Physio Foundations

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Cindy Phan and Chris Lawry are physiotherapists based at Bundoora Specialist Health Care and providers of the Bryta cognitive motor training program for older adults.

In this episode, we explore patient-centred physiotherapy for older adults, including community and geriatric physiotherapy, home visits, goal setting, communication with healthcare teams, and the real-world application of what physiotherapy students learn at university. We also discuss how clinicians stay current with evidence-based practice and why individualised care is so important when working with older adults.

Thanks to Chris and Cindy for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction

1:44 What does a typical day in community and geriatric physiotherapy look like?

5:10 Balancing clinician and business owner roles

6:35 Why home visits improve personalised care and goal setting

11:15 Conditions commonly managed in older adults

13:15 When should physiotherapists refer for medical review?

16:00 Communication tips for speaking with referrers and healthcare teams

19:15 Real patient goals and individualised physiotherapy care

27:00 The real-world relevance of what you learn at university

32:15 Staying up to date with evidence in clinical practice

44:50 Final thoughts and how to connect

Read more about Chris and Cindy, and the Bryta program, at their practice website Bundoora Specialist Health Care

Cindy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-p-bryta/

Chris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-lawry-687210115/

Bryta LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bryta/

Bryta Instagram: @Brytatraining

https://www.instagram.com/brytatraining/

Website: www.bryta.net

Dementia Australia website: https://www.dementia.org.au/

University of Tasmania dementia resources: https://www.utas.edu.au/wicking

If you are finding this content helpful, we would appreciate a review and rating for the Physio Foundations podcast. This really helps promote the podcast to others. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5-star rating!

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This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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If you are studying and putting in the work, but feel like things aren’t sticking, or that you’re falling behind, this episode is for you.

This episode is a practical overview of learning as a skill, with a focus on how to study more effectively in physiotherapy. It will also be useful for new graduates and clinicians who want to revisit and strengthen their foundations skills in learning.

Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections.

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to the episode

6:01 Learning is a skill

10:26 Adult learning is unstructured

18:30 Flexible learning is harder than structured learning

21:03 Lectures are a guide to your study – the problem with rote learning

27:50 Core learning skills – getting organised

30:55 Five tips for learning

41:30 Summary

If you are finding this content helpful, we would appreciate a review and rating for the Physio Foundations podcast. This really helps promote the podcast to others. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5-star rating!

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This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Chris Lawry and Cindy Phan are physiotherapists based at Bundoora Specialist Health Care and providers of the Bryta Motor Cognitive training program for older adults.

In this episode, Chris and Cindy discuss motor cognitive training, including how they developed a special interest in this area and how it can be applied in clinical practice. We also discussed foundational communication and manual handling skills that will help take you from new grad practitioner to the next level.

Thanks to Chris and Cindy for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections.

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to the episode

5:30 Developing a special interest in motor cognitive training

10:15 What problems can you address with this type of training?

16:00 Examples of specific motor cognitive training

24:18 Making rehab matter to the person

25:20 Applying foundational knowledge from university

31:35 Be creative in your rehabilitation and have fun

32:20 The most important knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist

40:55 How long did it take to get comfortable working in private practice?

43:40 Where to follow Chris and Cindy to find out more about their work

Read more about Chris and Cindy, and the Bryta program, at their practice website Bundoora Specialist Health Care

Cindy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-p-bryta/

Chris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-lawry-687210115/

Bryta LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bryta/

Bryta Instagram: @Brytatraining

https://www.instagram.com/brytatraining/

Website: www.bryta.net

If you are finding this content helpful, we would appreciate a review and rating for the Physio Foundations podcast. This really helps promote the podcast to others. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5-star rating!

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Read more at Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Instagram and Linked In.

This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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This episode is part of the Physio Foundations New Graduate Series, exploring the challenges and opportunities in the first five years after graduation.

Kristen Witt is a physiotherapist and founder of Witt Wellness in Sydney, Australia. Krissy is also a Nutritionist and Clinical Pilates instructor and was part of the Monash University Physiotherapy class of 2022.

Burnout in early-career physiotherapy is increasingly discussed among new graduates. In this episode, Krissy and I explore the realities of the first five years of physiotherapy practice, including balancing evidence-based care with real-world clinical practice, managing energy and workload, and finding long-term purpose in the profession.

We discuss practical strategies for navigating the early years of practice, protecting your energy, seeking mentorship, and building a sustainable and enjoyable physiotherapy career.

Thanks to Krissy for a great conversation.

Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections.

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to the episode and Krissy

4:30 What do you love about being a physiotherapist?

6:40 The most important knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist

8:40 I don’t know if I want to be a physiotherapist anymore – balancing expectations and reality

14:30 Strategies for managing your energy and avoiding burnout as a physiotherapist?

22:00 How many professional development courses should you do?

24:30 Benefits of having a mentor

29:40 Why are you doing this job? Bigger picture

33:30 How can you avoid burnout? Practical tips

40:00 A final message of hope – hold on, good things are around the next corner!

Read more about Krissy at her practice website Witt Wellness

If you are finding this content helpful, we would appreciate a review and rating for the Physio Foundations podcast. This really helps promote the podcast to others. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5-star rating!

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This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Associate Professor Tania Pizzari is an internationally recognised physiotherapy clinician, researcher and educator.

In this episode, Tania and I discuss shoulder assessment and management, with a particular focus on modifying symptoms during assessment, the role of diagnostic language, and helping people understand the contributing factors to their shoulder pain.

Thank you to Tania for a fantastic conversation and for generously sharing her expertise. Use the timestamps below to jump to specific sections of the episode.

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to Tania

3:15 Classifications of shoulder conditions -diagnoses and movement systems

15:00 Providing a pathoanatomical diagnosis – language matters

17:30 Red flags to rule out

24:20 How do you prioritise physical examination tests?

29:10 Interpreting diagnostic tests – what do they really mean?

33:10 Patient education starts during your assessment

35:50 What presentations do you still find challenging?

39:15 Pain and sensitisation in shoulder conditions

42:00 The most important knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist – you can always learn more

If you are finding this content helpful, we would appreciate a review and rating for the Physio Foundations podcast. This really helps promote the podcast to others. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5-star rating!

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This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Jaryd Bourke is a podiatrist and PhD candidate at Monash University Physiotherapy. In this episode, Jaryd discusses Achilles tendinopathy and his research investigating heel lifts and changes in patient outcomes and biomechanics.

Edit: Sorry for saying Wodonga is a city in NSW! At least I know people are listening... it's on the border...

Thanks to Jaryd for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Jaryd
2:20 What is tendinopathy?
3:30 What is Achilles tendinopathy?
5:30 Heel lifts for Achilles tendinopathy - research
7:18 How could heel lifts help with Achilles tendinopathy symptoms
10:00 Jaryd’s trial on heel lifts for Achilles tendinopathy – key methods
17:00 Clinical implications
23:33 Final thoughts

Diagnostic domains, differential diagnosis and conditions requiring further medical attention that are considered important in the assessment for Achilles tendinopathy: a Delphi consensus study, link to paper: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/13/891.abstract

Follow Jaryd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaryd-bourke-86932b200/?originalSubdomain=au

If you are finding this content helpful, we would appreciate a review and rating for the Physio Foundations podcast. This really helps promote the podcast to others. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5-star rating.

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Read more at Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
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This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Just in time for World Bronchiectasis Day, this is Part 2 of my discussion with Associate Professor Annemarie Lee on exercise for people with bronchiectasis. In this episode, Annemarie explains the benefits of exercise for people with Bronchiectasis and explores different ways people can engage in physical activity—whether as part of a formal rehabilitation program or by integrating it into daily life.

A huge thanks to Annemarie for sharing your expertise.

Use the timestamps below to jump to sections of interest.

0:00 About this episode

1:52 How does exercise benefit people with Bronchiectasis?

4:15 What does a typical pulmonary rehabilitation class look like?

6:15 Who is suitable for a pulmonary rehabilitation class for Bronchiectasis?

11:26 Exercise for airway clearance and exercise tolerance

14:18 Research gaps

16:50 How can people with Bronchiectasis monitor their exercise and symptoms?

