Evidence-Based Chronic Pain Rehabilitation

You've tried the physio.
The injections. Maybe surgery.
You're still in pain.

There's a specific reason. And it's not what most treatment plans address. Find out what's actually driving yours — free, in 2 minutes.

Free assessment  2 minutes  No payment details

18,000+people reached
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Your pain is real. It's just not coming from where you think.

When pain lasts longer than tissue takes to heal, something else is driving it. The research on this is settled — but most treatment never catches up to it.

52%
of pain-free people have disc bulges
Structural findings on MRI are present in over half of people with zero back pain. The scan rarely explains the pain.
Jensen et al., NEJM 1994
3mo
is when pain changes mechanism
Past the healing window, the nervous system itself becomes the driver — not the original injury. This is central sensitisation.
Woolf, PAIN 2011
1 night
of poor sleep lowers your threshold
Disrupted sleep measurably increases pain sensitivity and inflammatory markers within 24 hours. Most plans ignore it entirely.
Irwin et al., Sleep 2016

You've been treating the wrong thing — through no fault of your own.

Here's the cycle that keeps chronic pain stuck. Standard treatment targets step one. The problem lives in steps two through four.

1

An initial injury or trigger

Something real started it — a disc, a strain, a nerve. This is what every scan looks for and what every treatment targets. But tissue heals in weeks to months.

2

The nervous system stays on alert

When pain persists, your nervous system turns up its sensitivity to protect you. The alarm system itself becomes the problem — generating pain without ongoing damage.

3

Stress, sleep and fear amplify it

Poor sleep lowers your threshold. Stress keeps the alarm on. Avoiding movement teaches your brain that movement is dangerous. The cycle reinforces itself daily.

4

Passive treatment can't break it

Massage, injections, and rest target tissue that has already healed. There's no mechanism for lasting change — which is exactly why the relief never holds.

You'll recognise yourself in one of these.

🏋️

The athlete who lost their identity

You trained seriously. Then pain took it. You've lost muscle, confidence, and a part of who you are. You're not just in pain — you're grieving the person you were.

This is me →
🔄

The one who's tried everything

Multiple physios. Specialists. Scans that show "nothing serious." Treatments that help for a week then fade. You're starting to wonder if anyone actually knows what's wrong.

This is me →
🌙

The one stuck in the cycle

Pain wrecks your sleep. Bad sleep worsens the pain. Stress makes both worse. You can feel the cycle but you can't find the way out of it on your own.

This is me →

I'm Sam den Hertog. And I'll be straight with you.

Fortis Clinic is new. I'm not going to show you a wall of testimonials I don't have yet, or pretend I've treated thousands of people. You'd see through it, and you'd be right to.

What I have is this: a deep, obsessive understanding of pain science — the actual mechanisms behind why chronic pain persists and what genuinely changes it. The approach here isn't my opinion. It's built on the same research the best pain clinics in the world use, applied properly, consistently, and with a level of attention most overstretched clinics can't give you.

I take on a small number of cases at a time — deliberately. I only work with people I'm confident I can actually help, because my reputation is built one outcome at a time, and I can't afford to get yours wrong.

If I don't believe I can help you, I'll tell you, and you'll get your deposit back. That's not a marketing line. At this stage it's the only way I'd want to build this.

This is what £1,000/month buys. Specifically.

Not an app. Not a PDF. A continuously managed recovery programme built around your case.

🧠

Full case analysis

Your history, mechanism, and maintaining factors mapped before anything else happens. You'll understand your pain better in week one than you have in years.

📋

Personalised programme

Graded exposure, movement progressions, sleep protocol, and stress regulation — built for your pattern, your life, your starting point. Not a template.

🔁

Weekly adjustment

Your programme adapts as your nervous system does. What you do in week six won't look like week one — because you won't be the same.

💬

Direct access

Flare-up at 9pm? Question before a session? You message me directly. No portals, no 3-week waits, no gatekeeping.

📚

Pain science education

Understanding the mechanism is itself an intervention — the evidence on this is clear. You'll learn exactly what's happening and why the plan works.

📈

Progress tracking

Pain, function, sleep, and capacity tracked week over week. You'll see the trend — and so will I, which is how the programme stays ahead of you.

What's actually driving your chronic pain?

12 questions. 3 minutes. You'll get your specific pain pattern from 10 clinically distinct profiles — plus the exact mechanisms maintaining it.

2,000+assessments taken
2 minto complete
Freeno card needed
✓ No payment details ✓ Instant results ✓ Tailored to your pattern

One path, three steps. No hidden tiers.

This isn't three plans to choose between. It's the sequence everyone follows — and every step before the monthly programme is fully refundable.

Step 1 · Refundable
£500
Deposit to secure your place. Fully refundable if I don't believe I can help you.
Step 2 · Refundable
£500
Activation once we confirm it's a fit and your programme is built.

UK & Ireland pricing. US & Canada: $1,500/month. Cancel anytime.

What you've likely already spent
Physio sessions (×10–20)£600–1,600
Specialist consultations£200–800
Scans and imaging£300–900
Months or years of your lifeUnpriceable
Total: thousands — without resolution
What this risks
Free assessment£0
Deposit if we proceedRefundable
If I can't help youFull refund
Monthly programmeCancel anytime
Risk to find out: nothing

The questions you're actually asking.

Fortis is new — I'm building it case by case and I won't pretend otherwise. What that means for you: a small caseload, obsessive attention to your specific situation, and a founder whose entire reputation depends on getting your outcome right. The refundable deposit exists precisely because I'm new and I want zero risk on your side.

Fair question — you've been let down before. The approach here is built on established pain neuroscience, the same research used by leading pain clinics. Start with the free assessment and judge the quality of the thinking for yourself before any money is involved. If it doesn't feel substantially more rigorous than what you've had, you'll know immediately.

Yes. After the free assessment you can email me directly — I read and answer every message personally. Nothing is automated at the conversation stage and you'll never be pushed toward payment before your questions are answered.

I only take on cases I'm genuinely confident I can help. If after our conversation I don't believe I can, I'll tell you directly and refund your deposit in full. I'd rather turn down a case than take money I'm not sure I can earn.

Because this isn't a generic app or a PDF. It's continuous, personalised coaching with direct access and a programme that adapts as you progress. Compare it to the cumulative cost of physio sessions, specialists, and lost time you've already spent without resolution. The deposit and activation are fully refundable, so you risk nothing to find out if it's right.

Absolutely not. This works alongside your medical care, not instead of it. If anything in your case needs medical investigation, flagging that is part of the process — your safety comes first, always.

The free 2-minute pain pattern assessment on this page. No payment details, no commitment. You'll learn which pattern is driving your pain and exactly what does and doesn't work for it.

Start here

Find out what's actually driving your pain.

Two minutes. Completely free. No payment details. You'll understand your pain better than most appointments have managed.

Take the free assessment →
or send a message directly

I read and answer every message personally. Usually within 24 hours.