ClewisPhysio

ClewisPhysio C Lewis Physiotherapy is a 5* reviewed, expert Physiotherapy clinic based in Ottery St Mary.

10/08/2026

Deadlifts for back pain. Who’s avoiding them?

Weekly round up: 🏖️ More beach🎶 Some folking and a rare mums night out ☕️ Coffee fuelled toddler run arounds 👵 Took Nan ...
09/08/2026

Weekly round up:

🏖️ More beach
🎶 Some folking and a rare mums night out
☕️ Coffee fuelled toddler run arounds
👵 Took Nan folking with the kids, took some 💪 to get her back up the hill 🤣

In clinic - an incredibly busy week and one highlight that genuinely made my week.

Our record oldest Fit for Life sign up. 79 years old. And absolutely ready to get stronger.

That one says everything about why this programme exists. It is never too late. The body responds at any age. And the people who come through the door and commit to doing something about it - at 59, 69, or 79 - are the ones who inspire me most.

What a week.

Charlotte x

05/08/2026

A hinge movement is any movement where you bend forward from the hips while keeping your spine long. Picking something up off the floor. Lifting a bag out of the boot. Bending to the washing machine. A deadlift.

And it is one of the most commonly avoided movements in people with back pain.

Understandably so. It often hurts. So you stop doing it. You find a way around it. You bend your knees awkwardly, you squat, you twist, you do anything but hinge.

But here is the problem.

Avoiding the hinge does not protect your back. It weakens the muscles that are supposed to protect it

The posterior chain, the muscles through your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, are designed specifically to load and control the hinge. When they are strong they absorb the forces of lifting and bending efficiently. When they are weak or switched off from avoidance, your spine takes that load instead.

The answer is not to stop hinging. It is to learn to hinge properly and build the strength to do it safely.

A good hinge starts at the hips, not the lower back. The spine stays long and neutral throughout. The glutes and hamstrings load as you lower. The glutes drive you back up.

When someone learns to hinge well - really well - it is one of the most liberating movements in rehabilitation. Because suddenly everything that felt dangerous starts to feel manageable.

Picking things up. Loading the boot. Getting off the floor. All of it.

Save this, and drop a comment if hinge movements have been something you have been quietly avoiding.

03/08/2026

Something I say a lot in clinic - and something that surprises most people.

Avoiding impact does not protect your joints. In some cases it actually accelerates their breakdown.

A 2025 study found that plyometric jump training increased the thickness and volume of knee cartilage.

While reduced loading caused significant cartilage thinning.

Let that land.

Your cartilage needs load to stay healthy. Not gentle load. Meaningful load.

And a 2025 meta-analysis of 70 studies confirmed that plyometric training significantly improves lower limb strength and power, which is exactly what protects your joints from the forces placed on them in daily life and sport.

Power keeps you reactive. It catches you when you trip. It keeps you moving well as you age.

So if you have been avoiding jumping, bounding, or impact because of your joints - it might be time to reconsider.

The right load, progressed properly, is medicine.

Save this if it changes how you think about your joints - and drop a comment if you want to know where to start.

Another great week - and a busy one.A lot of behind the scenes work this week getting everything in place to onboard Jak...
02/08/2026

Another great week - and a busy one.

A lot of behind the scenes work this week getting everything in place to onboard Jake Kennard, our new Sports Massage Therapist. So much to do when you are bringing someone new into the team - but so worth it. Jake starts Wednesday 12th August and we cannot wait.

The highlight of the week though - a visit from some of my oldest friends. We all studied Physio together at Cardiff back in 2010 and somehow managed to get in the same room again this week.

Between us we now have one physio working in ITU, one physio turned lawyer, and one doing a PhD. And then there is me - running a busy clinic in Ottery with a toddler in tow.

Does that not show the extraordinary range of what a physiotherapy degree can take you? I genuinely love that about this profession.

Getting to show them the new clinic space was such a special moment. Seeing it through fresh eyes reminded me all over again how far things have come.

Outside of clinic - paddle-boarding, beach barbecues, a well earned beer and coffee, and some proper time to wind down.

The southwest really does deliver in the summer.

Ready for another big week ahead.

Charlotte x

29/07/2026

If you’ve ever avoided squatting because of knee pain - this will help.

Avoiding the squat is one of the most common things I see in patients with knee pain.

And I understand why. It hurts. So you stop doing it.

But here is the problem.

Avoiding the squat weakens the muscles that protect your knee. And weaker muscles mean more pain - not less. It becomes a cycle.

The answer is not to stop squatting. It is to find the version of the squat your knee can tolerate - and build from there.

Here is how we progress it.

Step 1 - Sit to stand

Getting up from a chair is a squat. Start here. Use a higher surface if you need to. Focus on control - slow on the way down, drive through the heels on the way up.

