It’s all too easy to choose the first clinic you see listed or hear about. After all, they must surely all be same and it will save me a whole lot of time if I stick with this one, won’t it? Well, no, actually it won’t, any more than searching for a car with four wheels would be fine when you get offered a Ferrari and a Rolls Royce while you were thinking of something more like a Mini. Even a simple bit of refinement of your search, like ‘small 2 door car that can do at least 50 mpg’ would cut the list down massively.

Ok, this is a very simple example and one where most people are going to have a fairly good idea of what they want and don’t want.

But if you have never been to a private therapy clinic before, it’s not going to be so easy because you don’t have any idea of what you need to ask to help get you to the right place and more importantly stop you wasting your time or money on the wrong place.

Read on find out the three questions you must get answered before you make your choice.

The questions need to be for any clinic you consider, but we will answer them here for our clinic so that you get an appreciation of how expansive the questions are.

What should you need to find out first?

1. Can they help you by fixing your problem?
2. Do they have the expertise to sort out your particular problem? Can you trust them to do this?
3. Do they offer good value?

So firstly, can we help you?

Well, let’s start first with our name, ‘Nicky Snazell’s Wellness and Physiotherapy Clinic’. That actually tells you three things.

1. It’s a Physiotherapy Clinic. There are different types of physiotherapy specialism and our clinic focusses on your musculoskeletal frame, your joints, your spine, the nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments that supply those joints, referred to as MSK Physiotherapy.

If you have a problem with any of those parts, anywhere in your body, from head to toe, then that we can help sort. Your problem may have resulted from a sports injury or from a simple trip, a major fall or just be part of having seen too many summers. If you are in pain or have restricted flexibility, we can help.

2. It’s a Wellness Clinic. Now there’s a good chance this will cause confusion because the term ‘wellness’ is so liberally and often misleadingly claimed. We haven’t got to ‘wellness rubbish collectors’ yet, but you get my drift.

Wellness to us has a very deep meaning of taking account of a clients’ inner health and not just their physical problem. For example, all too often there is a clear link between mind and body, yet this is overlooked.

Nicky Snazell (more on her shortly) after years of research, developed her own wellness criteria, looking for those conditions which would have an impact on both the problem itself and the best route to treat it. Her wellness model takes into account four key factors of lifestyle, mindset, fitness and diet, each scored on a simple traffic light basis of red, orange and green. What she found was that two clients, presenting with almost identical problems, but one with four red keys and the other with four green keys, needed very different treatments for success. In fact, a treatment which helped the four green key holder was contraindicated for the four red key holder. Without a deep understanding of wellness, this important differentiation could be completely missed, resulting in a client getting the wrong treatment, and apart from being painful, will potentially waste a lot of time and money.

3. The clinic has the owners name above the door. That’s a stamp of authority and recognition within her peer group. To you, a potential client, that means trust and confidence. Just as Rolls Royce won’t compromise their name with anything but the best, ‘Nicky Snazell’ over the door means no different.

It’s a personal reputation and it took many years to gain. In Nicky’s case after setting up Physiotherapy departments in both the NHS and private sectors, she started her own clinic and won the approval of several Consultant Surgeons who chose to consult at her clinic.

Nicky has written five books on Physiotherapy and Health, is currently writing her sixth, has consulted in Harley Street and been invited by over 30 radio stations across the USA to provide expert opinion on ways to help the opiate crisis without drugs. She has won awards from the UK based AACP, been a speaker at their conferences, presented on health internationally and awarded the first fellowship in the world to ISTOP, by it’s founder Professor Chan Gunn. Perhaps of most significance to you though is that many clients have travelled not only from every corner of the UK to seek Nicky’s help, but also from thousands of miles away from different countries and continents.

All of the above took dedication and years of hard work. Her stamp over the door of her clinic is her commitment to any client who enters the door that they will be provided the best treatment possible.

If you find another clinic with the owners name over the door, you know that the owner is similarly putting their reputation on the line and you should take confidence from this.

A great indicator of how much trust you can put in us is to ask others. Google reviews provide exactly that. Personally, I wouldn’t go near anyone, in any business, with a score below four out of five. Also, make sure a clinic has a lot of reviews before giving the score too much credence. The fact is everyone has a few friends to put in a nice word. Very few have hundreds. We have over 150 and our score is 4.9. Put another way, over 90% of our clients rate us 5 stars.

Second, do we have the expertise to help you with your particular problem?

