Question 1

What conditions do you treat?

Accepted Answer

My clinical focus is persistent pain. That includes Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), chronic pelvic pain and CPPS, neuropathic pain and persistent pain more broadly. If your presentation is complex and hasn't fitted neatly into treatments you've already tried, it's still worth a conversation.

Question 2

Do I need a referral or a confirmed diagnosis before I get in touch?

Accepted Answer

No, and no. You can book directly with me, and you don't need a diagnosis to start. Several of the people in my case studies came to me already diagnosed, but that isn't a requirement. Part of the early work is often helping make sense of a confusing or incomplete picture alongside your other medical care, not replacing it.

Question 3

How is your approach different from standard physiotherapy?

Accepted Answer

Standard physiotherapy often focuses on the painful area, and on getting you to keep doing more. That can work well for many problems, and it can make persistent pain worse when the underlying sensitivity hasn't been addressed.My approach looks at the whole picture — your body and nervous system, your thoughts and beliefs about pain, and the circumstances of your life — and starts by creating stability before building capability. You can read more about the conditions I treat and how I work.

Question 4

What are your qualifications and experience?

Accepted Answer

I'm a Chartered Physiotherapist and HCPC registered, with over 25 years' experience. I hold an MSc in Pain: Science & Society (Distinction) from King's College London and a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy from Brunel University.I co-authored the Graded Motor Imagery Handbook with David Butler and Lorimer Moseley, and have taught pain science education in the tradition of Explain Pain to thousands of clinicians internationally. There's more detail on my background page.

Question 5

Will you work alongside my GP or consultant?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and I'd encourage it. Persistent pain usually benefits from a team approach, and I'm happy to collaborate with anyone involved in your care — GPs, consultants, psychologists and other therapists.I'll only share information with them with your explicit consent. See my terms of service for how confidentiality works.

Question 6

How much does treatment cost?

Accepted Answer

The 15-minute discovery call is free. The Initial Consultation is £225 for 75 minutes, and follow-up sessions are £150 for 60 minutes. If we agree a structured Recovery Pathway, the £225 is credited in full against the pathway fee, so you don't pay twice.Full details of every option, including the pathways and payment plans, are on the Work With Me page.

Question 7

Is the discovery call really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It's a genuine 15-minute conversation with no obligation. It's a chance to describe what you're dealing with and to work out whether I'm the right person to help, before you commit to anything.

Question 8

Do you offer reduced fees for longer-term work?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I recognise the financial commitment that months or years of work represents, so for people who engage in longer-term work I offer reduced session fees to make sustained support more accessible.We can discuss this on your discovery call, before you commit to anything. If cost is the thing standing between you and getting help, please say so — it's a normal conversation to have.

Question 9

Can I claim the cost back from my insurer?

Accepted Answer

Treatment is self-pay. I don't currently bill insurance companies directly, so you pay for your sessions and are responsible for claiming any reimbursement yourself.I provide a receipt for every payment to support that claim. Please check that your policy covers physiotherapy before you book, and get in touch if you'd like to talk it through. More detail is on the Work With Me page.

Question 10

How and when do I pay?

Accepted Answer

Fees are payable at the time of the appointment unless we've agreed otherwise. You can pay by bank transfer, card, or cash, and a receipt is provided for every payment. Fees are subject to change with reasonable notice.

Question 11

What is your cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

I ask for at least 24 hours' notice for cancellations or rescheduling. Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice may be charged at the full fee, and repeated late cancellations or missed appointments may mean I ask for prepayment.If something urgent comes up, please contact me and we'll sort something out. The full policy is in my terms of service.

Question 12

What should I expect in my first session?

Accepted Answer

We'll explore three key areas: Body (your physical state and how it affects your pain), Mind (how emotions and expectations shape your pain experience), and Environment (external factors impacting your recovery).You'll leave with clarity and a personalised recovery plan. At least 15 minutes of the session is spent building the first steps of that plan together — initially I guide more, but over time it becomes increasingly collaborative.

Question 13

How long are sessions, and how often will we meet?

Accepted Answer

The initial assessment is 75 minutes. Follow-up sessions are 60 minutes.How often we meet depends on where you are. Acute problems tend to need more frequent contact early on, often every one to two weeks through the first month. Longer-standing, complex presentations usually settle into a slower rhythm, often monthly, with a wider check-in roughly every six months to keep us working towards shared goals.

Question 14

Will you physically examine me?

Accepted Answer

In person, yes — observation of how you move, physical assessment, and hands-on examination where it's useful.Online, I can't do hands-on examination. That doesn't limit our ability to understand what's happening: through observing movement, discussing your symptoms and patterns, and exploring your history and life context, we can still build a detailed picture of what's influencing and maintaining your pain.

Question 15

How long does treatment usually take?

Accepted Answer

It depends entirely on what you're bringing to it. Acute presentations are often measured in months, with more frequent contact early on. Complex or long-standing presentations are often measured in years, with a slower, steadier rhythm to keep things purposeful rather than open-ended.People who commit to regular sessions over 6–12 months often make the most significant shifts, because that's the timescale over which skills, confidence and routines become part of daily life. My case studies show honestly what that looked like for four different people.

Question 16

What is Graded Motor Imagery (GMI)?

Accepted Answer

GMI is an evidence-based approach that gently retrains how your brain and body respond to pain, using left/right discrimination, motor imagery and mirror therapy. As co-author of the Graded Motor Imagery Handbook, I use this approach to help reduce pain and restore function.It's used particularly in CRPS, where the sense of the limb and its place in the brain's maps have often changed.

Question 17

What is Pain Neuroscience Education?

