Part 3: When Protection Becomes the Problem – Movement Patterns and Chronic Pain

If you’ve had chronic somatic low back pain for a while, you might notice something: moving doesn’t feel normal anymore. Sitting down, standing up, bending to grab a pen off the floor, or even walking—everything feels stiff or awkward. That’s no accident. It’s your brain’s protective strategy in action, and it’s something I see all the time as a physiotherapist.

Lorimer Moseley’s work in Explain Pain Supercharged shines a light on this: when the brain decides your back needs guarding, it overuses big, global muscles to brace the area. Think of it like hiring bouncers to stand watch over your spine. These muscles—like your quadratus lumborum or even your hamstrings—kick into overdrive to limit movement. It’s a clever trick for avoiding pain in the short term, but here’s the catch: it can last for years. Over time, these stiff, guarded patterns—like tensing your whole back to stand up or barely bending your hips to pick something up—become your new default. Your brain rewires itself to think this is “normal.”

But there’s a flip side. While some muscles are working overtime, others—like your gluteals or deep core stabilisers—get left out of the party. They weaken from underuse, leaving you with less strength and control. Your range of motion shrinks, too—your back and hips just won’t bend or twist like they used to. It’s a vicious cycle: less movement leads to more stiffness, which feeds back into the brain’s “danger” radar, keeping the pain alive.

The good news? These patterns aren’t set in stone. As a physiotherapist, I help people gently challenge these habits, retraining the brain and body to move with confidence again. It starts with understanding that pain isn’t always a damage report—it’s often just an overzealous protector. Want to explore how we can unwind this in your own life? Let’s chat.

This is APA Sports Physiotherapist, Darren Glendenning, signing off for now!

You can book an appointment with Darren or Newcastle Knights Physiotherapists Katie or Hayd'n at www.upnadamptphysio.com

Bookings also available on our website for:

• Dietitian - weight-loss or to optimise your training nutrition / fueling

• VO2 Max testing - to discover more effective ways to train efficiently

• Strength & Conditioning Programs - contact us via the website or email us at upnadamptphysio@gmail.com

• Remedial Massage - to relieve accumulative muscle tightness from chronic pain or from training that could lead to injury.