It’s one thing to determine if a potential clinic can most likely help you. It’s another thing to establish if that clinic has the expertise and resource to help your specific problem.
There are perhaps the more obvious questions to ask such as ‘how many years’ experience do you have’ and ’have you treated this problem before’. Larger clinics will have more therapists and there will be a range of experience and different specialisms, thus one therapist could be much more suitable to you than others.
Now a completely different aspect of any clinic comes to the forefront. Does the clinic have a knowledgeable reception team who can determine who is going to be the best fit to your problem. Let’s face it, without this kind of help, your chances of doing the same are slim to none. It’s much better to be able to talk to a knowledgeable person up front. There are subtleties in here that only by talking do you get them resolved. For example, you might be very motivated by preventative help, so it would be better for you if your therapist thought the same way.
Another factor, most likely something that you would not have even thought of, yet very important, is the amount of in-house training, called CPD, that takes place. The benefits of this to you should be obvious – a team that constantly cross trains learns faster, broader and deeper.

You might then be surprised that many clinics don’t do this at all, it’s just hands to the pump treating clients.

Nicky Snazell, who has a strong drive to constantly learn and be ahead of the curve, makes sure that ongoing CPD is an integral part of her teams activity and CPD is a weekly event for every therapist.
One final factor which will make a lot of difference to your treatment success is how well equipped the clinic is. Nowadays there is a plethora of sophisticated equipment which can help a lot but that takes huge investment, which is why many clinics have very limited technology support.
At our clinic, constantly investing in new technology has always been part of our philosophy and on more than one occasion we have pioneered new technology. The real bonus to you, however, is that all this technology is made available to you at no extra cost. Make sure you ask the cost of technology with any clinic you may consider.

Third Question. Do we offer good value?

The answer to that question is very much dependent on what you value the most. For the majority, we find that clients want to be able to get on with their lives, doing what they love doing, whether it be enjoying sports, gardening, playing with the grandkids or just continuing to be able to positively contribute to society. Being in pain stops all of this, your life stops, and the value of your life falls off a cliff.

Poor health choices in the long term can lead to a permanently restricted lifestyle, a dependency on toxic drugs and maybe even surgery.

What value then to find a clinic that can provide a broad range of skills, a pioneering attitude to knowledge and technology introduction, a desire to provide proactive help to keep chronic pain at bay? Only you can make that decision based on your values.

Our clients are like family, and they feel confident and safe the moment they first walk through our door. Many want to pass the message on so that we may help others and we in return offer half price treatment for referring (rules apply) and we have a loyalty scheme that our clients love. When you add access to all our range of technology at no extra cost, and the very high level of skill and knowledge on site, plus these great ways to save on treatment cost, then value from us shifts massively in your favour.

Three questions you should have answered before you make your choice. Not easy to answer simply, as they provoke many considerations that need to be answered. This emphasises, however, the importance of getting it right to avoid wasting time and money, but most important of all the negative impact it will have on your life.

If you feel we might be a good fit for you and simply would like to know more, then give us a call. We have a very friendly team, Jean, Erica and Charlotte, who are there to help.

If you are in pain, we can help

Most of us know deep down that a good massage helps alleviate pain, stress and anxiety, and helps promote flexibility and looking younger. Why is it then that most casually dismiss the benefits of an occasional rub, even though they may be needlessly suffering some, or even all of the above symptoms?

Read on to find out more about how massage could help you.

Massage is a pillar to physiotherapy, in fact physiotherapy started with four lady masseurs in the late 1800’s, who could see the benefits of hands-on therapy. Of course, physiotherapy has grown in capability massively since then, in line with our greater understanding of the physical body, in part due to vastly improved scanning technology. Rather than diminish the significance of massage, however, this increased knowledge has only served to amplify its benefits.
Thus, just as its founders recognised over 100 years ago, massage remains an essential tool in the physiotherapists toolbox. A well-trained therapist will use his or her hands not only to treat, but also diagnose, as they will be able to pick up tight muscles, knots and problems in connective tissue that would be totally invisible to even the most advanced scanning technology available today.

Massage is not just for the physical ailments, as it can equally help resolve locked in stress and anxiety, which resides in the stomach and gut. (Have you ever noticed when you are stressed or upset that you so often suffer an upset stomach? That mind-body link is so often overlooked and yet so important to overall wellness)
Physiotherapists make massage an integral part of their treatment to rejuvenate health for 7 reasons:

M is for movement of your connective tissue, allowing the layers to slide, rejuvenating cells, and giving a flexible youthful glow to the skin. Stimulating fibroblasts to make youthful collagen, keeping your skin soft and supple, looking younger.
A stands for Anti-Aging, accelerating blood flow, boosting circulation, oxygen and nutrients and invigorating your body’s vital systems enhancing longevity.
S signifies stress release, melting physical and mental anxiety, promoting wellness.
S for stimulation of the lymphatic system, crucial for detoxifying your body and boosting your immunity. We also use deep oscillation through our hands on technology that boosts stimulation.
A alleviation of pain, targeting and releasing sore trigger points and stretching out tight muscles
G denotes greater flexibility, stretching and loosening the muscles and joints, improving your range of motion.
E is for emotional balance, harmonizing your body and mind, elevating your mood, and fostering emotional resilience.