22:55 The patient as a person, developing a therapeutic alliance

24:38 The most important knowledge and skills for a health professional – empathy

28:40 How to connect with Annemarie

Links and Resources:

Bronchiectasis Toolbox
Strong Lungs
Annemarie Lee’s Research Profile (Monash University)

If you find this content helpful, please rate and review the Physio Foundations podcast on your favourite podcast app—it helps others find the show.

Stay connected:

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Disclaimer:
This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Associate Professor Annemarie Lee is a leading cardiorespiratory physiotherapist, educator and researcher whose work has helped shape how we understand and manage bronchiectasis in physiotherapy practice. This is the first episode of a two-part series on bronchiectasis. In this episode, we discuss subjective and objective assessment of people with bronchiectasis and provide an introduction to airway clearance techniques. A huge thanks to Annemarie for sharing your expertise.

Use the timestamps below to jump to sections of interest.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Annemarie

4:50 What is bronchiectasis?

8:50 Other impacts of bronchiectasis – loss of physical function, pelvic floor dysfunction, low back pain, reflux, etc.

12:50 Emerging treatments

13:40 Objective assessment of people with bronchiectasis

21:30 Airway clearance techniques

25:00 Bronchiectasis Toolbox website

29:12 Strong Lungs website

31:50 Summary

Links and Resources:

Bronchiectasis Toolbox
Strong Lungs
Annemarie Lee’s Research Profile (Monash University)

If you find this content helpful, please rate and review the Physio Foundations podcast on your favourite podcast app—it helps others find the show.

Stay connected:

Read more at www.Perraton.Physio or follow the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
Watch us on YouTube: Perraton Physio YouTube Channel
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Disclaimer:
This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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In this episode, Associate Professor Jane Rooney explains the latest evidence for non-operative management of ACL injuries, including the Cross Bracing Protocol and associated research.

This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

Jane Rooney is a Specialist Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2009) and a facilitator and examiner for physiotherapists completing their specialisation through the College. She has extensive experience in sports physiotherapy, working with athletes of all levels, and is widely respected for her contributions to university and clinical teaching, including through the Physio Educators platform. In 2016, Jane was awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to investigate how knee injuries are managed around the world. She is now part of the research team investigating the effectiveness of the Cross-Bracing Protocol for non-operative ACL injury management.

Thanks to Jane for a fantastic conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to key sections of the episode:

In this episode:
0:00 About this episode and welcome Jane
4:10 Findings from Jane’s Churchill Fellowship: global ACL management and societal costs
7:16 Operative vs non-operative ACL management and patient decision aids
10:15 Case study: decision-making in ACL injury management
15:45 Bracing for native ACL healing: history of the Cross-Bracing Protocol
23:19 Non-operative management is not suitable for everyone
25:30 Bracing at 90 degrees: mechanisms and anatomical rationale
27:40 “ACL first aid”: preserving the option of non-operative management
30:30 Important! Bracing must involve a doctor, surgeon, and patient
33:36 Eligibility criteria, timeframes, and factors influencing ACL healing
37:05 Understanding the anatomy of ACL healing
41:45 Risks and medical considerations for referring patients for bracing
47:30 Future directions: non-operative care and evolving bracing protocols
59:50 Shared decision-making: pros and cons of bracing vs surgical care

Jane referenced this study on treatment decision-making for ACL injuries:
https://academic.oup.com/ptj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ptj/pzaf030/8075093

Find out more about the Cross Bracing workshop at physioeducators.com.au

This podcast is free to access, but you can help us grow by sharing it within your network and leaving a review and 5-star rating. Thanks for supporting the show!

Stay connected:
• Read more at www.Perraton.Physio or visit the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page
• Watch on YouTube: @PerratonPhysio
• Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter)

This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any health concerns or medical conditions.

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On this episode, I welcome back Mick Hughes and Randall Cooper to talk about the role of exercise in health and physiotherapy practice. We also discuss the work they are doing with their education platform, Learn.Physio, and what they have learned over the past five years from interviewing and creating content with world-class clinicians and educators.

Thanks to Randall and Mick for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to the relevant sections.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome back Mick and Randall

1:50 Exercise Matters podcast

8:45 How can graduate physios advance their exercise knowledge and skills?

11:35 What sets physiotherapy apart from coaching, exercise physiology, and other professions?

18:40 When to say “I’m not sure” and refer to other health professionals

20:15 Can we over-medicalise exercise? When is it actually appropriate to medicalise exercise?

27:38 Tips for engaging people in exercise – find out what’s important to them

30:15 The Learn.Physio platform – highlights from behind the scenes

36:30 How do you integrate new knowledge from courses into your practice?

40:30 Managing information overload as a graduate practitioner

42:07 Do students learn differently in 2025 compared to the past?

48:00 Learn online, but learn in person as well – don’t neglect your interpersonal and hands-on skills

Links and resources:

Check out: www.Learn.Physio

Listen to the Exercise Matters podcast with Randall and Mick, and give them a 5-star rating and review on Spotify, Apple, or your favourite podcast player:

Spotify
Apple Podcasts

While you're there, we’d also appreciate a rating and review for the Physio Foundations podcast—it really helps promote the show. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5 stars!

Stay connected:

Read more at www.Perraton.Physio or follow the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
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Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Disclaimer:
This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Nick Kane is the founder of the Sports MAP network, an educational platform for physiotherapists and sports medicine professionals and the former head physiotherapist for the Essendon Australian Rules Football club. Nick founded and consults at the Complete Balance Physiotherapy clinic in Melbourne, Australia.

In this episode, Nick discussed his experiences working in elite sport and how you can develop your own career in sports physiotherapy.

Thanks Nick for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Nick

7:25 Experiences working as the head physiotherapist for the Essendon football club

9:45 Nick’s clinical special interests

11:45 The most important foundational knowledge and skills – clinical reasoning and rehab principles

13:50 Applying anatomy and pathology knowledge as a practitioner

16:58 Sports MAP

20:25 Challenges for graduates – distractions, impatience

22:50 Mentoring and developing strong clinicians

33:40 Developing a special interest area

43:00 Final thoughts

We discussed the SportsMAP network: https://sportsmap.com.au/

Stay connected:

Read more at Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Narelle Dalwood is a neurological physiotherapist and Senior Lecturer at Monash University Physiotherapy. In this episode, Narelle and I discuss the foundations of neurological physiotherapy, including neuroanatomy and the pathology of common conditions such as stroke.

Thanks Narelle for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Narelle

1:04 Common neurological conditions

3:14 Middle cerebral artery strokes

7:50 Heterogeneity - combining imaging, history and assessment findings

12:45 Defining terminology – infarcts and haemorrhagic strokes

14:38 How do you recognise a stroke? Timely recognition and clot busting drugs.

22:00 Upper and lower motor neurons

25:14 Reflexes and recognising serious neurological problems

33:25 Neuroplasticity

41:12 How to develop your neuro physio knowledge and skills – brush up on your neuroanatomy

54:30 Final thoughts

Narelle mentioned these guidelines and resources for health professionals, patients and their families from the National Stroke Foundation: https://informme.org.au/ https://enableme.org.au/ https://sciptguide.com/

Stay connected:

Read more at Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Ellen Ball is a physiotherapist and Monash University Physiotherapy graduate who is currently completing a master’s degree in public health. In this conversation, Ellen and I discuss the study habits that helped her become a highly successful student, how to network effectively, and alternative career pathways after graduation.

Thanks Ellen for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Ellen

1:50 Ellen’s foundations

4:20 How do you find and stay in touch with mentors?

6:05 How do you get your foot in the door in education and research?

7:38 What skills did you learn in the physiotherapy course that you now use in the workforce?

9:45 The most important foundational knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist

11:55 Developing interpersonal skills as a student and a new grad

14:10 Managing distractions in the era of TikTok and smartphones

15:25 What is public health?

18:55 Advanced study skills for postgraduate training

21:20 Prioritisation is a skill

25:50 What advice would you give to your younger self?

31:00 Improving health outcomes through public health rather than individual physiotherapy care

32:22 Final thoughts – ride the wave and be kind to yourself

Stay connected:

Read more at Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Associate Professor Adam Culvenor is a Principal Research Fellow from the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine (LASEM) Research Centre, a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leadership Fellow and the head of the Knee Injury Research Group within LASEM.

