FAQs

Robin Lansman's approach focuses on treating the individual, not just the symptom. With over 35 years of clinical expertise, his method combines deep mechanical assessment with lifestyle analysis to uncover why a problem started and how to prevent its return.

FAR stands for Functional Assessment and Remedial method. It is a structured framework where we dynamically assess how your muscle groups and joints work in harmony, followed by targeted remedial hands-on treatment and active, patient-led recovery strategies.

Chain clinics often rely on rigid, time-capped protocols. Robin Lansman provides a highly tailored clinical assessment honed over three decades, ensuring you aren't just passed from practitioner to practitioner.

Absolutely. Many patients seek out Robin specifically for complex, chronic, or multi-site issues that have failed to respond to other treatment modalities.

To establish a clear mechanical diagnosis, rule out underlying pathologies, map out your personalised 6-stage recovery path, and deliver immediate hands-on relief.

Yes. Many of our patients switch to us when their progress plateaus. We review your history, perform our FAR assessment, and pivot your treatment toward functional, long-term rehabilitation.

Many modern physiotherapists rely heavily on giving you an exercise sheet with little or no hands-on treatment. At Body Back-Up, we combine highly skilled, specific hands-on therapy to release restrictions before integrating targeted exercises.

Chiropractors often focus primarily on high-velocity manipulation of the spine. Robin Lansman looks at the entire periphery (shoulders, hips, knees, ankles) and assesses how muscle groups function together in harmony, rather than just clicking joints.

Perfectly safe. As highly regulated musculoskeletal experts, we review your previous treatment history and adapt our gentle, multi-tissue approach to match what your body actually needs.

Waiting in pain can cause chronic compensatory patterns to set in. Seeing us early allows us to fast-track your relief, prevent further mechanical deterioration, and provide detailed clinical notes you can share with your NHS team.

Our framework takes you from acute pain relief to complete functional independence: Stage 1 — Acute pain relief & structural assessment; Stage 2 — Mobility restoration & inflammatory reduction; Stage 3 — Functional muscle re-education; Stage 4 — Strengthening & whole-body harmony; Stage 5 — Lifestyle integration & ergonomic anchoring; Stage 6 — Proactive maintenance & long-term resilience.

Pain is often the first symptom to leave, but mechanical weakness remains. Skipping straight to heavy activity without completing Stages 3 and 4 is the number one cause of injury relapse.

Stage 6 is like a dental check-up for your musculoskeletal system. Once your body is fully rehabilitated, periodic check-ups (for example every few months) keep your mechanics fine-tuned and catch minor imbalances before they cause pain.

No. Generic sheets and standard exercises often lead to guesswork, poor form, and frustration. At Body Back-Up, every exercise you receive is bespoke, tailored in real time to your specific mechanical needs, joint capacity, and recovery stage. No sheets, only bespoke.

A generic video shows a fitness model moving perfectly, which doesn't help your unique recovery. By recording you on your own device, you have a precise, custom reference of your own body moving with the exact modifications, requirements, and safety boundaries Robin has set for you.

The pelvic organs share nerve pathways with the lower back and hips. Congestion or severe cramping during menstruation can manifest as intense lower back or pelvic girdle pain. Understanding this helps us differentiate visceral irritation from pure mechanical strain.

Yes. Surgical scars from procedures like C-sections or appendectomies can create local fascial restrictions. This alters how the abdominal muscles support the lower spine, frequently leading to unexplained back pain that we can help address.

The diaphragm attaches directly to the upper lumbar vertebrae. If your breathing mechanics are shallow or restricted due to stress or respiratory issues, it places direct, repetitive mechanical stress on your lower back.

Stress alters gut motility and elevates systemic muscle tone, frequently causing both abdominal bloating and severe neck or back spasms simultaneously. Our treatment addresses the physical manifestation of this cycle.

Breathing is a vital mechanical driver of spinal mobility. Robin Lansman integrates deliberate expansion of your diaphragm and ribs into your hands-on treatment and bespoke exercise videos, teaching you to use your breath to change the pressure in your torso as a tool for self-mobilisation.

Our London clinical hours are served in central locations, easily accessible for professionals working in the city, alongside residential services focused around North London.

You can book directly through our website's London location page or call our booking line to check Robin's specific weekly availability.

