At the age of just 17, Sandy Blockey was involved in a serious car accident that saw her sustain a plethora of serious injuries – primarily on the left side of her body. The impact of the crash shattered the lower region of her left leg, an issue that – to this day – never healed completely.

As a result, Sandy had been living with unexplained Chronic Hip Pain, Chronic Back Pain, and Chronic Knee Pain, all of which surfaced in her late twenties. To make matters worse, Sandy was told that this accident had triggered early onset arthritis.

“I spent countless hours and a lot of money searching for answers and relief. I started in the usual place, with Doctors, Chiropractors, and Physiotherapists. I participated in Pilates and went to all the referrals I was recommended, including seeing Bone Specialists and Rheumatologists. I’ve had X-Rays, MRI’s, Dry Needling, Blood Tests, and Cat Scans, all in search of some answers to my pain.”

This seemingly endless search yielded no relief for Sandy. The only concrete answer she was given was that her chronic joint pain was caused by the accident, and that it was also responsible for her early onset arthritis.

By this point, Sandy had accepted the severe discomfort as a normal part of her life, often bed-bound for days and relying on the band-aid solution of hard pain-killers as a means of managing the chronic pain and intense migraines.

As her condition worsened, she decided to leave her job and focus entirely on regaining her health and improving her wellbeing.

Yet another MRI on Sandy’s knee showed the extent of the problem. A Bakers Cyst, Ganglion Cyst, Tibial Spurs, Lack of Cartilage, and the thickening of tendons all making contributions to her knee pain. She was informed by a physiotherapist that the only option was to undergo cortisone injections until she felt she could no longer endure the pain, at which point she would be given a complete knee replacement.

At around the same time, Sandy began working closely with Emma and informed her of the MRI results and the direction in which she was headed.

Uncomfortable with her mother going under the knife, and confident she could help, Emma requested 8 weeks to make a difference. If she was unable to alleviate Sandy’s pain, she could go through with the operation.

With her options few and far between, Sandy was open to the suggestion.

Emma provided Sandy with a tailored training program. Sandy would follow this personalised program religiously every single day for the following 8 weeks. This program was complimented by a couple of private sessions each week where they would meet and exchange valuable feedback. These sessions would reinforce the importance of the movements, and how integral it was to be consistent with them in order to expose potential relief to her chronic pain.

In just 8 weeks, Sandy experienced promising results. So promising, in fact, that she would continue following the program for another 6 months.

“Those 8 weeks are now well behind me and I have progressed leaps and bounds above what I ever imagined possible. I was only searching for some relief but never thought I would regain my movement ability.”

“It was not an overnight fix, and I can tell you now it meant doing the work every single day, but after years of spending money and being on medications I was willing to do anything. I am now in control of how I feel and have been completely medication free for 4 years. My migraines have gone, and when my hip joint pain does flare up occasionally I now know how to alleviate it and fix it without dangerous medication. As for my knee, a replacement isn’t even on the radar, and I can run, squat, lunge, handstand, climb, play, and more. I feel confident joining in with the classes at my facility and I know how to make my body and mind feel good day–to-day.”

In addition to her movement practice, Sandy has overhauled her diet, learning a lot about feeding the body, fighting inflammation, and avoiding toxins.

“With all the specialists I had seen, no-one once spoke to me about the role nutrition can have in combating the arthritis and chronic joint pain.”

Today, armed with a deep understanding of her own body, Sandy continues to work privately and in small groups with Emma to maintain her health, and challenge the limitations she’s placed on herself over the years.

“I can honestly say that none of this would have been possible without the knowledge I have had passed onto me through my training with Emma. I am 52 years old and feel better than I did at 30.”