Natural Elements Physiotherapy

16/11/2025

Our Black Friday Voucher sale goes live on Friday 28th November
- 15% off all vouchers until Sun 30th Nov
- Any denomination available
- T&C's apply - ( see website for details )

12/11/2025

Anyone looking for a crafty
Hot Stone or Deep Tissue massage next week in Barrow ?

12/11/2025

We get it - with the best will in the world the NHS is straining at the seams and sadly some things are not being given the priority they may deserve.
If you have problems with :
- Back pain
- Sciatica
- Shoulder pain
- Sports injuries

We CAN help ! Call us and sort it sooner rather than later so you can stay fit, active and feeling better.
Call us today or book online

10/11/2025

ALL tissue change is an adaptation to the stresses of the work it is asked to do. Skin gets calluses where the pressure is applied and it toughens the area up and allows it to tolerate the work. It adapts to the conditions. But if too much pressure is applied suddenly or too quickly .... well that's when the tissues become sore, fragile and painful i.e a blister !
Our tendons, bones and joints are no different - gradual, progressive loading is king and the secret to a healthy body that can adapt to the different stresses and strains that life throws at us.
If your body is struggling to adapt whether that be to a new exercise routine or a new job then we can help provide a plan.

09/11/2025

Thank you. Always. 😔

05/11/2025

So what is a better way of planking so it can be a useful training tool ?

1. Multiple short holds with perfect form: Instead of one, agonising 3-minute plank, perform 3-5 sets of a 10-30 sec hold but with perfect technique / form and full muscle engagement. Quality over quantity.... and your bum is less likely to end up stuck in the air ! 😝

2. Progressively overload by introducing instability: Once you can hold a perfect plank, you make it harder by reducing the time but increasing the challenge. This is done by introducing instability, which forces your core to work harder to maintain position.

Examples: Plank with arms on a stability ball, plank with feet in TRX straps or on a stability ball as in the picture, or a simple raised-arm or raised-leg plank.

4, Incorporate anti-movement variations: The core's main job is to resist and control movement, not create it. Training these 'anti patterns is highly functional.

'Anti-Rotation' : Paloff press, Bird-Dog.
'Anti-Lateral Flexion' : Side Plank, Suitcase Carry.
'Anti-Extension' : Ab Rollout, Dead Bug (with a focus on pressing the lower back into the floor)

As with any exercise these progressions are not suitable for everyone - the foundations must be ready to tolerate these higher threshold exercises. If you are unsure whether they are suited to you then we are happy to help advise and demo some suitable exercises for you and your needs.

05/11/2025

🚨🚨NO ACCESS to our car park at Groby for today at least.
Roadside parking is best on Markfield Rd ( where the church is ) and then walk back towards us.

Huge apologies for the disruption again - hopefully short-lived 🤞🙏

03/11/2025

Here we go again 🥴

Planned road closure for Ratby Road and Fir Tree Lane Crossroads ( junction outside our Groby branch ) between 9am - 3pm on Weds 5th and Thursday 6th November.
🚦 These dates may be affected by inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances.
🚦Pedestrian access is unaffected but roadside parking will be on Fir Tree Lane and Ratby Road in GROBY.
🚦Please take this in to account when planning your journey.
🚦We have been warned there may be some noise and disturbance but they have promised to keep this to a minimum.

Apologies for any potential disturbances - please call us at the clinic if there is any issue or for any further information.

03/11/2025

Planking can be a great way to recruit core muscles and build strength providing it is done well with good form and

There is no good evidence to support the idea that simply holding a plank for longer and longer periods (e.g., from 1 minute to 5 minutes) is the optimal way to improve functional core stability.
And here’s why:

1. The Law of Diminishing Returns: Research, notably from spine biomechanist Dr. Stuart McGill, shows that after about 10-second holds, the primary benefit being trained shifts from coordination and stability to local muscular endurance. While endurance is valuable, it's not the same as the high-threshold stability needed for lifting a heavy object or throwing a punch.

2. Form Breakdown is Inevitable: As fatigue sets in during a prolonged hold, form deteriorates. The hips sag, the shoulders hike, and the lower back arches. Now you are no longer training optimal core stability; you are reinforcing poor movement patterns and risking injury.

3. Functional Stability is DYNAMIC: Life and sports are not static. Functional stability is about the core's ability to react and brace against sudden, unpredictable forces e.g., slipping on ice, dodging a tackle, catching a falling object.. or toddler ! . A 5-minute static hold does little to train this reactive ability.

Far better to introduce shorter holds but with more movement challenge elements e.g over a stability ball, incorporate movement, feet in TRX straps or raised arms and legs.

30/10/2025

Let's be positive... on the whole our tissues have an amazing ability to heal and adapt. It's how the human race made it out of the swamps and what has kept us striding forwards and evolving. Your tissues constantly change and adapt to the world around them according to the stresses we place on them. So isn't it best to give them ' helpful ' stresses rather than unhelpful ones ?

If the stresses are too much for our tisues to cope with at that time then that's when we run into problems and develop soreness and altered function.
3 ways of maximising ' coping '
- Eating well
- Move... often. It is literally what we are built for.
- Sleep ... VERY important for healing, tissue and mental health.

27/10/2025

Achilles tendon problems can be niggly little pests, seriously hamper activites like running, walking / hiking and gym programmes. Like most tendon problems it is usually a case of inefficient or improper loading of the tendon i.e the tendon doesn't have the capacity or energy to cope with the load i.e work - nothing to do with physical weight - and it starts to complain.... cue pain, sometimes swelling and a reduced ability to exercise.

Sorting it out often involves some local treatment to offload the sore areas, allowing the pain to settle and then a correct exercise programme. The first part is easy ... the second part is where many struggle, targeting strength exercises which are not the most appropriate way of handling load. It isn't a 'lacking in strength' issue nor is it a case of manically stretching out the calves - in some cases this can be quite detrimental.

If you have tried to manage a niggly Achilles and it just won't shift then there may be something you are missing. Call us to see how Physio or Sports Therapy can help. Or book online using the link below

☎️ 0116 367 6472
🌐 https://bit.ly/49l09Iu

25/10/2025