Yes. Our Thursday 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM clinic is specifically structured to let busy professionals receive high-quality hands-on care without disrupting their work day.

Yes. Our London locations are chosen to sit within short walking distance of major tube stations for easy access across the city.

Desk fatigue is one of our specialities. We treat the classic tech neck, rounded shoulders, and lower back stiffness common among London professionals, integrating Stage 5 ergonomic anchoring.

Robin Lansman offers dedicated clinical hours in Maidenhead every Monday and Wednesday, providing structured care for the local community.

Our Maidenhead practice is centrally located with excellent local transport links and accessible parking, serving patients across Maidenhead, Windsor, Marlow, and Slough.

Yes. Our Maidenhead location offers convenient parking nearby, making it stress-free for patients with acute mobility issues or severe back pain to visit us.

Yes. Body Back-Up provides comprehensive musculoskeletal care, integrating highly skilled remedial massage therapists within our practice to support your functional rehabilitation.

Yes. We treat members of local rowing, golf, rugby, and running clubs, using the FAR method to optimise their athletic mechanics and accelerate injury recovery.

Acute lower back pain is usually a mix of joint restriction and protective muscle spasm. In Stage 1, we use gentle hands-on techniques to break the spasm cycle, reduce joint pressure, and restore basic movement.

True sciatica involves compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve, causing sharp, shooting pain, numbness, or tingling that travels past your knee down to your foot. We perform orthopaedic testing to locate the exact site of compression.

Yes. While we cannot physically pop a disc back in, our treatments reduce the mechanical pressure on the compressed disc and nerve root by improving the mobility of the surrounding joints and relaxing tight muscle groups.

Acute pain often drops significantly within 2 to 4 sessions (Stages 1–2). Full tissue healing and functional rehabilitation (Stages 3–5) typically take a few weeks, depending on your history and baseline health.

A mechanical spasm is a muscular protective lock that responds well to hands-on care. A serious spinal issue may include red-flag symptoms such as loss of bowel or bladder control or progressive leg weakness, which require immediate A&E attention.

Yes. Many tension headaches originate from mechanical restrictions in the upper thoracic spine and neck, combined with tight suboccipital muscles. Releasing these structures directly decreases headache frequency.

Tech neck is postural strain caused by staring down at screens. We use hands-on therapy to mobilise the stiffened cervico-thoracic junction and re-educate the deep neck muscles to support your head correctly.

We look beyond the shoulder joint. We assess how your shoulder blade moves against your ribcage and ensure your upper back has enough extension to stop the arm bones from pinching your tendons.

The jaw and upper neck share muscular and neurological connections. Chronic jaw clenching triggers severe tension in the neck muscles, which we relieve through specialised, gentle external manual therapy.

Yes. Nerves supplying the arm and hand emerge from the neck. If these nerve roots are compressed by a tight muscle group or a stiff joint in the lower neck, it can cause finger tingling (cervical radiculopathy).

We treat the entire body. Hip and knee mechanics are intricately bound to your pelvic alignment and foot function, making them a major focus of our FAR assessment.

Absolutely. If your foot over-pronates (collapses inward) or your ankle is stiff, it forces your knee to twist unnaturally during walking or running, leading to chronic joint stress.

Yes. These are repetitive strain injuries of the forearm tendons. We treat the local tendon tension, but crucially check your neck and shoulder mechanics to see why your arm is overworking.

While we cannot reverse joint wear, we can significantly reduce pain and stiffness by lengthening tight surrounding muscles, improving capsule elasticity, and optimising your overall walking mechanics.

Yes. Post-acute sprain management moves through our 6-stage process to clear scar-tissue restrictions, restore joint proprioception (balance), and strengthen the stabilising tendons to prevent future rolling.

Yes. Our treatments are exceptionally gentle and safe during pregnancy. We use specialised positioning and techniques to help your body adapt comfortably to changing structural weight distribution.

As the baby grows, hormone changes loosen ligaments and alter pelvic alignment. We use gentle, non-invasive hands-on techniques to balance the pelvis, release tight lower back muscles, and take pressure off your joints.

Highly recommended. After childbirth your body adapts to carrying, feeding, and lifting a growing baby while your ligaments regain their pre-pregnancy strength. We help realign your structural framework.