Step 2 - Squat to a high box

Take the depth out of the equation. A 20 inch box reduces the load through the knee significantly. Master this before going lower

Step 3 - Reduce the box height

As strength and confidence build, lower the surface. 18 inches. 16 inches. Each step down increases the demand on the quad and the knee - but only when you are ready.

Step 4 - Add load

Once depth is comfortable bodyweight, introduce a light load. A kettlebell held at the chest. Build the weight slowly - the tissue needs time to adapt.

Step 5 - Full depth squat under load
The goal. Not everyone needs to get here. But most can with the right progression and the right time frame.

Pain does not mean the squat is not for you.

It usually just means you started at the wrong step.

Save this - and drop a comment if squats have been something you have been avoiding.

27/07/2026

Sports massage?

No, not just for athletes!

I promise it wasn’t all spent on the beach.Although. Some of it definitely was.The clinic has been absolutely packed thi...
26/07/2026

I promise it wasn’t all spent on the beach.

Although. Some of it definitely was.

The clinic has been absolutely packed this week - so busy that I kept forgetting to stop and take photos or videos. If you know, you know. The good problem to have kind of busy.

One highlight of the week that cannot go unmentioned - proper coffee before work. My wife is at home more now for the summer and the standard of the morning coffee has increased significantly. Milo, however, remains firmly committed to banana or cheesy bread for breakfast.

Outside of clinic - the tractor made another appearance at the beach and was, predictably, the most exciting thing in Milo’s world. Cousins came to stay too and honestly watching him with them is everything. He absolutely adores it.

And let’s talk about the golf ⛳️ . Which ultimately ended in corona zero celebration.

Beat the boys. That is all I will say. Actually no - that is not all I will say. It was brilliant and I am absolutely not pretending it wasn’t mostly about winning. Because it was. Every bit of it.

Now. The exciting bit.

This week we announced our first new recruit - Jake Kennard, Sports Massage Therapist, joining us on Wednesday evenings from August. Absolutely buzzing to have him on board.

But watch this space.

Because as we move towards August there is another announcement coming. A senior MSK physiotherapist with a wealth of experience in strength training and bone health is joining the C Lewis Physiotherapy team - and I genuinely cannot wait to introduce them properly.

Big things happening here.

Charlotte x

🎉 GIVEAWAY TIME - and it’s a big one. 🎉We are so excited to introduce Jake Kennard - our brand new Sports Massage Therap...
26/07/2026

🎉 GIVEAWAY TIME - and it’s a big one. 🎉

We are so excited to introduce Jake Kennard - our brand new Sports Massage Therapist at C Lewis Physiotherapy. And to celebrate, we are giving away a 6 Month Recovery Package worth £300.

That is six months of free sports massage. For you. On us.

Imagine six months of releasing tension that has been building for weeks. Moving more freely. Recovering properly between sessions. Feeling like your body is actually being looked after.

No more carrying tightness that never quite shifts. No more sluggish recovery. No more putting it off until something goes wrong.

This is a fully personalised sports massage experience with Jake - 45 minutes every month for six months, tailored entirely to what your body needs.

To enter:
✅ Follow our page
✅ Like this post
✅ Share this post to your profile or story and tag us
✅ Tag a friend or family member in the comments below

You can enter as many times as you like - the more you tag, the better your chances.

🏆 Winner announced on Sunday 2nd August in our stories.

Jake is available on Wednesday evenings from August - and we cannot wait for you to experience what he brings to the clinic.

Good luck everyone - and don’t forget to tag someone below who needs this more than they know. 👇

Exciting news. The C Lewis Physiotherapy team is growing 🥳 I am absolutely delighted to introduce Jake Kennard - our new...
24/07/2026

Exciting news. The C Lewis Physiotherapy team is growing 🥳

I am absolutely delighted to introduce Jake Kennard - our new Sports Massage Therapist - who will be joining us on Wednesday evenings from August 12th.

Jake brings a brilliant combination of skills that fits perfectly with everything we are building here.

He is a qualified Sports Massage Therapist, a Level 2 British Weightlifting Coach, and a Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience delivering coaching and fitness programmes across Devon.

What we mostly love about Jake is that he also has a toddler creating pure chaos at home, so he appreciates the chaos - and the recovery that comes after it.

He is passionate about helping people move well, feel better, and stay active - and that sits perfectly alongside everything we stand for at C Lewis Physiotherapy.

Jake will initially be available on Wednesday evenings from August 12th and booking is already open using the website link or usual link in bio.

We are so excited to have you on board Jake. Welcome to the team 🫶

Address

C Lewis Physiotherapy, Studio 11B, Mill Street, Ottery St Mary
Ottery Saint Mary
EX111AB

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 3pm
Wednesday 1pm - 8pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm
Sunday 8am - 12pm

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