When Movement Isn’t Medicine: Why Injuries Need Clinical Care, Not Guesswork

Back pain, shoulder pain, and injury rehab in Brighton & Hove

At Life is Movement, my physiotherapy clinic and personal training studio in Hove, I see a steady stream of people who arrive not at the start of their injury journey, but at the end of a frustrating and sometimes damaging one.

A common story goes like this:

“My friend said all I needed was Pilates.”
“I was told yoga would fix my tight hips.”
“My PT said I just needed to strengthen it.”

Sometimes that advice works. Very often, it doesn’t. And far too often, it makes things worse.

The problem isn’t movement — it’s who is prescribing it

Pilates, yoga, and strength training are valuable tools. Used at the right time, for the right person, and in the right way, they can be hugely beneficial for health, strength, and wellbeing.

The issue arises when non-clinical movement professionals — such as personal trainers, Pilates instructors, or yoga teachers — begin to overstep into injury diagnosis and treatment, despite having no clinical training to do so.

In Brighton and Hove especially, the movement and fitness market is saturated. New studios, classes, and “specialist” offerings appear every month. To compete, many make bold claims:

• “This Pilates class will fix your back pain”

• “Strength training is all you need for shoulder pain”

• “Yoga will open up your hips and solve the problem”

But if you look closely, the small print always tells a different story.

The mismatch between advertising and accountability

Most non-clinical providers are careful — legally speaking. Their websites often include disclaimers stating they are not qualified to diagnose or treat injuries and that you should consult a healthcare professional if you’re in pain.

So on one hand, the marketing promises solutions to pain and injury.
On the other, the fine print quietly removes responsibility.

This mismatch creates a real problem — and the person who pays the price is the client.

What I see in clinic — every week

Just this week at Life is Movement in Hove, I’ve seen:

• A patient whose back pain significantly worsened after being pushed through a Pilates class by an instructor whose qualification was a two-week CPD course

• Another patient now facing surgical intervention after months of enthusiastic strength training with a personal trainer who failed to recognise an underlying shoulder injury

These aren’t rare cases. They’re routine.

People don’t seek out non-clinical help because they’re careless — they do it because the messaging is persuasive, the environment feels safe, and the advice comes from someone confident and well-meaning.

But confidence is not competence.

“So on one hand, the marketing promises solutions to pain and injury.
On the other, the fine print quietly removes responsibility.”

Clinical problems need clinical assessment

Pain is not just a “movement issue.”
It can involve:

• Tissue damage

• Degeneration

• Nerve involvement

• Inflammatory conditions

• Load intolerance

• Poor motor control

• Stress and nervous system factors

Understanding which of these are relevant — and which aren’t — requires clinical training, not just movement experience.

As a physiotherapist, my role isn’t to simply give exercises. It’s to:

• Assess

• Diagnose

• Identify risk

• Progress load safely

• Know when something is not appropriate

• Know when further investigation or referral is needed

• and importantly….Take responsibility for your progression!

That’s not something you get from a weekend course, no matter how polished the studio or how good the playlist is.

A simple rule of thumb

If you have an injury, pain, or ongoing physical problem:

Start with someone qualified to treat injuries.

That doesn’t mean you’ll never do Pilates, yoga, or strength training — in fact, you probably will. But it should come after proper assessment, and ideally under guidance that understands your medical and physical context.

Don’t let marketing language convince you that a non-clinical solution is enough for a clinical problem — especially when the same provider quietly distances themselves from responsibility for your outcome. And don’t make the common and costly mistake of falling for the sales pitch and social media marketing of someone who can almost offer you a solution to your problem….but not really.

How we approach things at Life is Movement

At Life is Movement, we work with people across Brighton and Hove who want to:

• Resolve back pain

• Recover from injury

• Build strength safely

• Return to movement with confidence

Everything we do is physiotherapy-led, grounded in evidence, and tailored to the individual — not a generic class or one-size-fits-all programme.

Movement is powerful.
But only when it’s applied with the right knowledge.

If you’re dealing with pain or injury and aren’t sure where to start, we’re here to help.

👉 Book an assessment or get in touch with Life is Movement in Hove
Your body deserves more than guesswork.