If you want to step into a physiotherapy session that embraces peace and vitality, then find someone like us that combines massage within physiotherapy.

Whether you are looking to relieve chronic pain, reduce stress or speed up the rehab of a sports injury, come over to our physiotherapy sanctuary.

Ready to embrace a healthier, relaxed, more vibrant you and let the healing begin?
Give us a call to find out more.

If you are in pain, we can help

Breaking Point

Breaking Point is my sixth book, currently being written and hopefully in the shops by autumn. It’s atransformational fiction – solving & healing a spiritual murder mystery.

This story embarks on a journey of discovery, revealing how hidden traumas lodged deep within the body can be unearthed and transformed through innovative treatments.

Drawing upon the wisdom of over 100,000 orthodox treatments, this narrative entwines a spiritual essence, sharing my unique perspective on healing.

Through the compelling lives of fictional characters, I explain the process of identifying and addressing the root cause of your pain points with this distinctive healing approach.

I also have a book group on my Facebook pagewhere I release early drafts of ‘Breaking Point’ to seek constructive input. If you feel you would like to contribute and join my group, go to Facebook and search for ‘Nicky Snazell’ then request being a friend. Once you are accepted, you can ask to join the group.

If you would like to read the prologue to ‘Breaking Point’ then read on.

Breaking Point Prologue

Dear Reader,

Imagine you and I have time travelled together. We are standing together in the most beautiful garden on a balmy summers day, rose borders as far as the eye can see. The most immaculately trimmed lawns. Breathtaking old trees creaking in a gentle breeze, emitting wispy shadows as the sun weaves through the leaves. Gnarled, majestic Oaks to regal Ashes to elegant Silver Birch. In the near distance an iridescent lake with a shimmering green blue hue. It seemed to be a balmy early summer kind of day with fluffy white clouds and the sun shining through. I look down to see I am wearing a very pretty but faded long grey dress, a beautifully ironed crispy white apron with lace around the edges and old scuffed shoes.

You’ve noticed your clothes have changed too, haven’t you?

There is a rug spread out on the lawn and on it a simple basket full of sandwiches, cakes and homemade lemonade. There are three children close by. I know them as mine. Edward, my youngest at six, is playing with his box of alphabet bricks and chuckling to himself. Despite his health issues and missing a lot of school, he keeps learning as we teach him at home with the help of Nanny Nicole and Lady Jane, while I am kept busy housekeeping and cooking.

Edward loves playing and giggling with little Miss Penelope and she will be carried across soon to crawl on his rug to fill our day with joy.

His handsome father, Gwyn, the butler, ensures both his and Edwards little heart remains strong, swimming daily in the stately home pool. Sadly they share the same weak heart condition, caused by a genetic problem but also having personality’s overspilling with joy and loving kindness.

The sun is shining off Ted’s golden locks and I smiled at his little suntanned knees messing up his hidden slice of cake. I can hear the thump of a ball being thrown between his taller, short tempered and clever older brother John, who is ten and his strong minded but caring freckled- faced older sister Dorothy, who is eight. She attends the local school and helps with the chores. John is quite a handful and clearly getting irritated at his sister’s poor attempts at catching. He struggles to entertain his younger sister and brother but shines in his own right, bound for a successful career with his brilliant mind and boarding school education. Lord Charles is very kindly sending our eldest John to boarding school to gain a superb education. I am very proud.

As I look down, I see that Edward had mis-spelt  ‘lof u’ with his wooden blocks. I spell it out again, ‘I love you too.’

Dear Reader, could you ask John and Dot to keep an eye on Ted as Nanny hasn’t arrived yet and I need a rest before I return to the house to prepare the vegetables for dinner and serve the family afternoon tea and cakes.

I stretch out, loosen my large white apron and have a snooze in the suns warm rays.

My rest is shattered, I awake to the screech of brakes and a tragic scene before my eyes. It feels as if everything has shifted, changed. I sense a deep fear, a dreadful rolling sensation in my stomach.

