When I created FlatFootJourney, I thought I’d be writing mostly about congenital flat feet.
I never imagined that my journey would eventually include bunions, degeneration in both menisci, an L5-S1 disc protrusion, and twenty physiotherapy sessions.
Looking back, it almost feels as though each diagnosis prepared me for the next. At the time, though, it simply felt like my body kept presenting me with a new challenge just as I was learning to live with the last one.
This is the story of how my physiotherapy journey began.
My First Experience with Physiotherapy
Before my back problems, I had already been referred for physiotherapy because of degeneration in both of my menisci.
Most of my sessions consisted of TENS therapy, infrared heat, and a handful of exercises.
Whenever one of those exercises became painful, I remember the physiotherapist saying,
“Pain is good.”
I’ll be honest—that approach never sat well with me.
When my sessions ended, I couldn’t say I felt noticeably better. Instead, I walked away wondering if physiotherapy simply wasn’t for me.
At the time, I had no idea that this first experience would eventually become the standard I compared everything else against.
A Trip That Was Supposed to Be Relaxing
Months later, my family planned a short two-day trip to my brother’s house in Arta.
If you’ve ever lived in Djibouti, you’ll understand why we were looking forward to it. Arta’s cooler weather is always a welcome escape from the city’s heat.
Everything was going as planned…
…until I slipped in the bathroom.
The fall happened so suddenly that, for a split second, it honestly felt as though my heart had stopped.
I stayed where I was for a moment before finishing getting dressed and walking back outside.
The moment my family saw me, I could tell they knew something had happened. Their expressions immediately changed, and they asked if I was alright.
Fortunately, as the minutes passed, the pain gradually eased.
I convinced myself it had simply been a bad fall.
I expected to be sore for a few days before returning to normal.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
When the Pain Started Coming Back
Months passed before I noticed something strange.
Without warning, a sharp pain would catch me in my lower back.
Sometimes it happened while lifting my young nephew.
Other times it happened when I bent over, stood up, or made what should have been an ordinary movement.
Occasionally, there wasn’t even an obvious reason.
Each episode stopped me in my tracks.
Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the pain would ease again.
Every time it settled down, I told myself it probably wasn’t serious.
Until it came back.
Again.
And again.
Eventually, I stopped trying to explain it away.
I needed answers.
Looking for Those Answers
I made an appointment with Dr. Ismael Hassan, an orthopedic specialist at Mutualis Centre Médical in Djibouti.
After listening carefully to my symptoms and examining me, he recommended additional imaging before making a diagnosis.
He requested:
- an MRI of my lower back,
- X-rays of both knees,
- and X-rays of my feet because of my bunions.
Waiting for the results was unsettling.
Part of me hoped the scans would show nothing serious.
Another part simply wanted to understand why my body seemed to keep collecting diagnoses.
The Moment My MRI Became Real
When I returned for my follow-up appointment, Dr. Ismael didn’t just look at the printed MRI images.
He opened the MRI from the CD on his computer.
At first, I honestly couldn’t make sense of what I was looking at.
To me, every image looked almost identical.
Then he pointed to one area and circled it.
Suddenly, I saw it.
Even without medical training, I could tell that one section looked different from everything around it.
That was the disc protrusion.
Until that moment, L5-S1 disc protrusion had simply been a medical term.
Seeing it on my own MRI made it real.
The diagnosis explained the recurring lower back pain and the sciatica symptoms I had been experiencing.
The part of that appointment I remember most, however, wasn’t the MRI.
It was something Dr. Ismael said before I left.
“Your remedy is exercise. You have to keep doing it for the rest of your life. You can’t afford not to.”
I remember expecting to hear about medication, injections, or even surgery.
Instead, he reassured me that I didn’t need surgery or any other invasive treatment.
Exercise.
That was my treatment.
At the time, I didn’t realize those words would become the theme of my recovery.
A Different Beginning
Dr. Ismael referred me to the Djibouti Wellness & Rehabilitation Center for physiotherapy.
There, I met Dr. Houssein, who carried out my initial assessment.
I brought my MRI and X-rays with me, and before examining me, he carefully reviewed each one.
As we talked, he shared an analogy that immediately reminded me of what Dr. Ismael had just told me.
He said I should think of exercise the same way I think about food.
We don’t eat once and expect to stay healthy forever.
Our bodies need food every day.
Exercise, he explained, is no different.
Hearing two different healthcare professionals—independently of one another—deliver essentially the same message made me stop and think.
Maybe this wasn’t simply a temporary treatment plan.
Maybe it was going to become part of how I lived.
Before I left, Dr. Houssein introduced me to the physiotherapist who would guide me through the next stage of my recovery.
Her name was Mona Mustafa
As I shook her hand, I expected another physiotherapy experience much like my first one.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Why I’m Sharing This Journey
When I received my diagnosis, I searched online for personal accounts from people who had actually gone through physiotherapy.
I found countless articles explaining disc protrusions and sciatica.
What I struggled to find were honest stories about the rehabilitation itself.
What happens during each session?
Does it hurt?
Do you always improve?
What happens when progress isn’t as straightforward as you hoped?
Those were the questions I wanted answered.
So I decided to document my own journey—not as a medical expert, but as someone living through it.
If you’re beginning physiotherapy yourself, I hope these journal entries help you feel a little more prepared and a little less alone.
In Part 2, I’ll share what happened during my first session with Mona—and why it completely changed the way I viewed physiotherapy.