In this conversation, Adam and I discussed the research he has led on post traumatic knee osteoarthritis including the OPTIKNEE 2022: consensus recommendations, the SUPER-Knee trial, the role of diet in managing osteoarthritis and the Australian Knee Injury Study.

Thanks Adam for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections and follow the links below to find out more about Adam and his work.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Adam

6:00 The infrapatellar fat pad

8:10 Adam’s pathway into research – MRI outcomes after ACL reconstruction

14:45 Cartilage imaging studies leading into the SUPER-Knee trial

19:36 How does strengthening help with cartilage health after knee injury?

24:40 Role of diet in managing osteoarthritis

26:40 OPTIKNEE 2022: consensus recommendations to optimise knee health after traumatic knee injury to prevent osteoarthritis

30:55 Australian Knee Injury Study

35:15 Key takeaways – consider the need for imaging, be guided by the guidelines, get involved in research as a clinician or a student

Read more about Adam here: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/a2culvenor

Be part of the Australian Knee Injury Study: https://www.kneeinjurystudy.com.au/

Adam discussed the OPTIKNEE consensus recommendations following traumatic knee injury: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/24/1393.citation-tools

Whittaker JL, Culvenor AG, Juhl CB, et al OPTIKNEE 2022: consensus recommendations to optimise knee health after traumatic knee injury to prevent osteoarthritis. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2022;56:1393-1405.

Read more about the SUPER-Knee trial: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/1/e068279

Stay Connected:

Read more at www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

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Bec Phillips is a musculoskeletal physiotherapist and educator at Charles Sturt University. In this episode, Bec reflects on her fascinating career in physiotherapy and public health, including her work supporting the health of people in rural Kenya.

Bec then explores her PhD research findings and provides practical tips for physiotherapists to help us understand how different types of people adhere to their rehab plans.

Thanks, Bec for a great conversation. You can use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections and follow the links below to find out more about Bec and her work.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Bec

9:11 Improving the health of people in Kenya – problem solving and applying physiotherapy skills on a global scale

22:30 How do you define adherence to rehabilitation?

27:50 What influences adherence in people with Achilles tendinopathy?

30:30 Profiles of people with low, moderate and high adherence. Practical considerations for helping different types of people adhere to their rehab plans

43:45 Collaborating with the patient about their health needs – not a consultancy

44:35 Can you help everyone?

46:40 What factors influence adherence?

56:00 Teaching patients how to build habits if they don’t have one.

59:00 Final thoughts

Read more about Bec here: https://science-health.csu.edu.au/schools/health-exercise-sports/staff/profiles/physiotherapy/rebecca-phillips

Follow Bec on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-phillips-b9b361175/?originalSubdomain=au

Follow Bec on Instagram @moving_free_physio

Read Bec’s research:

Phillips, R., Hilton, C., Sousa Filho, L. F., Farlie, M., Morrissey, D., & Malliaras, P. (2024). Behaviour change and rehabilitation adherence in adults with tendinopathy: a scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 46(25), 6021-6033.

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This episode contains discussions about self-harm, suicide and sexual abuse, which may be distressing for some listeners. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In Australia, you can contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 for 24/7 confidential support. If you are outside Australia, please seek support from a crisis service in your country.

Dr Liam West is a Sports and Exercise Physician based in Melbourne, Australia and a fellow of the Australasian College of Sport & Exercise Physicians. In this episode, Liam, Zuzana and I discussed some practical aspects of how physiotherapists can work with sports doctors, what sports doctors want to know in your referral letter and updates, and common conditions where a sports doctor should be involved in patient care. We finish our discussion by focusing on the person rather than the patient and talk about Liam’s approach to integrating biopsychosocial elements in patient care.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Liam – background and interests

13:00 What do physios do that Liam is jealous of?

16:00 How do you build a career in sports medicine or sports physio?

17:30 Describe a typical week for a sports doctor – consulting, surgical assisting, sports game coverage

29:06 Referring people to a sports doctor, what does a sports doctor want to know in a referral or update?

38:53 Should you arrange an MRI or other investigations before you send someone to the sports doctor? Practicalities of rebates and referrals. When should a doctor be involved in managing fractures?

52:30 When should you refer to a GP and when should you refer to a specialist?

54:00 Mental health in sports injury rehab, difficult questions, mental health support for patients and health professionals/students

71:30 Influence of hormones on musculoskeletal health, screening for rheumatological conditions

79:00 The most important skills for a physiotherapist - problem solving and active listening. Learn from other health professionals, be curious and vulnerable enough to admit when you are wrong

87:00 Final tips for career development

Thanks, Liam for a great conversation. Read more about Liam here: https://alphingtonsportsmed.com.au/profile/dr-liam-west/

Follow Liam on X: https://x.com/liam_west?lang=en

Read Liam’s chapters in the Brukner and Khan textbook (students I’m looking at you, read books!): https://csm.mhmedical.com/book.aspx?bookid=1970

Liam talked about the Tame the Beast website: https://www.tamethebeast.org/about

We also discussed the SCREENDEM checklist for screening for rheumatological problems: https://rheumatology.physio/mini-blog-screendem/

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Follow @PerratonPhysio on YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale.

In part 4 of this four-part series, Mel finishes her quality appraisal of the quality of the study by Katherine Lawler and colleagues. Mel demystifies the process of data analysis in qualitative research and gives us some tips for using qualitative research in our study and clinical practice.

Access the study here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2024.2343822

Follow along using the COREQ checklist here: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/coreq/

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to the episode

1:14 Who did the data analysis? Knowledge and perspectives of the team. Naming and identification of themes? The coding tree. Why does this matter?

5:45 How are themes identified? The coding lens – perspectives of the researchers. The inductive process - using the words of the people to make codes, vs predetermined themes.

10:42 Are there times when it is more appropriate to use a deductive process?

12:15 Relating qualitative research to what we do in the clinic, e.g. a subjective assessment

14:45 The difference between how you collect vs analyse data. Open vs closed questions

16:50 Software for qualitative analysis, feedback from participants on findings

18:20 Where should a busy clinician start? Look at the quotes from participants. Is there consistency between the data and the author’s findings? Is there diversity of opinions in the report?

28:03 Final thoughts – try to engage with research evidence. Resources to look at to get started and progress your qualitative research skills

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

Follow Physio Foundations and Perraton Physio at our website www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

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This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale.

In part 3 of this four-part series, Mel explains the process of appraising the quality of qualitative research, using the example of the study by Katherine Lawler and colleagues. Access the study here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2024.2343822

Follow along using the COREQ checklist here: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/coreq/

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to the episode
1:25 Why we need to evaluate the quality of qualitative research?
2:51 Checklists you can use – the COREQ checklist. Don’t forget to look at the supplementary material for your article
6:45 Reflexivity: The research team and how they manage their biases. Why this is important?
12:20 The relationship between researchers and participants. A guide to understanding
16:10 The interviewer characteristics and why they matter. Relating qualitative research to the interviews we do with patients in the clinic
19:30 Study design – what is a theoretical framework? Examples of theoretical frameworks. Real world practical applications of qualitative research
29:05 Study setting and data collection – where was the study conducted? Who was present at the interviews? What questions were asked (topic guide)
30:40 How big is the dataset? Looking beyond the sample size. The concept of ‘information power’
33:24 What are the most important things to consider from the quality appraisal so far?

Coming up next: In the final part of this series (part 4) we will finalise our quality appraisal of the qualitative study by Lawler and colleagues and give you our tips for applying what you have learned in the clinic or in your research studies.

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

Follow Physio Foundations and Perraton Physio at our website www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale.

In part 2 of this four-part series, Mel demonstrates the process of reading, interpreting and understanding qualitative research. Mel refers to a study by Katherine Lawler and colleagues. Access the study here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2024.2343822

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to the episode
3:19 Example of the methods of a qualitative study
5:00 When is qualitative research the best approach to answer a research question?
8:00 Explaining the qualitative methods that were used and relating these methods to what you do in the clinic, e.g. during a subjective assessment or patient interview
11:15 How qualitative data can be collected and analysed – exploring and explaining phenomena, understanding the context of the study and introducing the concepted of transferability
18:50 Summary and final thoughts

Coming up next in part 3 of the series, we will discuss how to appraise the quality of the study.

