“Wait, My Rib Cage Caused My Back Pain?"

How the Integrated Systems Model (ISM) at Physionique Finds the Real Problem (Not Just Where It Hurts)

You’ve probably been there. You wake up with a stiff neck after sleeping "weird" on your pillow. Or your knee starts acting up halfway through your gym session, and you’re thinking, "Alamak, old already lah."

So you ice it, stretch it, maybe Google your symptoms (don’t worry, we all do it). But what if the actual issue isn’t even where the pain is?

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Integrated Systems Model (ISM)—a smarter, whole-body way of figuring out what’s really going on. And yes, sometimes that means we treat your foot… to fix your back.

And by the way—Physionique is probably the only physiotherapy clinic in Singapore offering this approach.

So if you’ve tried everything else and still feel stuck, you're in the right place.

Your Body Is a Puzzle, Not a Bunch of Spare Parts

Let’s say someone comes to Physionique complaining of persistent lower back pain. We could just treat the sore area—massage it, apply some heat, maybe dry needling—and they might feel better for a while. But guess what? It often comes back.

Why? Because we didn’t ask the most important question:

“What’s driving the pain?”

With the Integrated Systems Model, our ISM-certified physios don’t just treat the “what hurts.” We investigate why it’s happening in the first place. That might mean assessing how your rib cage moves, how your feet land when you walk, or even how your pelvis rotates when you reach for a kopi on the top shelf.

It’s not magic. It’s movement science—and it’s helped hundreds of our clients finally get answers that make sense.

ISM: A Bit Like CSI (But for Your Body)

You could think of ISM as physiotherapy meets detective work.

Our therapists use hands-on assessment, movement screening, and something called “driver analysis” to figure out what part of the body is causing a chain reaction that leads to pain somewhere else. It’s like CSI—but instead of crime scenes, we’re solving cases like “mystery knee pain” or “neck stiffness that keeps coming back.”

And let’s be honest: it’s kinda cool when you discover that your shoulder pain is linked to your breathing pattern, or your hip pain is actually being caused by how your ribs are moving (or not moving).

We’ve had clients raise an eyebrow at first, but after a few sessions and real results, they’re the first ones saying,

“Wah, I never thought my rib cage was the problem!”

Real-Life Example: The Runner with a Foot, Hip, and Back Situation

Let’s talk about Kevin (not his real name, but he gave us permission to share this). Kevin came in with lower back pain that flared up every time he ran.

He tried:

• Resting

• Foam rolling

• Strength training

• Changing shoes

• Seeing a massage therapist

Still no luck. During our ISM assessment at Physionique, we noticed that:

• His left foot was collapsing inward slightly during running

• His pelvis was tilting more on one side

• His rib cage rotation was limited when he breathed

What?! Yes, we were excited too.

So we didn’t just stretch his back. We gave him exercises to stabilise his foot and improve rib cage mobility. Two weeks later, he was running pain-free and laughing at how his “kayu foot” was secretly sabotaging his back.

ISM in Simple Terms: Fix the Foundation, Not Just the Leaky Roof

If your house has a leaking ceiling, sure—you can keep repainting it and mopping the floor. But unless you fix the broken pipe upstairs, it’ll keep happening.

ISM is like that. Instead of putting a plaster on the symptoms, we go upstairs (sometimes literally, to your rib cage) and fix the root problem.

At Physionique Singapore, our team is trained to use this model to:

• Help people in pain understand their bodies better

• Prevent recurring injuries

• Improve movement and posture

• Give long-term solutions instead of temporary relief

And best of all? We explain everything in normal language—no medical jargon unless you ask for it (and even then, we’ll draw pictures).

Who Can Benefit From ISM?

Short answer: Anyone with a body.

Longer answer:

• People with pain that keeps coming back (back, neck, shoulder, knee—you name it)

• Fitness enthusiasts who want to optimise performance

• Office workers with stiff necks and tight shoulders from #LaptopLife

• Mums post-pregnancy looking to rebuild stability

• Seniors who want to move more comfortably

• Anyone who’s been told “nothing’s wrong” but still feels something is off

• Whether you’re doing yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, or just chasing your kids around Bukit Timah Plaza, your body works as a unit. So your care should too.

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“So How Is This Different From Normal Physio?”

We still use hands-on treatment, exercise, movement training and good-old physio wisdom. But the ISM approach is different in that:

• We assess the body as a whole, not in isolated parts

• We look for the driver of your issue (not just where the pain is)

• We tailor your rehab around correcting the cause, not just easing the symptoms

It’s like choosing a mechanic who finds the engine fault rather than just wiping your dashboard lights.

Ready to Try It?

If you’re curious (or just tired of chasing the same pain every few months), come in for an Integrated Systems Movement Assessment.

We’ll walk you through the process, show you what we see, and help you feel in control of your body again.

• ISM-trained physios

• Friendly, clear explanations

• No mystery pain left unsolved

We are possibly the only clinic in Singapore offering the Integrated Systems Model treatment.

Final Thought:

Your body is smarter than you think. Your pain isn’t random. Let’s figure it out—together.