In an exclusive PhysioUpdate Q&A, editor Ian A McMillan caught up with high-flying physiotherapist Nell Mead, whose book How To Be Your Own Physio: The 4-Step Pyramid Method From Pain to Peak Performance is now available from Amazon

What attracted you to physiotherapy and what were your first steps in the profession?

I wanted to be a professional tennis player when I was a teenager, but my folks weren’t on board and in hindsight I probably wasn’t talented or dedicated enough. I really wanted to do something that helped other people make the most of their sporting talents though, and physiotherapy felt like a good fit. As the result of a school careers evening, I joined the British Army for my gap year in 1996, and I then graduated from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2000 with a BSc (Hons) in physiotherapy.

UEA was brilliant for me, because they really focused on clinical reasoning which I think is one of the most interesting things about physiotherapy. Everyone’s body has a different history of injury, movement and health; and for me, the fun part of physiotherapy is figuring out the best way to help each person’s individual body and mind. I rejoined the Army immediately after graduating, and began work as a physiotherapy officer. I did my rotations at Headley Court and Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.

We see you were in the Army, latterly as a Major. Tell us more

The Army offered incredible opportunities for professional development. For example, in 2006 they sponsored me to study for a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports and Exercise Medicine at Queen Mary’s University London. As part of this, I spent time at the Olympic Medical Institute at Northwick Park Hospital in north London. By 2008, I was promoted to Major and posted to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as Officer Commanding Physiotherapy, where I was responsible for maintaining the musculoskeletal (MSK) health of around 8,000 British Forces personnel and their families across five sites. I even became the physiotherapist for the Cyprus Davis Cup team!

‘I went solo in 2019, and now have a clinic near Liverpool Street in London, where I specialise helping people with complex and long-term injuries, particularly patients who haven’t found success with traditional physiotherapy approaches’

How has your career evolved since you left the Army?

I left the Army in 2010 to focus more on clinical work rather than management. I used my inheritance from my mother’s death in 2007 to set up my multidisciplinary clinic in London: Victory Health & Performance. Over the years, my approach evolved significantly as I discovered Sarah Key’s flexion-based treatment for back pain and Diane Lee’s Integrated Systems Model. This led to developing my own Health & Performance Pyramid method. I went solo in 2019, and now have a clinic near Liverpool Street in London, where I specialise helping people with complex and long-term injuries, particularly patients who haven’t found success with traditional physiotherapy approaches.

We see you have won several awards. Tell us more about the importance of raising your profile

Though I’m personally not terribly interested in awards, they do look nice! I do think it’s important to think about your profile though – which for me means knowing who you are, what you’re good at and who you really enjoy and are successful at treating. When you know that, it’s much easier to attract the patients you can help the most – because of course not every physio is the best physio for every patient. For example, if you have loads of experience with treating swimmers, and a deep understanding of how swimmers’ bodies should and do move, then make that really clear in your marketing, and you’ll get swimmers seeking you out – which in turn will help you get better at treating swimmers!

What prompted you to write your book? What are its key messages?

The book was born from my experience treating thousands of patients and discovering that certain fundamental principles underpin all our health. I learned this the hard way during a tennis training camp in Croatia with Goran Ivanisevic in 2014, when I tore my calf muscle on the second day. It was a grade II tear so it ought to have taken several weeks to heal, but by obsessively applying what would become my pyramid principles, I managed to get back on court within a week.

The book outlines my Health & Performance Pyramid, which breaks down health optimisation into four layers

• foundation (focusing on hydration, nutrition, sleep and stress, which contribute to vascular health)

• health (addressing alignment, biomechanics and control, which is about the nervous system)

• performance (building strength, flexibility, and endurance for the MSK system)

• sports-specific movement-based training

I’ve also included loads of case studies to illustrate my points and bring them to life. I really intended it for intelligent laypeople (like my patients) rather than for professionals, but lots of my doctor colleagues are recommending it to their students and juniors, which is very gratifying.

How has the book been received so far and how can PhysioUpdate readers order a copy?

The book has received some amazing feedback from both medical professionals and patients. Dr Cath Spencer-Smith, Olympic Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine, called me ‘the Sherlock Holmes of physiotherapy’ in her foreword, and Amazon reviews include ‘genius’, ‘pure gold’, ‘accessible’ and ‘fascinating’. The book launched in November 2024 and briefly hit the Amazon top spot for personal health books (outselling both Andre Agassi and Fern Britton!). Readers can order it through Amazon.

Any New Year resolutions?

My New Year resolution is to continue spreading the message that good physiotherapy isn’t just about treating symptoms – it’s about finding and addressing the root cause of problems. I want to help more people understand how their bodies work and empower them to take control of their own health journey.

Nell Mead is a retired Army Major who practises at the Nell Mead Physiotherapist clinic, which she runs

For more information, visit: nellmead.com

Nell’s awards include Best Physiotherapy Injury & Treatment Provider: London (Global Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards, 2022) and Most Dedicated Physiotherapist 2023 (Greater London Enterprise Awards)

For more information on her Amazon bestselling book, visit: How To Be Your Own Physio