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

We discussed the Balance Intensity Scale: https://rb.gy/cwcfmz

Follow Physio Foundations and Perraton Physio at our website www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale.

In this four-part series, Mel introduces qualitative research, provides examples of how you can read and understand qualitative research, explains how you can search for, and evaluate the quality of, qualitative research, and discusses how qualitative research can influence your clinical practice.

Part 1 of this four-part series is an introduction to qualitative research for students and clinicians.

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to Mel and the four-part series
2:00 What is qualitative research and why is it important in physiotherapy?
3:25 How is qualitative research different from qualitative research?
5:35 What are some barriers for clinicians to engage with qualitative research?
7:35 Key terminology you need to be familiar with, e.g. reflexivity – being aware of your influence on the research process. Transferability – can the findings be transferred to other similar contexts?
13:45 How can clinicians get started with using qualitative research? Don't just read the abstract, read the methods. Look for systematic reviews of qualitative research
16:50 Summary – qualitative research can be very useful when it is transferable to your clinical practice. Jump in and start reading

In part 2 we will explore a recently published qualitative study and how this research's findings may apply to clinical practice.

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

We discussed the Balance Intensity Scale: https://rb.gy/cwcfmz

Follow Physio Foundations and Perraton Physio at our website www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Tim is a consultant physiotherapist and managing director of Melbourne CBD Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine Clinic, in Melbourne, Australia. In this episode, Tim summarised his approach to rehabilitation for people with ACL injuries and ACL reconstruction.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Tim
2:20 Tim’s background and interests
6:33 Why are ACL injuries such a big problem?
10:00 How do you manage ACL injuries in the clinic?
15:45 Operative and non-operative pathways – it’s not always a black and white decision. ACL healing and long-term outcomes – watch this space.
20:22 Meniscal integrity and knee stability, early knee rehabilitation goals and exercises
32:00 Isometric and pulsing exercises with a metronome, preparing the motor system for locomotion and confidence in higher load situations
34:50 Confidence and fear of movement
37:00 Objective measures of function and strength – dynamometry and force plates
42:00 Return to sport testing – force plate variables and testing. Don’t forget the ankle plantarflexors

Thanks Tim for a great conversation. Read more about Tim here: https://melbournecbdphysio.com.au/our-clinic/

Tim talked about this website: https://www.aclreferencevalues.nl/

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

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This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Professor Terry Haines is the Head of the School of Primary and Allied Health Care at Monash University. In this episode we discussed Terry’s journey from graduate physiotherapist to research leader, and how clinicians can solve problems with research.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Terry
3:17 What gets you out of bed in the morning?
7:40 How did you get started in research?
13:13 What are the key areas for physiotherapy research?
18:25 How can students and clinicians get involved in research?
29:15 The most important knowledge and skills for physiotherapists – be prepared to have a go

Read more about Terry here: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/spahc/about-us/school-staff/thaines

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Michelle joined me to discuss her research in hip and knee osteoarthritis and how we can apply this research in the clinic. Thanks Michelle for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Michelle
11:00 Summary of hip and knee osteoarthritis research and the role of sleep in musculoskeletal health
17:30 Are higher or lower loads responsible for changes in cartilage in the knee? Knee adduction moments, muscle strength, braces and orthotics.
23:00 Loading and the multifactorial nature of pain in osteoarthritis, changing the narrative of how osteoarthritis is described
32:30 Resources for managing sleep for people with musculoskeletal conditions
40:40 Women and girls in STEM, challenges faced and the BrainSTEM program

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Associate Professor Laura Diamond is a biomedical engineer and researcher interested in hip biomechanics and osteoarthritis. In this episode we discussed Laura’s research into the role of the deep hip muscles during functional activities and what her findings may mean for rehabilitation of people with hip pain. Thanks Laura for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Laura
5:45 Laura’s research in hip and knee biomechanics and muscle activation
9:15 What happens if you contact the deep hip muscles to the maximum amount? Redirecting the hip contact force in the acetabulum.
14:50 Do people with pain or joint pathology have difficulty generating force in the deep hip muscles?
19:20 Do we need to change the language from ‘stabilising the hip’ to ‘changing the loading of the hip’? The importance of having enough cartilage loading
22:00 Strategies for changing hip joint loading – cues during walking
36:00 What does the future hold? Technology and wearables

You can find the papers discussed in this episode here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aAGSJHUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra

Connect with Laura via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-diamond-8b0bb8135/?originalSubdomain=au

We discussed this episode of the Physio Network podcast (but don’t leave here until you subscribe!): https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-siwxj-1dcf0dfd?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Emma Williams is an Australian Army Officer and uniformed physiotherapist. In this episode, Emma discusses her career pathway from university to the military and her work with military personnel in Australia and overseas.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Emma
4:00 Pathway into the military through a military scholarship, what is it like working as a physio in the army?
13:05 Strategies for building rapport and gaining trust
17:00 Common injuries in the army – MTSS, ankle sprains, balancing injury prevention and surveillance with the need to develop toughness
22:00 Physical performance standards
25:20 What injuries do military personnel get and what are the trends in activities and causative factors?
33:00 What are the upsides and benefits of working in the military as a physio? Travel, free healthcare, getting paid to exercise
38:50 Making decisions under pressure
44:00 Baptism of fire and the valley of despair– developing confidence, humility and other life skills - foundational skills as a health professional

Emma was recently featured in the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s magazine InMotion. Read the article here: https://australian.physio/inmotion/salute-physio-front-line

Connect with Emma via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-williams-b5367262/?originalSubdomain=au

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Thihan is a highly experienced Sports Physiotherapist who has held roles with the Melbourne Renegades, Bangladesh Cricket, Hampshire Cricket, and most recently as the Rehabilitation Manager for the Sri Lankan Cricket Team. Thihan is also one of the hosts of the Physio Social Club Podcast.

In this episode, we took a tangent from cricket, and discussed Thihan’s recent leg injury and his experiences with injury, surgery and rehabilitation. Thihan offered very interesting insights into the experience of having a serious injury and surgery in a developing country, reflections on the real experience of a lengthy rehabilitation, and advise for students and new graduate physios for prioritising their assessment and management. There is a lot in this episode! Thanks Thihan for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Thihan
3:05 Thihan’s injury – fractured tibia and fibula. There was no pain until after the surgery – reflecting on when pain is not associated with pathology
5:30 The experience of having surgery in a developing country
9:30 How did you process the experience? Shared decision making with the surgeon
12:23 ‘Letting go’, controlling what you can control and allowing people to do their job
14:40 Fracture healing, pain management, IV paracetamol, risks of compartment syndrome, experience of having an epidural
20:50 Waking up halfway through orthopaedic surgery! (not as bad as it sounds)
25:45 Being present and taking things one step at a time. It’s hard to think about the bigger picture as a patient. Meet the person where they are
31:40 Being proactive in your own rehabilitation. Lessons for practitioners
36:35 How can students keep things simple and be effective? Have a system and a structure to your assessment that you can repeat until you learn the patterns. Know why you are asking questions.
42:40 What is your job as a sports physio? How is this similar to hospital-based work?
47:30 How do you stay motivated during long-term rehab?
50:30 Goals in long-term rehab can often be impairment goals, e.g. ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, because this helps you visualise progress
53:40 Maintaining a positive mindset during the rehab journey
55:30 Empathy – 'get in the hole' with the patient / person
59:00 Summary – the secret to long-term success is to engage with the process of your rehab (or learning), review and repeat throughout your career.

