And moving slowly, often, and with confidence can really help

Things keep changing in this field

I’m still learning too

But these are a few things that made me stop and think differently