Let’s be honest – getting injured is bad enough.
What often feels worse is what happens after.

You’ve had the back spasm, the torn muscle, the dodgy knee, the “mystery” shoulder pain. Things settle… mostly. You can function again. But in the back of your mind there’s this constant worry:

“What if it goes again?”
“What if I move wrong?”
“What if this time it doesn’t settle?”

So you start avoiding certain movements.
You stop lifting things.
You don’t play with the kids the same way.
You worry about the gym, or classes, or even bending in the garden.

That fear is understandable – but it quietly steals mobility, confidence, and joy.

At Thrive Body Clinic, I see this a lot. The pain is a problem, yes – but so is the story people start telling themselves about their body. “My back is fragile.” “My knee is ruined.” “I can’t trust this side anymore.”

Here’s the truth:
Your body is usually far more robust than you’ve been led to believe.
But you do need a plan to build trust again – not just wait and hope.

So here are 3 tips for moving without fear after an injury – a gentle, confidence-building approach you can actually live with.

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Tip 1: Start Smaller Than You Think… and Win on Purpose

One of the biggest mistakes people make after an injury is jumping from zero to “back to normal” in one go.

No warm-up, no build-up, just:
“I used to deadlift 80kg, so I’ll just go back to that.”
Or:
“I walked 10k before – I’ll just head out and see how it goes.”

That’s how you end up in a boom-and-bust cycle – push too hard, flare things up, panic, then avoid even more. It’s mentally exhausting.

The better way? Deliberate under-doing.

You choose to start well below what you think you can do. You make it so easy you cannot fail.

• If you used to walk for an hour, start with 10 minutes.
• If you used to do 3 sets at the gym, start with 1 light set.
• If getting off the floor scares you, start with practising sit-to-stands from a chair.

You’re not being weak. You’re stacking wins.

Each small, successful movement sends a clear message to your brain:

“We did that – and nothing bad happened.”

Do that repeatedly and the fear slowly loses its grip.

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Tip 2: Listen to Your Body – But Don’t Let It Dictate Your Life

After an injury, people tend to go to one of two extremes:

• Ignore everything and “push through”
• Or become hyper-aware and stop at the slightest sensation

Neither is helpful.

You don’t want to bulldoze your way back – that usually ends badly.
But you also don’t want to treat every bit of discomfort as danger.

Here’s a simple framework I often share with patients:

• 0–3 out of 10 discomfort: Safe working zone. Mild, manageable, often just your body re-learning.
• 4–5 out of 10: Caution zone. Slow down, adjust, maybe reduce the load or range.
• 6+ out of 10: Ease off or stop. That’s your body saying “enough for today.”

You’re learning what’s “okay” pain (muscles working, tissues adapting) versus “not okay” pain (sharp, sudden, or building aggressively).

You are allowed to feel something.
The goal isn’t “no sensation ever again.”
The goal is: Can I move and recover without it spiralling?

You’ll rebuild trust much faster if you treat pain as information, not a threat or a verdict.

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Tip 3: Get Curious, Not Catastrophic

Fear after injury isn’t just about the body – it’s about what your brain is telling you.

“I’ve damaged it permanently.”
“If I do that again, I’ll end up off work.”
“My body’s not what it used to be, I’d better not risk it.”

Some of that is understandable. But a lot of it is your brain being overprotective.

Instead of jumping straight to catastrophe, try a more curious approach:

• “What actually happened the last time I tried this?”
• “Did it hurt at the time, or later? Did it settle?”
• “If I did 50% of what I did last time, what would happen?”

You’re shifting from fear and prediction to experimentation and feedback.

This is where working with someone like an osteopath helps. You don’t have to figure it out alone. You get reassurance about what’s structurally okay, guidance on where to start, and someone in your corner when your brain goes into “what if” mode.

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Real Talk: Your Body Isn’t Glass

You’ve lived in that body for decades. It’s dealt with knocks, falls, illnesses, stress, bad nights’ sleep, kids jumping on you, DIY weekends, and all the rest.

Is it invincible? No.
Is it fragile? Almost never.

Healing takes time – and it takes graded exposure.
Bit by bit, you show your brain and body that movement is safe again.

Small steps.
Consistent effort.
Plenty of kindness.
A bit of grit.

That’s how you go from “I’m scared to move” to “I trust my body again.”

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Final Thoughts

If you’ve been holding back since an injury – avoiding certain movements, sidelining yourself from hobbies, or quietly worrying about your back/knee/shoulder going again – that’s completely understandable.

But you don’t have to stay stuck there.

Start smaller.
Let discomfort be data, not danger.
Get curious instead of catastrophic.

And if you want help building a sensible, personalised path back to confident movement, that’s exactly what I do.

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Call to Action

If you’re ready to stop feeling fragile and start trusting your body again, book an appointment at Thrive Body Clinic.
We’ll assess what’s going on, calm things down, and build you a plan that actually fits your life.