Ahead of me, I see a still, lifeless little boy, my Edward, just by the bend in the road which weaves  down from the elegant stately home. No, no, no I scream. My beautiful child, I love him more than life itself. As I run to his motionless, still body I tell myself he that he must be asleep and he will wake up. My boy, my loving kind gentle, six year oldangel. His familiar little pale arms, outstretched. His curly, soft blonde hair and innocent cherub face with such long eyelashes over his closed eyes.

I had constantly dreaded the day he may collapse due to his heart condition, but nothing had prepared me for this.

Reader, can I take your hand for strength. Can you see this aura of blinding golden light around Edward?

I look down on his long dirty white socks, clean on this morning, his favourite little scruffy shirt, his torn teddy bear and his wooden cubes scattered.

There is something hauntingly familiar about this scene. As if I have been here before.

I know he’s not just asleep, a mother knows when her child is not breathing and dead. Yet I do not feel disconnected, as his shimmering soul is still here.

In my head I hear the words; “Mummy I can’t leave you.”

I'm suddenly aware of distant urgent shouts. I glance across towards the lake, as the dream shifts to a shimmering old vintage car, an exquisite red. I feel myself floating towards the car and as I get closer, I can see the water is starting to rise up inside the car. Fortunately, the car is not deep in the water but only three figures appear to be moving. Lady Jane, Lord James and Lord Charles, all screaming and crashing around as Lord James got his shoulder against the windscreen. Something feels very wrong, I can’tsense the presence of my Gwyn. I get closer, I gasp and tighten my grip on your hand, as I see that the driver, my darling husband, my soul mate, is slumped over the wheel echoing the stillness of our son.

I want to scream but there’s no voice inside me.

My children John and Dorothy were already by the car. The gardener, cap in hand, running in wellies, just shouts at me in terror.

I hear Dorothy start to scream as she spots her father.

I look around and the prettiest petit lady, Nicole, wearing her Nannies uniform and again an old fashioned starched white apron, runs towards me saying hold Penny, Lady Janes daughter. This toddler in a beautiful white dress and ringlets adores Edward. Nicole is sobbing as she rushes back to Ted’s lifeless body.

 As I turn around to glance through tears at my tiny boy, hugging Penny tight, I see that a shimmering light surrounds him and is glowing brighter, an amazing golden glow. It stays there, then a ghost like image of my little body sits up and his cherub like, tear stained face looks towards me and says “you're next.”

“You too will be killed Mummy unless I stay with you and together we can save another soul. I will protect you, for I’m your guardian Angel and will always be in your heart, never far away and I shall pass over with you into your next life.”

I see this glow, this faint outline of my son, move over me and in me and I feel a deep sense of love and connection. The sense of deep loss goes. Just the grief for his physical presence remains as a dagger like pain. I feel his protection, love, and an eternal bond that transcends physical existence.

I wake up and I'm back in my bedroom again in 2024, damp with perspiration, bed clothes on the floor, my eyes wet with tears and my throat dry from screaming.

It’s nothing new to me to have dreams about past lives, but this recent reoccurring dream is now every night. It is getting tedious.

I know something is a foot.

Do you ever dream like this dear reader?

Can you join me in unravelling this mystery of who took the lives of this son and father and who now threatens mine?

If I may ask, are you happy to help me with this dilemma?

Would you come on a healing journey with me, to peer through the lens of my characters?

I was born with a secret gift beyond healing, a kind of telepathy that connects me to those both present and past, or rather passed. A sixth sense. At times conveying strong messages through dreams and visions.

I must say, I have never had such a repetitive dream. I was nearly reaching breaking point, on the brink of despair with this unrelenting nightmare returning night after night. Especially at such a profoundly inconvenient time, as I had been writing a book about the ramifications of the Pandemic and the surge for virtual medical consults.  It appears destinyhad spoken and told me to rip that book up and rewrite a new version. The universe had chosen a different narrative for me to explore with you. It seems I am to write a different book so I must trust the time must be right to do this.

Blackie, my rescue cat was visibly irked. As a streetwise cat, he saw me as a soft touch, perceiving my soft hearted nature and had soon exchanged my heated greenhouse with its cozy cat basket for the house and bed.

His sleep had been disturbed yet again and he needed to express his frustration, so he scratched up the bed and carpet again.

Then went straight under the duvet.

I gave myself a shake which sent Blackie flying into an unintended orbit. I told myself to get a grip, to get showered, grab a cup of earl grey tea and get to my clinic, as there would be a list of folks waiting for me with hidden pain to seek out and kill.