Accepted Answer

Also known as Explain Pain, it's an approach that helps you understand the science of pain and how it applies to your own life. I've taught this to thousands of healthcare professionals internationally.Understanding pain is genuinely powerful. It reduces fear, supports better decisions about activity, and gives you a way to interpret what's happening rather than guessing.

Question 18

What if I have a flare-up between sessions?

Accepted Answer

Flare-ups are treated as normal and expected, not as evidence that something has failed. I'll help you build a toolkit of strategies you can use when symptoms intensify — breathing, pacing, calming and recovery techniques — and we'll look at what the flare-up is telling us.In longer-term work, similar patterns often resurface more than once. Each time, we're usually better placed to recognise them early and respond quickly, so they touch your life more lightly.

Question 19

How much will I have to do between sessions?

Accepted Answer

Less than you might expect, and it's built around your actual life rather than a rigid programme. Little and often usually beats long sessions pushed through.If something isn't working — or you simply aren't doing it — that's useful information rather than a failure. We'll change the approach rather than asking you to push through it.

Question 20

What is CRPS?

Accepted Answer

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a condition that typically affects a limb after injury, surgery or trauma. It involves pain that is disproportionate to the initial injury, along with changes in skin colour, temperature, swelling and sensitivity.It involves changes across several of your body's systems, not just the nervous system. It isn't "all in your head" — it's a real condition with measurable physical manifestations. There's a fuller explanation on the CRPS page.

Question 21

Can you recover from CRPS?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Recovery is possible with the right approach — I've worked with people who went from being largely bed-bound to travelling abroad again.The key is a comprehensive strategy addressing nervous system sensitivity, movement, and the psychological and life factors that shape the experience. Some people achieve complete resolution of symptoms; others see significant reduction in pain and major improvements in function.

Question 22

Is CRPS permanent? Will I ever be pain-free?

Accepted Answer

CRPS is not necessarily permanent. With appropriate treatment many people see significant improvement or complete resolution, particularly when treatment starts early. Even long-standing CRPS can improve considerably — the key is the right approach and consistent engagement.My focus is on helping you rebuild capability, reduce sensitivity and regain control of your life, whether that means becoming pain-free or living well with reduced symptoms.

Question 23

I've been told there's nothing that can be done — is that true?

Accepted Answer

No. CRPS is complex and can be frustrating to treat, but there are evidence-based approaches that help. If you've been told nothing can be done, it may be that the treatments you've tried so far haven't addressed the whole picture.My approach focuses on how your body's systems have adapted, and how to help them find a new balance.

Question 24

What is Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS)?

Accepted Answer

CPPS is a persistent condition affecting the pelvic region, more common in men. It involves pain or discomfort in the pelvis, lower back, abdomen or genitals, often accompanied by urinary symptoms and pain during sexual activity.It's a complex condition involving body, mind and environment factors rather than a single cause. There's more detail on the pelvic pain page.

Question 25

What causes CPPS?

Accepted Answer

CPPS develops from a combination of factors rather than one single cause — physical trauma (injuries, infections, procedures), nerve sensitivity, muscular changes, stress, and sometimes past emotional trauma.The pelvic muscles can become chronically over-activated, creating a cycle of tension and sensitivity. Understanding which factors are at play for you is a large part of the early work.

Question 26

Can CPPS be cured?

Accepted Answer

There's no instant cure, but recovery is absolutely possible. With a whole-person approach addressing physical, emotional and environmental factors, many people experience significant improvement and return to normal activities.Because CPPS is a sensitisation problem rather than simple tissue damage, the work is usually about calming and retraining the system, not just stretching or releasing muscles.

Question 27

What is neuropathic pain?

Accepted Answer

Neuropathic pain typically occurs alongside altered nerve function — following injury, compression, metabolic conditions like diabetes, shingles, chemotherapy, or surgery. People often describe it as burning, shooting or electric-like, sometimes with pins and needles, numbness or heightened sensitivity.Importantly, pain doesn't simply come from damaged nerves sending signals. It emerges from how your whole system responds. You can have significant nerve damage without pain, or severe pain with little demonstrable nerve pathology.

Question 28

What is persistent pain?

Accepted Answer

Persistent pain, also called chronic pain, is pain that continues beyond typical tissue healing time — usually longer than three months. It can affect any part of the body, with or without an obvious initial injury or diagnosis.It isn't "all in your head", and it doesn't mean you're weak or imagining things. It's a real, complex condition shaped by protective responses, nervous system sensitivity, movement patterns, stress, beliefs and life circumstances.

Question 29

Is persistent pain the same as chronic pain?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The terms are used interchangeably. "Persistent pain" is generally the preferred term now, because it describes the experience — pain that has persisted — rather than framing it as an ongoing illness.

Question 30

Where are you based, and do you work online?

Accepted Answer

My practice is at Nexus Health, 8 Sussex Mews, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5QJ. I work with people in person there, and also online by video call for clients throughout the UK and beyond.People travel to see me from across Kent and the South East, including Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and East Sussex.

Question 31

Do you offer online consultations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I offer both in-person sessions at my Tunbridge Wells practice and online consultations by video call for clients throughout the UK.The online scheduler lists video appointments. In-person times at the clinic are arranged on the free discovery call or through the contact page.The fee is the same either way. What changes is that I can't do hands-on examination online — everything else, including assessment, education, graded movement work and planning, translates well to video.

Question 32

How do I get in touch?

Accepted Answer

You can email me at enquiries@timbeames.com, use the contact page, or book a free discovery call directly.

Chronic Pain Treatment FAQs

General

Fees & Payment

Assessment & First Session

Treatment & Sessions

CRPS

Chronic Pelvic Pain

Neuropathic & Persistent Pain

Practical & Logistics

The short answers

Still have questions?

Helpful resources

Conditions I Treat

Services

Case Studies

About Tim