Why Does My Pain Keep Coming Back? A Physio’s Guide to Recurring Injuries

Do you feel like your pain disappears for a while… then comes right back again?

Whether it’s back pain, a sore knee, or recurring shoulder issues, recurring injuries can be frustrating — and may even leave you feeling helpless.

At Body Fit Physiotherapy North Adelaide, this is something we help patients with every day. In this blog, we explain the real reasons why injuries keep coming back and what you can do to finally break the cycle.

🔄 Why Injuries Keep Coming Back

1. You Treated the Symptoms – But Not the Cause

Pain relief is important, but it’s not the same as solving the problem.

Many people rest, take medication, or get a massage and feel better — but don’t address the underlying cause (like weakness, poor movement control, or loading issues).

🧠 Example: You rest a sore knee, the pain settles… but your hip and glute muscles remain weak, so the problem returns when you go back to running.

2. You Returned to Activity Too Soon

Once the pain improves, it’s tempting to jump back into your usual training, work, or sport. But returning too quickly can overload healing tissues, leading to flare-ups or reinjury.

At Body Fit, we use graded loading and return-to-play protocols to help you rebuild strength, tolerance, and tissue resilience the right way.

3. Poor Movement Patterns or Biomechanics

Sometimes, the way you move is part of the problem.

Common movement faults we see include:

• Collapsing knees during squats or running

• Over-arching the lower back in lifting tasks

• Shoulder blade control deficits in overhead sports

These create excess stress on joints and tissues, leading to repetitive strain.

4. Weakness or Imbalances

Muscle strength and control play a huge role in injury prevention.

Research shows that deficits in gluteal, core, calf, and scapular strength are key contributors to recurrent:

• Back pain

• Hamstring strains

• Patellofemoral pain

• Shoulder impingement

5. You Never Finished Rehab

Studies show many people stop rehab too early, especially once the pain settles. But just because it doesn’t hurt, doesn’t mean the tissue is fully healed or ready for full activity.

🔎 A classic example: A runner rehabs a hamstring injury for 3 weeks, but doesn’t complete sprint drills or eccentric strength work. Reinjury risk remains high.

✅ What We Do Differently at Body Fit

At Body Fit Physiotherapy, we don’t just treat pain — we treat the problem.

Our process includes:

• Comprehensive assessment: We find the true cause of your pain

• Hands-on therapy: To relieve symptoms and restore movement

• Strength + control rehab: To correct weaknesses and imbalances

• Education: So you understand your injury and know how to manage it

• Prevention planning: With return-to-sport and load management guidance

📈 What the Evidence Says

Several key studies highlight the need for comprehensive management of musculoskeletal injuries:

• Shrier et al. (2014): Early return to sport without full rehab increases reinjury risk by 3x.

• Hickey et al. (2019): Hamstring strain recurrence often results from lack of high-speed running in rehab.

• Van Tulder et al. (2000): Exercise therapy is superior to rest for preventing recurrent low back pain.

💡 Takeaway: It’s Not Just About Feeling Better — It’s About Moving Better

If you’ve been dealing with ongoing or returning pain, don’t keep starting from scratch.

At Body Fit, we’ll help you take the final steps to recovery — and prevent the cycle from repeating.

👣 Ready to Break the Injury Cycle?

Let us help you get pain-free, strong, and back to doing what you love — for good.

📍 Serving North Adelaide, Walkerville, Medindie & surrounding suburbs

📞 Call us or Book Online Now

📚 References:

• Shrier I. (2014). Risk factors for injuries in sport. Clin J Sport Med.

• Hickey J. et al. (2019). Return to sport after hamstring strain: rehab and recurrence. Br J Sports Med.

• Van Tulder MW, et al. (2000). Chronic back pain: guidelines and prevention. Spine.