Why Physio Didn’t Work Last Time (And How to Avoid Wasting Money Again)

Let’s say the quiet part out loud.

Most people don’t quit physio because they’re lazy.
They quit because it didn’t work.

Pain came back.
Performance plateaued.
Or worse, they were told “it’s just one of those things.”

If you’ve ever walked out thinking “I did everything right… so why am I still broken?”
This one’s for you.

The 5 Most Common Failure Points in Rehab

In our experience, rehab usually fails for one of these reasons.

1. No Clear Diagnosis

Not a label. A limiting factor.

“Tendon issue” or “weak glutes” is not a diagnosis.
It’s a vague guess dressed up as confidence.

Without knowing what’s actually limiting you, rehab becomes trial and error.

And error is expensive.

2. Rehab Based on Symptoms, Not Capacity

Pain went down. Everyone relaxed.

But pain reduction doesn’t mean capacity is restored.
It just means the alarm stopped ringing.

Return to training without restoring strength, speed, and tolerance is how injuries repeat.

3. Generic Programs for Non-Generic Humans

Three sets of ten.
Theraband exercises.
Same plan as the last person.

Your injury history, training load, goals, and movement strategy matter.

Ignoring them guarantees average results at best.

4. No Progression Rules

“Do this for a few weeks and see how it feels.”

That’s not a plan. That’s a shrug.

Good rehab has rules:
• When to progress
• When to hold
• When to regress

Without rules, progress depends on vibes.

5. No Retesting

This is the big one.

If nothing is reassessed, improvement is assumed.
Assumptions are how people get cleared too early.

Rehab without retesting is just exercise.

What “Generic Rehab” Actually Looks Like

You’ll recognise it immediately.

• No baseline testing
• Exercises chosen before assessment is finished
• Same reps for weeks
• Progression based on time, not performance
• “Let’s see how it goes” language

Generic rehab feels safe.
It is rarely effective.

What a Good Plan Actually Includes

High-quality rehab follows a structure. Every time.

1. Baseline Assessment

Objective measures of:
• Strength
• Asymmetry
• Speed of force
• Load tolerance

This tells us where you are.

2. Clear Rules

Progression is earned, not guessed.

Rules answer:
• When do we increase load?
• When do we add speed?
• When do we expose fatigue or chaos?

3. Milestones

Return to running.
Return to jumping.
Return to training.

Each milestone has criteria. Not hope.

4. Retesting

We measure again to confirm adaptation.

If the numbers don’t change, the plan changes.

Simple.

Red Flags When Choosing a Physio

Be cautious if you hear:

• “Everyone does this program”
• “Pain-free means ready”
• “You don’t need testing”
• “Just rest it a bit longer”
• “That’s as good as it’ll get”

Confidence without data is not confidence.
It’s optimism.

What to Expect in a High-Performance Assessment

A proper assessment should leave you clearer, not overwhelmed.

You should walk out knowing:
• What’s limiting you
• Why previous rehab failed
• What needs to change
• What success looks like

That includes:
• Objective testing
• Movement analysis
• Clear explanation
• A plan with milestones

If you don’t understand the plan, it’s not a good one.

Don’t Waste Money Guessing Again

If physio didn’t work last time, it wasn’t because you failed.

It’s because the process did.

Find yourself a physio who can nail the process and explain it clearly.