By using gentle manual therapy to improve ankle, hip, and neck mobility, we enhance the body's natural balance sensors, giving older adults greater confidence and stability on their feet.

Yes. Developing bodies undergoing rapid growth spurts often suffer muscular imbalances and conditions like Osgood-Schlatter's. We provide gentle support so bones and muscles grow in structural harmony.

No. Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners. You can book directly with us at either our London or Maidenhead clinics without a GP referral.

We recommend loose, comfortable clothing such as gym shorts, leggings, or a flexible t-shirt, which lets us easily assess your movement and perform hands-on therapy.

Your initial consultation includes a detailed case history, full FAR assessment, and treatment, taking approximately 45–60 minutes. Subsequent rehabilitation sessions typically last 30 minutes.

Many of our practitioners are registered with major insurers. Because coverage policies vary, we advise checking with your provider and our administrative team before your first session.

Most patients experience noticeable relief within 1 to 3 sessions. Full completion of the 6-stage process for long-term resolution depends on the chronic nature of the underlying issue.

We test specific joint ranges of motion in degrees, evaluate muscle strength symmetry, and track changes in your functional movement patterns at the start and end of every treatment block.

Yes. We summarise your milestones and your current stage within our 6-stage process, so you always have a clear, transparent record of your path toward functional independence.

Stop the specific movement and contact the clinic. This is a common part of modifying mechanics; it simply means we need to scale back the intensity or adjust the angle at your next session.

Passive treatment means you lie on a table and expect us to fix you. The FAR method engages you directly: we release the restriction, but you actively re-train the muscle and anchor the new movement into daily life.

Yes. Documenting conservative mechanical improvements over a structured timeline often proves to surgical consultants that your body is successfully rehabilitating without invasive intervention.

Hot-desking means your chair, monitor height, and desk alignment change daily. Without a fixed, personalised setup, your body undergoes continuous micro-strain, leading to acute mechanical locking.

We teach simple 30-second structural resets you can perform right at your desk every hour to stop your postural muscle groups from freezing into a slouched position.

Neither is a magic cure. The body is designed for movement, so the best approach is a dynamic combination of both, changing your posture roughly every 45 minutes, which we coach you through in Stage 5.

Yes. Robin Lansman can provide detailed clinical recommendation letters outlining the specific ergonomic adjustments or equipment modifications required to support your safe return to work.

We provide tailored advice on lumbar support positioning, specific seated pelvic tilts, and hydration strategies to keep your spinal discs cushioned during long flights.

Robin Lansman has over 35 years of dedicated clinical experience, and has developed specialised leadership and professional development courses for musculoskeletal healthcare students globally.

Yes. Robin Lansman regularly organises face-to-face masterclasses and leadership workshops for musculoskeletal healthcare professionals, sharing his clinical and functional assessment frameworks.

Yes. Every practitioner at Body Back-Up is fully registered with the GOsC, maintaining the highest standards of safety, clinical competence, and mandatory continuous professional development.

We will ask you to perform simple movements such as bending forward and turning your shoulders, so we can observe your spinal curves, joint ranges, and muscle coordination in real time.

Because Robin teaches complex clinical concepts to healthcare students, he is exceptionally skilled at explaining your mechanical diagnosis in plain, everyday language, so you fully understand your path to recovery.

We avoid aggressive techniques completely. We focus on very gentle cranial, structural, and fascial unwinding to calm the hyper-reactive nervous system, slowly building movement confidence across our 6-stage framework.

Somatic tinnitus can occur when nerve signals from the upper neck muscles misfire into the areas of the brainstem responsible for hearing. Improving upper cervical alignment and releasing muscle spasm can often modulate this symptom.

If your pelvis is severely tilted or your lower back joints are compressed due to poor posture, it can irritate the nerve roots exiting the lumbar spine, causing sensations to radiate down into your feet.

A muscle often feels tight because it is working overtime to compensate for a weak muscle nearby. We test muscle groups dynamically to find the true slacker, rather than just massaging the overworked, tight muscle.

Yes. The thoracic spine is built for rotation. If it stiffens due to desk work, your lower back — built primarily for stability — is forced to twist excessively to compensate, leading to fast structural strain and pain.