Read more about Thihan here: https://thecricket.physio/about

The Physio Social Club podcast: https://physiosocialclub.com/about

Read Thihan’s Linked In posts related to his injury, surgery and rehab here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thihanchandramohan/?originalSubdomain=au

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Dr. Malia Ho is a sports podiatrist and Senior Lecturer within Monash University's Doctor of Podiatric Medicine course. With over two decades of experience in clinical practice, research, and education, Malia has a wealth of knowledge and insights. In this episode, Malia shares her unique journey from engineering to podiatry, revealing the pivotal moments and decisions that shaped her career. Malia offers useful tips for health profession students for achieving success, emphasizing the crucial role of foundational skills such as listening and empathy, alongside the importance of embracing technology in healthcare education. Thanks Malia for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Malia
2:15 Malia’s professional background and interests – from engineering to podiatry
9:00 How did your hospital work influence your sports podiatry practice? Developing good habits early in your career
14:40 Malia’s education focus – technology in education, critical thinking skills
17:40 Realistic and authentic teaching with case based learning, interprofessional skills, the importance of listening skills
22:20 The most important knowledge and skills for a health professional – listening, empathy, being a good human.
25:30 The importance of clinical anatomy, using technology in assessment, core podiatry skills
30:55 Final thoughts – invest in your education, learn with other people

Read more about Malia here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/malia-ho

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Dr Luke Davies is a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, educator and researcher in the School of Primary and Allied Health Care at Monash University. His research focuses on telehealth for physiotherapy clinical practice and education. In this episode, we discussed how telehealth can be used within your clinical practice, and Luke’s tips for effective clinical care, in-person, or through technology. Thanks, Luke for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Luke
1:12 Welcome to Physio Foundations
2:40 Hands on and Hands off physiotherapy
3:17 What is telehealth?
4:32 Who can telehealth be helpful for?
5:50 Rural and remote healthcare
6:40 What parts of care are easier to do in person?
8:40 Getting started with telehealth in private practice
9:50 How much should you charge for telehealth vs in-person care
11:15 Setting up curriculum for universities and systems for using telehealth in clinics
22:10 The most important knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist – communication, therapeutic alliance, building relationships between patients and therapists, lifelong learning – ask questions
24:20 Communication skills online – a core competency for our profession
26:55 Final thoughts – don’t be afraid to use telehealth, give it a go.

Read more about Luke here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/luke-davies

Read Luke’s research here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3ELSw1QAAAAJ&hl=en

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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James is one of the owners of The Second Visit, who provide mentoring for physiotherapists in private practice and a range of professional development courses. James is a highly experienced practitioner and practice owner, university lecturer and leader within a number of organisations and professional associations.

In this episode, James talked about the financial realities of running a private practice, key skills for new graduate practitioners to develop and how to build and maintain a list in private practice. Thanks, James for a great conversation.

In this episode:

About this episode, welcome James and welcome back Zuzana
Are we undercharging our patients and overpaying our clinicians? Earning your stripes and getting results with clients. Costs of running a private practice
Physiotherapy is an under-valued profession – defining our value
What advice do you give new graduates to help them develop valuable skills, and market those skills?
What do you think are the most important foundational knowledge and skills for health professionals?

Read more about James and The Second Visit here: https://thesecondvisit.com.au/meet-the-team/james-schomburgk/

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Abby De Kretser is the principal physiotherapist at Universal Practice in Fitzroy in Melbourne, Australia, and an anatomy facilitator with Monash University Physiotherapy. In this episode, we talked about managing hip, pelvic and spine conditions using Pilates and other exercise-based rehabilitation, and her experiences teaching applied anatomy. Thanks Abby for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Abby
2:00 Background and interests
4:01 Key career turning points and developing a special interest area in Pilates and sports physiotherapy.
6:19 How does clinical Pilates complement strength and conditioning?
9:48 Cues to help people who are over-bracing to become more fluent in their movement
14:03 The role of range of motion in performance
17:15 Managing hip pain in athletes
18:58 Case study of an athlete with hip pain – management strategies
23:50 Biomechanics and observation of running. What is ‘quad dominance’?
28:00 Developing a repertoire of exercises for rehabilitation
33:40 How anatomy underpins clinical practice
38:20 Tips for learning anatomy – don’t just rote learn, think about function, use the resources, never stop asking questions
49:00 The most important knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist – listening and understanding
60:00 Final thoughts

Read more about Abby here: https://universalpractice.com.au/practitioners/

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Christina Ekegren is a Senior Research Fellow at the Rehabilitation, Ageing, and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on physical activity for hospitalised patients, older adults, and people recovering from traumatic injury. In this episode, we discussed Christina’s research on strategies for helping people stay physically active in hospital and after major trauma.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Christina
1:39 Background and interests
5:42 The many factors that lead to people being sedentary in hospital
6:30 Physical activity as a vital sign in hospital
7:40 Wearables and measurement as an intervention, limitations in hospitals, feasible ways to measure physical activity in hospitals
11:40 Why don’t patients move around in hospital. The need for shared decision-making in hospitals related to falls and physical activity
14:30 What is the relationship between physical activity and heath outcomes? 600 steps or 25 minutes a day of slow-paced walking per day
18:20 Key research papers – end PJ paralysis!
28:30 Foundational knowledge and skills – learning how to talk about physical activity
32:20 Is physical activity medicine?
34:30 Physical activity following major trauma
39:20 Final thoughts

You can read more about Christina and her research here

Christina mentioned the Multi-Process Action Control (M-PAC) Framework, an approach to physical activity behaviour promotion.

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Dimitrie joins me again to discuss her strategies for managing complexity in the clinic as a new graduate physiotherapist. This is part 12 of the new graduate series on the podcast. Enjoy!

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode
2:30 Experience in the first days of working as a new graduate physiotherapist
5:30 What happens when the routine approach doesn’t work? When is it time to try something different?
9:30 What allows you to have the confidence to make mistakes?
14:45 What to people want when they see a physio?
15:13 Balancing ‘high value’ and ‘low value’ treatment
18:44 Referring to other health professionals – good practice tips
23:05 Going to court – the importance of taking good notes and medical records
27:27 ‘Tell me your story’ starting sessions with open questions. Maintaining rapport when taking notes.
36:00 Final thoughts

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Dimitrie Damos in a physiotherapist from Perth, Western Australia who was my mentee for the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s mentoring program in 2023. We talked about her special interest area and postgraduate training in pelvic health and incontinence, working under pressure and the importance of maintaining a broad skillset even when training in a specialty area. We finished with Dimi's tips for students. Thanks Dimi for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Dimitrie
2:20 About Dimi – what led you to pursue a career in physiotherapy?
4:40 Developing a special interest area prior to graduating.
6:35 Starting a masters in pelvic health and continence
8:25 How do you balance work and study? Working well under pressure.
10:55 High pressure careers – matching career choices with professional skills and personalities
13:30 Integrating new skills from masters training
15:15 Balancing different types of clinical work
19:05 Tips for students
22:45 Mentoring
27:25 The most important foundational knowledge and skills – have a structure so you don’t miss things

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Mick Girdwood is a physiotherapist, researcher, and PhD candidate. We spoke about his research on knee injuries and osteoarthritis, and their association with the strength of the hip and knee muscles. We finished with a discussion about outcome measures you can use in the clinic and the importance of considering the goals and activities that are most important to the patient/person. Thanks, Mick for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Mick
1:55 What drew you to physiotherapy?
9:00 Journey into research – how did this start?
11:27 Mick’s PhD in ACL injuries and getting started as a research assistant
18:00 Knee research
23:20 Hip and knee strength – association with patient outcomes
25:55 Change in strength over time after ACL injury
30:57 Outcome measures for ACL injury – what’s important to the patient? Goal setting and re-measuring against goals
35:20 Hop strengths are not tests of strength – considering movement confidence and other patient outcomes
41:29 Final thoughts

You can read more about Mick and his research here

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Jaap is back again and this time we discussed ways to publish research as a practitioner in the clinic, focusing on case studies and literature reviews related to your special interest areas.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode
2:15 What research have you done in your clinic and how did you achieve this?
7:00 Using publications to get into a PhD
8:15 How does having publications help you as a clinician? Challenging beliefs and biases, developing expertise through the process of doing research
14:50 Does publishing a case study help improve your clinical data collection processes?
19:00 Meaningful clinical change – using patient reported outcome measures in the clinic
24:00 Why are case studies important? External generalisability and personalised interventions
28:50 Jaap’s case studies – working through the process of collecting the data, consent and publication
43:00 What’s next? Would you do a PhD? Other benefits to being research active. The realities of publishing research
52:43 Final thoughts

Read more about Jaap here.

