02/03/2026
**"Have you tried stretching?"**
I’ve acquired a few more contacts and followers recently so I thought I’d reintroduce myself and explain why I do what I do. I've been a physiotherapist for over 25 years - including 10 years in the British Army - and these days I run a clinic in central London where I specialise in helping people who have long-term and complex injuries.
I’ve also got to the point where my waiting list is so long (11 months) that I’ve had to close it for the moment.
So in an effort to help the people who can’t get into my clinic to see me, I created a series of online courses called How To Be Your Own Physio.
**The problem I'm trying to solve:**
Every day, people contact my team. These are people who are in pain and don’t already have access to quality physiotherapy. And the problem is that NHS waiting times are months long, private care can be expensive (mine certainly is), and the quality of physiotherapy you receive, inevitably depends on the individual physio – many physios are fab, but I’m aware of far too many who treat symptoms without (in my view) really taking the time to work out why the patient is suffering.
So what do people do while they wait? They Google random exercises, they follow YouTube videos with zero assessment, and they try treatments that might work - or might waste months of their time.
Often, they end up frustrated and still in pain – and sometimes this goes on for years.
**So here’s what I’ve done to help.**
I've distilled my 25+ years of clinical expertise into a systematic, test-retest, self- assessment process that anyone can follow.
It’s not about guessing or pattern recognition, it’s a methodical sequence: pick a movement that's difficult or painful, score it, then systematically release each body region - feet, knees, hips, pelvis, lower back, upper back, shoulders, neck - and retest after each one.
By the end, if you have a genuine musculoskeletal problem, you know which area is your driver - the actual source of your problem. Then you can work on the right area, in the right way. (You get a free rehab course when you buy the self-assessment course - but the self-assessment helps you to work out which rehab course you need - like a "choose your own adventure" book.)
And if you can’t find the source, then you know you really do need professional input, because either the issue is too complex for self-assessment, or it’s not a pure musculoskeletal issue.
**Questions I've been asked:**
I’ve been asked whether teaching this "downplays the physio profession" or whether patients can really understand clinical reasoning.
I think that’s patronising: people manage to build flat-pack furniture, programme their smart homes, and understand their mortgage terms. So systematically testing and scoring a movement honestly doesn’t feel like a huge stretch.
I've also been asked if I'm trying to replace physiotherapy with online courses. I'm absolutely not (though if a physio can't outperform a pre-recorded course, they might want to reflect on why that is).
And let’s face it, there are countless self-help resources in other health areas - coaching, mindfulness, Pilates, yoga - and those professionals don't feel threatened. They understand that accessible knowledge and skilled practitioners serve different, complementary purposes.
**Let me be super clear:**
High-quality physiotherapy is irreplaceable. A skilled physio who understands regional interdependence, who can listen empathetically, provide hands-on treatment, and adapt to complex cases - that practitioner is worth every penny. I refer to practitioners like this regularly, and my courses explicitly direct people to find highly-trained therapists when they need professional help.
But the demand for high-quality physio massively outstrips the supply. If it didn't, my waiting list wouldn’t have become so unmanageably long that I had to close it.
I built my courses because:
• Not everyone can access good physio (geography, cost, waiting times)
• Some people need help RIGHT NOW while waiting for their appointment
• Knowledge shouldn't be locked behind a waiting list or a degree course
• Patient empowerment should mean actual tools and understanding, not just "here's an exercise sheet, good luck"
If you try my self-assessment, you might discover you can treat your own problem – which would be brilliant. Or you might develop a better understanding of your body that helps you get more from face-to-face treatment when you do see a physio. But either way, you're better off than guessing with random YouTube exercises.
If you've already got a great physio - fantastic, you don't need this. But if you're stuck on a waiting list, or can't access the care you need, or just want to understand your body better, my books and courses are here for you.
Because I believe everyone deserves better than "have you tried stretching?"
You can find my books and courses at https://howtobeyourownphysio.com
