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Many people believe a rounded upper back is something they just have to live with. They call it “bad posture,” “desk posture,” or simply “getting older.” What often goes unnoticed is that a kyphotic posture — an excessive curve in the mid-back — is frequently linked to how the whole body moves and organises force, not just to weak upper-back muscles or too many hours at a computer. Functional Patterns training approaches kyphotic posture by looking at the larger system. At Pe

Knee pain often shows up as a local problem. Many people feel it as knee pain when walking, knee pain on stairs, or during running and long periods of standing. Yet the knee is rarely the starting point. How the hips, pelvis, ankles and gait pattern organise force determines how much load the knee has to absorb with every step. Functional Patterns training approaches knee pain by looking at the whole system rather than focusing only on the joint that hurts. At Penrith Biomech

Neck pain rarely appears out of nowhere. It usually builds over time from how we sit, stand, walk and carry ourselves through the day. Forward head posture, rounded shoulders, desk work and constant screen use all place extra demand on the cervical spine. Over months or years that demand turns into stiffness, tension headaches, restricted movement and a constant sense of holding the head up. Many people manage the symptoms with massage, adjustments, stretches or local strengt

Chronic back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek help. Many cycle through physio sessions, chiropractic adjustments, massage, yoga classes, Pilates, or high-intensity training like CrossFit and Hyrox. They often feel better for a while — then the pain returns. The reason is simple: most of these approaches treat the symptom or load the body in ways that reinforce the same dysfunctional patterns. Functional Patterns takes a different route. It looks at how your

If you live with joint hypermobility or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), you’ve probably heard the same advice on repeat: stretch more, strengthen the stabilizers, try yoga or Pilates, or follow a standard physical therapy program of isolated exercises. For many people, those recommendations lead to temporary relief at best—and more pain, subluxations, or flares at worst. Functional Patterns (FP) training takes a fundamentally different path. Instead of chasing more

“At Penrith Biomechanics I use Functional Patterns training to look at the body as a connected system rather than isolated muscles…” Steve Zekic Walk across the room. It sounds like the simplest thing in the world. But watch it closely and you'll see something interesting. Your right arm swings as your left leg moves forward. Your pelvis rotates, your ribcage responds, and your body transfers force diagonally from one side to the other. Just to name one force vector. You don'

If you have scoliosis, you've probably heard "stand up straight" more times than you can count. You've likely also been given the same short menu of options: watch and wait, wear a brace, or consider surgery. What most people never get is a clear explanation of why their body is organised the way it is, or what they can actually do about it day to day. I’m Steve, a Functional Patterns practitioner helping people in Penrith and online where I work with people with scoliosis, c