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I welcomed back Dr Luke Nelson to the Physio Foundations podcast to talk about running and running-related injuries.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode
1:00 Welcome back Luke to Physio Foundations
2:15 Luke’s background and interests
6:00 What are some of the first things you look at when assessing a runner?
12:10 What are common running-related injuries?
14:29 Running speed/surfaces and how they relate to injuries?
17:10 Using smart watches and technology to explore training loads in the clinic
21:20 When injuries are more complex and chronic – differing management strategies
25:40 Medial tibial stress syndrome – management strategies and tips
30:00 Prognosis and expectations – how long will it take? When to focus on performance more than pain
35:05 When should you not run with pain? Bone stress injuries discussion
39:00 Unhelpful messages for runners
40:20 When do you refer for investigations or to other professionals?
45:05 RED-S Relative energy deficiency in sport – athlete fuelling and recovery, key take-aways
48:50 Luke’s sub-3 marathon and upcoming 1500 metre track race
55:35 Final thoughts

Find Luke on Instagram @SportsChiroLuke

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Tim is the program director for the physical health suite of programs at Torrens University, a rehab specialist at Complete Physio Exercise and Performance in Melbourne, Australia and a PhD candidate in the area of tendinopathy. In this episode, Tim talks about finding your purpose as a health professional. Thanks Tim for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode
2:27 About Tim
7:30 Finding you purpose and the meaning for your you do, the concept of Ikigai
8:10 Australian physiotherapy workforce survey; 55-60% are leaving the profession within 10 years of graduating – exploring reasons for this
10:45 What does the world need and what is your mission?
11:50 What are you good at?
12:32 What do you love? What do you feel enthusiastic about doing?
13:05 What can you be paid for?
17:53 Working through Tim’s Ikigai and finding his purpose as a health professional
22:57 What if you don’t have the passion for the profession yet?
27:39 How soon is too soon to specialise? Planning your pathway to specialisation. What is a specialist?
33:50 Talking to new grads and students about ‘putting yourself out there’ on social media and professionally.
40:40 Workshopping Physio Foundations – where I fit in and what is my purpose?
49:40 Summary – where to from here?

Find Tim on Instagram @blackbeltrehab

Find out more at timtrevail.com

We mentioned the book ‘So good they can’t ignore you’ by Cal Newport

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Pat joins me to talk about his tips for studying and learning in physiotherapy. This is an episode for students and new graduates who want to further develop their learning and professional development. This is Pat’s third time on the podcast – thanks Pat for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode
1:34 Welcome back Pat
3:09 About Pat – teaching interests and responsibilities
5:55 Pat’s tips for success in studying – use the resources that are available to you
10:05 Pitfalls when studying – don’t just listen to lecture recordings. Appraise the quality of the information you are provided with
13:49 Hot tips – practice your skills but also think about the clinical applications and ask questions
17:00 What are the most important knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist? Challenging yourself and reflection on strengths and weaknesses
22:15 What are the most satisfying parts of physiotherapy education?
25:15 What gets you out of bed in the morning?
28:05 What if you are lacking enthusiasm? Thinking of the bigger picture
31:40 Keep your mind open for new opportunities. The importance of curiosity
36:00 Final thoughts – find balance, consider sleep, distractions and plan breaks

Connect with Pat on Twitter @Physio_Pat

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Jordan Rutherford is a physiotherapist with the Professional Golf Association of Australasia and the director of Launch Health in Melbourne, Australia. In part 2 of our conversation we talked about working with professional golfers for performance and injury management and using objective measures such as handheld dynamometers.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode
1:51 What it’s like being a physiotherapist working in professional golf and how Jordan got started
4:40 The hard yards in professional golf
6:19 Millimetres and degrees is the difference between the fairway and the trees
7:25 What injuries do golfers get?
9:00 What preparation do golfers do before they start hitting?
9:56 How do you avoid coaching when you play golf yourself?
11:50 Could you assess somebody and predict their most likely injuries and performance?
14:00 Strength and conditioning for performance in golf – objective measures for what is important for performance
16:30 Collecting data and doing research in your clinic
19:50 Handheld dynamometers, force plates and other objective measures Jordan uses in the clinic.
24:17 How you set up your handheld dynamometer testing and your instructions will affect the quality of your measurement
27:50 When to use force, torque or body-weight normalised torque
29:59 Final thoughts? Develop your own way of helping people and find the people you can help

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes and episode summaries visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X, Instagram and Linked In.

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Jordan Rutherford is a physiotherapist with the Professional Golf Association of Australasia and the director of Launch Health in Melbourne, Australia. He is one of our teaching staff in Monash University Physiotherapy working in the first year of our undergraduate program. We talked about Jordan’s experiences in starting a private practice and his reflections on working in physiotherapy education.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode
3:45 About Jordan
6:47 Starting a private practice, benefits and risks, when to go for it and when may you be better off working for somebody
10:55 Supervising students in private practice
14:20 Going straight into private practice from university – selling points
17:20 What have you learnt working in undergraduate teaching as a clinician?
23:50 Helping students to bring together anatomy, clinical reasoning and clinical skills.
29:00 What are the most important knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist? Humility, honesty, knowing where your expertise lies

Thanks Jordan for a great conversation. Part 2 is dropping next week.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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On this episode I had a conversation with recently graduated physiotherapist and PhD Candidate Jess Coventry about networking as a student and early career practitioner, and how to find mentors. We spoke about Jess’ experience seeking specific skills, finding mentors, networking at university, and her first couple of years of clinical practice leading up to the start of her PhD. Thanks Jess for a great conversation.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

1:05 Welcome Jess – bio, interests, clinical career so far

4:40 Jess’ PhD working in the Kids Leg Pain project

8:50 Building connections and seeking specific skills rather than networking. The benefits and drawbacks of saying yes to lots of things at the early stage of your career

12:50 What are the benefits of being involved in professional associations and activities and when to realise you are doing too much.

17:45 What are some mistakes you have made or lessons you have learnt from other people’s mistakes?

19:02 What is a mentor?

20:20 How have your mentors shaped and influenced your career?

22:29 Formal vs informal mentors

24:52 Finding informal mentors – good and bad experiences

25:55 LinkedIn. Why LinkedIn isn’t cool (it ain’t TikTok) but it can be very useful

31:00 Be specific about what you want from your mentor, and how much time is required from them

35:54 Approaching mentors – who dares wins! How to put yourself out there and ask for time from people

40:50 What happens if you are unsure about your study and career? How early is too early to start networking and seeking mentors?

45:36 What are the most important knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist? Strategies for finding the truth using communication

53:45 Final thoughts – develop skills in reflection before and after patient and colleague interactions

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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On this episode I had a conversation with recently graduated physiotherapist Seven Shan about her experiences studying, living and working in Australia as an international student, and now an Australian health professional. I asked Seven for her tips for success in study and work, particularly for international students or people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

In this episode we discuss the Clinical Communication Support Program run by Jo-Anne Corbett and team at Monash Uni Physiotherapy and how Seven has developed her own clinical communication skills through her training and clinical practice.

This is a special episode for anyone who is studying, or working, overseas, and using a different language in their studies or work, to what they use at home, focusing on clinical communication skills.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

2:20 Welcome Seven -background and interests.

4:15 What led you to study Physiotherapy in Australia?

6:55 What was it like when you first moved to Australia to study? Challenges and achievements, adapting to living and studying overseas

9:20 Challenges in communication when first moving to Australia to study

10:40 Group discussions - it can be difficult to comprehend, then translate, then contribute in group discussions, sometimes the conversation moves on without you

11:30 What tips and strategies could you give for develop interpersonal and clinical communication skills?

15:15 Tips for study for students – form a study group.

16:20 The Clinical Communication Support program at Monash Uni Physiotherapy with Jo Corbett – what made you want to attend these sessions? How did this training help you during your training and after graduation?

20:50 Getting feedback on clinical communication – how could you phrase questions differently, how to explain assessment findings to patients

22:54 Jargon. Words and phrases to avoid saying to patients.

27:38 The importance of practicing communication – moving from being highly focused to being automatic, through practice

31:06 How did clinical communication training help you when you went on clinical placements?

