Bespoke physio journeys providing light at the end of the tunnel

Craig and Lorraine Lea try to improve the lives of their patients at their family-run physiotherapy company, which has its head office in Warrington and two other practices in the town – one at David Lloyd Warrington and one at United Utilities at Lingley Mere.

In our latest Business of the Week feature, clinical director Craig and operational director Lorraine tell us how they often meet clients at the start of their journey to recovery, supporting them as they strive to improve their quality of life.

Craig and Lorraine Lea

What’s the name of the business?

The Physio Lounge

What’s the address?

We have six clinics across the north west, with the local ones being in David Lloyd Warrington and The Lingley Mere United Utilities site for employees. Our Head Office (TPL Hub) is also based in Warrington.

When did you open the business?

We opened in November 2013.

Has it always been in the same location?

We started with one clinic and have increased over the last few years! Warrington is our home town.

Bespoke physio plans are created for each patient

Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?

We grew up in St Helens and moved to Warrington around four years ago with our son and we have since had another son who is now two.

Tell me a bit about your business

The foundations of our local family run physiotherapy business are built on improving the lives of our patients. We often meet our patients at their worst and most vulnerable times and we are passionate about taking them through their journey in a respectful and supported way towards recovery and an improved quality of life. We have an incredible team of 12 - seven physios alongside our operational and admin team - who also work locally in our TPL Hub in Warrington.

What do you do? What services do you provide?

We offer a range of services including Physiotherapy Assessment & Treatment, Sports massage, assessment and treatment of specialised areas such as acupuncture and vestibular. We also offer state of the art technology such as Footscan Technology. We also offer group rehab sessions, home visits and treat complex patients who have been involved in life changing accidents or injuries. We provide these services to private paying patients as well as insurance companies.

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Why did you decide to open your own business?

Craig opened the business to create a journey where the patient is at the centre and each one is bespoke to that patient. Lorraine joined the Physio Lounge family a few years ago.

Clients can have one to one physio sessions

What’s your business background?

Craig has always worked in the physio environment, previously working with teams such as Millwall FC, Preston North End FC, St Helens RFC and England Knights RL. This provided Craig with a wealth of experience of sports injury and rehabilitation. Lorraine has a background in business operations planning, business development and growth.

Why this type of business?

This is the type of business that we are highly experienced in and passionate about! Pain is something that can impact every waking moment and affects daily activities such as playing with your children or picking things up off the floor. It is not to be underestimated but there is light at the end of the tunnel and we want to help people find it.

How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your business?

The pandemic hit us exceptionally hard. Lockdown meant we went through some tough times, both personally and as a business. We know a lot of businesses did not make it through the pandemic and we feel so grateful that we are still here today.

What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

Without doubt the highly skilled team and family environment that we have created. Without this, we wouldn’t be able to deliver the consistently high level of service that is so important to us. Our team of physios are experts in their fields and they genuinely care. We celebrate each other’s successes and we support each other through the bad times. We believe that with right team in place we can deliver exceptional service to our patients and we are constantly striving to be better, learn and grow.

There are seven physios working at The Physio Lounge's six clinics

Why do loyal customers return to your business?

Our care, our expertise and our people. The Physio Lounge has received some fantastic feedback and customer reviews. We are “professional and informative, friendly and knowledgeable”, and we are “ultra-professional” making our clients “feel relaxed while receiving the treatments” and providing “great advice and forward planning advice”. One customer said she knew her daughter was in safe hands with our physios and another appreciated the confidence we helped instil during their workouts.

What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your business?

We have some new faces joining our team and we are always striving to improve. Our biggest goal is to help people with their day to day lives and we want to help as many people as possible.

If you would like to appear as our Trader of the Week or Business of the Week, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

You’ll receive a Q&A giving you the chance to tell us about your business, which can be returned via email together with a selection of photographs of the business, your products and yourself.