How my journey can save you years of back pain and empower you to live pain-free
Written by Mathieu Stremsdoerfer, Co-Founder and CEO of Healactively
From ironman to immobilized
As a former Ironman triathlete from Zurich, Switzerland, I spent over a decade pushing the limits of human endurance. With five full Ironman competitions and more than twenty half Ironmans under my belt, I wasn’t just fit - I was elite. I worked as a triathlon trainer in 2012, and my weekly routine included 20–25 km of running and 100 km of cycling. Life was driven by strength, discipline, and unshakable confidence.
But that all changed on April 17, 2017.
The injury that changed everything
That day, I was helping a nurse carry a person in a wheelchair up some stairs. When she unexpectedly pulled the patient's legs, I bent forward...and felt a pop in my spine. A warm sensation spread across my back. It wasn’t until a week later, during an 80 km bike ride in Lanzarote, that I realized the severity of what had happened.
I couldn’t sit. I couldn’t bend forward. I was in constant, debilitating pain.
Multiple disc hernias across my spine were only the beginning. Over the next five years, I found myself trapped in a cycle of pain, confusion, and helplessness.
When pain becomes your new normal
I turned to Switzerland’s best medical experts. I underwent MRIs, spinal injections, tried various medications, saw chiropractors and physiotherapists, yet nothing seemed to work. My pain was labeled "non-specific," despite the clear trauma I had experienced.
Still in love with sport, I pushed on. I qualified for the 2018 World Half Ironman Championship in South Africa. But the forward-bent biking position left me crushed in pain. I finished the race...but realized that my triathlon career was over.
From then on, I was just surviving. The pain impacted every corner of my life. I couldn’t sit through meetings. My sleep was broken. My relationship ended. Work suffered. Life became smaller.
The moment that flipped the script
It took four years and a surgeon telling me he didn’t know where to start to finally see the truth: no one was coming to save me. I hit a wall, and in that moment, I chose a new path. I stopped being a passive patient and became an active participant in my healing.
In 2022, I began my own recovery journey, not as an athlete, but as a data scientist determined to crack the code of back pain.
Building my own recovery program
I immersed myself in the world of back science. I studied Dr. Stuart McGill’s groundbreaking techniques in "Back Mechanic," explored Robin McKenzie's method for self-treatment, and learned from Australian experts in Cognitive Functional Therapy.
I combined this knowledge with a holistic, evidence-based approach:
- Pain trigger identification and reduction
- Daily strengthening routines
- Posture retraining and walking programs
- Pelvic floor work
- Mind-body relaxation and self-reflection
- Support from a specialized physiotherapist
Little by little, I saw changes. I kept going.
And one day, I realized something amazing: I was pain-free.
Burpees again… and loving It!
Today, you can find me in a Body Pump class with my trainer Carla, doing burpees again. It’s not about getting back to Ironman. It’s about freedom: to move, to work, to live with joy. No pain. No fear.
You don’t have to wait 5 years
If you’re struggling with back pain, know this: you’re not alone. And there is a path forward.
I created Healactively so you don’t have to spend years in pain and frustration like I did. Our app combines the very best science, expert guidance, and a personalized program that adapts to your unique body and lifestyle.
If you struggle with back pain why not download and try Healactively today?! Start your own journey toward a pain-free life with guidance, support, and tools that work!!