33:00 Study groups – including local and international students in your group

34:58 Learning the local culture and how this helps your clinical communication

36:20 Final thoughts – keep practicing with your friends and in the community, talk to lots of different people and keep practicing those communication skills

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This is part 2 of my conversation with physiotherapist Dr Udari Colombage from Monash University Physiotherapy. We talked about pelvic health and pelvic floor dysfunction in women with breast cancer and Udari’s PhD research findings, with key take-home messages for you to use in the clinic.

In this episode:

0:00 Welcome back Udari

1:25 Overview of pelvic floor disorders and their management – Udari’s PhD research

8:09 Prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction in women with breast cancer – summary of systematic review findings

10:40 The problem of underestimation of the impact of bladder and bower dysfunction

11:46 The prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction in women with breast cancer is high – what else do we need to know?

12:30 Pelvic floor muscle strength, and ability to relax the pelvic floor, was poorer in women with breast cancer – the need for pelvic floor training exercises

14:05 Pelvic floor muscle training done via telehealth is feasible and effective – summary of Udari’s research on pelvic floor muscle training

15:08 Why is pelvic floor muscle relaxation important? What do pelvic floor muscle training programs involve?

Udari discussed the Continence Foundation of Australia. Visit this website for resources for practitioners and patients https://www.continence.org.au/

Please send any questions you have to Udari to me and I will forward to Udari.

You can contact me via Linked In or Twitter @lukeperraton or @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke with physiotherapist and recent PhD graduate Dr Udari Columbage from Monash University Physiotherapy about pelvic floor dysfunction and her pathway from graduate, to PhD student, to early career researcher.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

1:58 Welcome Udari – background, interest, qualifications and career pathway so far

5:15 Finding mentors and a special interest area in your career

7:00 Pelvic floor dysfunction in people with breast cancer

9:55 What did you enjoy about studying research in university?

12:40 Working with people following breast cancer surgery and people with lymphedema

16:05 What is lymphoedema and what are the common management strategies?

17:55 What are the psychological impacts of breast cancer surgery and how equipped did you feel to help people with cancer as a new graduate?

20:20 Sexual dysfunction and continence – challenges and clinical questions leading to research questions

25:00 How can practitioners help? How to ask questions about incontinence and sexual health

29:30 Final thoughts? Don’t shy away from talking about incontinence – there are resources out there to help you

Udari discussed the Continence Foundation of Australia. Visit this website for resources for practitioners and patients https://www.continence.org.au/

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I had a conversation with Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist Matt Donnelly from Monash Health in Melbourne, Australia. We talked about the role of Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists in emergency departments, how advanced practice roles help people higher quality care, and how his career and experience led him to this role. We also talked about Matt’s tips for students on clinical placements, including how to be successful and how to manage feeling nervous. This was a great conversation and I learned a lot, I hope you do too.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

1:38 Welcome Matt

4:03 Surgical screening clinics and triage of people in emergency departments – overview of advanced practice roles

10:25 The importance of professional relationships and understanding your own limitations.

13:42 How do you ask questions well? Be proactive.

14:54 Tips for students on clinical placements from a clinical educator

16:33 Tips for students who are feeling nervous on clinical placements.

21:58 The most important foundational knowledge and skills for practitioners – find out the most important concern of your patient, how to do reflective listening, the importance of silence.

27:50 Doing a clinical master’s degree as part of a pathway to an advanced practice role

30:50 The goal of doing an entry-to-practice physiotherapy degree is to become safe and effective – it’s ok to not know everything.

36:15 Final thoughts – it’s ok to not know what you want to do for the rest of your career when you graduate. Just be safe, effective and learn from your colleagues and patients.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke to new graduate physiotherapist Jun Soong about the benefits of working in a non-metropolitan health care system as a new graduate physiotherapist, developing your own style of practice, and how he is setting up the next stages of his career.

We also spoke about transitioning from university to working life, planning overseas travel as a health professional and why he is going back to university to study a masters degree.

Thanks, Jun, for a great conversation. If you enjoyed the episode and want to be a part of the conversation yourself, be brave, and send me a DM! Track me down online on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram @PerratonPhysio and @lukeperraton. You can follow Physio Foundations in your favourite podcast episode and share this episode with your friends.

The podcast is ad free. I don't make any money from it. I do it as part of my academic work and to support students and other clinicians. You can support the podcast by giving it a 5-star rating and a review on your podcast player.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode, welcome Jun

3:58 About Jun – background and interests

5:45 Benefits of working in rural or non-metropolitan health care settings

11:35 Challenges of being a new graduate practitioner in private practice

14:45 Looking back to first year physiotherapy studies – tips for current students

19:35 Ask questions! Get out of the performance zone and into the learning zone

21:50 Tips for new grads on finding an employer – search for clinicians you want to learn from and who will support you

26:26 Private practice or hospital?

28:50 Why manual therapy matters in private practice

33:13 Foundational knowledge and skills in physiotherapy – developing rapport with people and developing your own style of practice

37:12 What’s next? Going back to uni, choosing a clinical masters degree, professional development tips

43:10 Final thoughts – You can only ‘fake it 'til you make it’ up to a certain point, you get out what you put in. Commit to lifelong learning and remember the bigger picture

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Watch video versions of episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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On the 50th episode of the Physio Foundations podcast I had a conversation with Associate Professor Christian Osadnik from Monash University Physiotherapy about the various ways you can get involved in research as a clinician, and the research-specific knowledge and skills that should form the foundation of your practice.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please share it with a friend or on your social networks. Sharing the episode is the best way to support the podcast and will help us get these positive messages about our profession out to more people around the world.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

3:28 About Christian – background, interests and experience

6:35 Travelling and reflecting on standards of practice

7:35 ‘I wanted a new challenge’. Research as a way to lead in your field

8:38 What are some of the options for progressing your career and leading within your field?

11:47 Flipping the script – Christian’s reflections on planning a clinical and academic career. Getting your foot in the door of a university.

15:35 ‘I don’t want to do a PhD, but I do want to get more active with research’. Advice for clinicians in this position. Tips for those considering doing a PhD

22:27 Small research projects you can get involved in as a full-time clinician.

25:40 What are the most important research skills to develop as a clinician?

28:50 What is good evidence and where does evidence have limitations?

30:20 How does doing research inform your clinical practice? Knowing about reporting guidelines for research.

35:50 Ways to consume research that aren’t overwhelming and knowing where to find information – becoming ‘resource aware’

36:47 Developing a special interest area and knowing where to ‘put up your gates’

45:20 Research ‘literacy’. Skills and awareness of evidence based practice in modern day students

49:00 The most important knowledge and skills for physiotherapists – being an evidence engaged practitioner

55:32 Final thoughts – you don’t have to be a full time researcher to contribute to research, get in touch with your researcher colleagues

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Christian’s website www.resptlab.com

Christian’s academic profile: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/christian-osadnik

Connect with Christian on Twitter:

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke to new graduate physiotherapist Oliver Wong about his experiences transitioning from university to working life, how to develop confidence and develop your professional ‘character’ and why he thinks a career brainstorm is better than a career plan.

Thanks Oli for a great conversation. If you found this episode helpful, please follow Physio Foundations in your favourite podcast episode on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram @PerratonPhysio

In this episode

0:00 About this episode, welcome Oli

2:59 About Oli – background, interests and transition to working life

5:00 How are you finding working as a physiotherapist? Is it what you expected?

6:20 Changing perspectives – learning more about the profession, physiotherapy is more than elite sport

9:20 Parts of the job that a first-year physiotherapy student may not know about yet? The complexity and considering ‘what’s next?’ The importance of general knowledge, even when specialising

12:00 The importance of having a thirst for knowledge and creating options for yourself

15:50 Having a career brainstorm rather than a career plan – a useful approach for the new grad years. Adding variation to your career planning

18:25 Making yourself available for opportunities

20:50 Social media isn’t for professional development

22:30 Attending conferences

24:30 The most important foundational knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist

29:40 Tips for developing your patient communication skills while you’re still in university

33:35 Communicating with confidence – communicating with patients and other professionals, developing your professional persona

39:34 Stepping into your authentic professional character. Develop the clinician version of you.

43:06 Advice for students for your careers ahead – the importance of developing good habits

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Watch video versions of episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke to physiotherapist and PhD candidate Mac Hall about his practical tips for clinicians working with people with persistent pain. We also talked about the findings of his PhD investigating mechanisms of pain in people with chronic low back pain. Thanks Mac for a great conversation.

If you enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend or on your social networks. Sharing the episode is the best way to support the podcast and will help us get these positive messages about our profession out to more people around the world.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

1:05 Mac’s background, interests and clinical experience

4:06 What is pain?

4:35 Why do we experience pain?

6:17 What is persistent pain?

7:55 Why do some people have all the contributing factors for persistent pain, but they don’t get it?

12:00 Tips for working with people with pain: Listen to people, treat the person as a person,

15:00 What assessments do you do with people with persistent pain?

17:50 Tips for explaining pain to people and neurological mechanisms

20:30 The connection between childhood trauma and persistent pain

24:45 How do you ask people about childhood trauma?

27:57 Tips for new graduate practitioners working with people with pain

34:00 The role of exercise

37:06 Mac’s PhD investigating neurological mechanisms in people with low back pain

45:18 Final thoughts – develop good rapport with your patients, listen to people, value what they are saying, go with what works for each person

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Mac’s clinical profile: https://www.physiocentre.com.au/team/mac-hall/

Connect with Mac on Twitter: https://twitter.com/machall2110

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke to physiotherapist, chiropractor and strength and conditioning specialist Dr Greg Lehman about challenging your own beliefs and assumptions in clinical practice. We spoke about the challenges of keeping things simple whilst balancing this with the complexities of clinical practice. We then talked about some of Greg’s pet topics; applied biomechanics, strength training and movement preparation.

If you enjoyed this conversation please share it with a friend or on your social networks. Sharing the episode is the best way to support the podcast and will help us get these positive messages about our profession out to more people around the world.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

1:54 Welcome Greg

5:50 What are the most important foundational knowledge and skills for practitioners? Find the common threads between people

7:03 Apply stress to someone and that causes some adaptation, then observe and consider when this could be wrong.

7:40 Keep things simple. Calm sht down, build sht back up

8:22 Finding the principles and techniques that work for you and you are passionate about and apply them

10:55 How do you reconcile the need to keep things simple with the known complexities in clinical practice?

13:55 How can asking questions make you a better clinician? Simplify and create options.

17:49 Do you have any beliefs that you have done a 180 degree turn on?

19:09 Changing beliefs about heavy loading and rehab – do tendons need heavy load? The process of challenging your own beliefs

22:30 Biomechanics – re-framing ‘impairments’ as movement variability. When is this appropriate and when is it misleading? Movement preparation is important.

31:30 Why can’t I just run? Debating whether you need additional strengthening in prevention and rehab.

33:55 Dialectic: The art of investigating and discussing the truth of opinions

37:02 How do students and young professionals reconcile biomechanics and pain science? Search for common threads

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Read more about Greg on his website https://www.greglehman.ca/bio

Follow Greg on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/greglehman/?hl=en

Follow Greg on Twitter https://twitter.com/GregLehman

Greg’s course as discussed in the episode: https://www.greglehman.ca/reconciling-biomechanics-with-pain-science/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke to Monash University Physiotherapy educator and PhD candidate Jess Lindstrom about her tips for developing your career through education and research, tips for students for learning at university and why you might choose to do a PhD.

If you enjoyed this conversation please share it with a friend or on your social networks. Sharing the episode is the best way to support the podcast and will help us get these positive messages about our profession out to more people around the world.

Thanks for your support of the Physio Foundations podcast as we make our way towards episode 50!

In this episode

0:00 About this episode, welcome Jess

2:00 Jess’ journey through the new grad years leading to physio education – COVID-related disruptions, adaptations, growing and improving

6:40 The specific teaching activities Jess did to build up her CV

8:43 What do you love about anatomy teaching?

11:30 What are the best parts of clinical work? Getting to know people and teaching people how to manage their health

13:32 Are the people who teach in physiotherapy courses dinosaurs? Pushing back on an unfair stereotype, learning goes both ways

17:00 Everyone learns so differently – what works for someone won’t work for someone else

18:23 Good ways to learn and study - learn how to learn, study groups, learn through teaching, the importance of making mistakes, learn in-person whenever possible, don’t try to be perfect

25:38 The value of saying ‘I don’t know’.

26:30 Use the supports that are available for you. Need help, ask

28:38 Jess’ PhD in pelvic health in athletes, and why do you do a PhD?

33:00 Tips for approaching supervisors and starting a PhD, be patient, build your connections and ideas

38:22 Tips for building your research CV. Everyone talks about the importance of saying no, but make time and space so you have the opportunity to say yes.

50:29 Saying ‘I don’t know’ is a sign of an expert (provided you have a plan for finding out the answer)

43:00 What are the most important foundational knowledge and skills for practitioners? Wanting to connect with people, listening, making the space to listen to people. Knowledge of your own skills and limitations, you don’t need to know it all, but you need to have processes for learning

47:55 How well do you need to know anatomy?

52:17 Final thoughts? Have a go. Put your hand up, say yes to things, try things you may not be successful in

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke to Monash University Physiotherapy graduate Isabella Smith about her tips for successfully transitioning from university to your first hospital job and her experiences working in a hospital, including in an intensive care unit. We also spoke about Issie is integrating education and research into her clinical work and her plans for developing her career in the years ahead. Thanks Issie for a great conversation.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode, welcome Issie

2:00 About Issie – background, interests and transition to working life

5:05 What area did you see yourself going into when you were in uni?

6:15 What is it like working in ICU? It’s never boring!

9:37 It can be quiet dawning working in ICU but the foundations are similar to other areas of physiotherapy

10:20 How to communicate with other health professionals in hospital and ICU settings

11:10 How did university prepare you to start working as a physio?

12:30 People don’t fit into neat boxes, they often have complex medical needs

13:58 What are the most important foundational knowledge and skills for a physio? The ability to tailor your communication to different people. The ability to reflect on your practice.

16:30 Finding mentors

19:00 How does teaching and clinical education help you develop as a physio?

24:00 Advice for physios re-entering the hospital system

25:16 How do you see our profession changing in the future?

27:23 How do you keep on top of new research and trends in practice? Teaching is a great way to learn

36:00 Combining education and teaching with clinical work as a new grad physio

40:55 Make the most of opportunities and look at the bigger picture

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Connect with Issie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-smith-7ab268181/?originalSubdomain=au

Issie’s Monash University Profile: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/study/meet-our-students/isabella-smith

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke with recently graduated physiotherapist Vasish Vasan about his experience working with doctors, podiatrists, nurses, orthopaedic surgeons and other health professionals. This was the 5th in my 'New Graduate Series', and in this episode,, Vasish gave us tips for transitioning from university to working life and for getting the most out of this phase of your career. We also spoke about his experiences managing an ACL injury and the psychological impact of the injury on his rehab and return to sport. Thanks Vasish for a great conversation and sharing your experiences.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

1:45 About Vasish

3:30 Working with doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals

5:00 The benefits of working closely with different types of professionals

7:00 Ask questions, build rapport, how and when to show vulnerability

10:20 How did you prepare to start in this role?

13:18 Tips for new grads and students applying for their first big job

18:08 The most important foundational knowledge and skills for practitioners – being able to explain complex concepts to people on their terms

21:20 There’s always something you can do – the importance of confidence, reinforcement, the power of keeping things simple first

24:30 The patient’s perspective having an ACL injury, working with physiotherapist Jane Rooney, the mental rollercoaster of rehab

28:40 The experience of having a spontaneously healing ACL. Discussions about the Cross bracing protocol

34:00 Vasish’s unique insight – rehab sucks. Appreciating the psychological impact of injuries

35:54 Where do you see the physiotherapy profession going over the next decade? Challenges affecting the profession

41:28 Methods for contacting clinics and strategically filling holes in your training.

42:40 Talking to athletes and coaches

46:47 Final thoughts – embrace the vulnerability of now knowing. Find your strengths and build on them

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Connect with Vasish on Linked In

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke to Monash University Physiotherapy graduate Josh Vinton about his experience transitioning from student life to working life, and his upcoming plans for working as a physiotherapist in the United Kingdom. Thanks Josh for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode, welcome Josh

2:10 About Josh – background, interests and transition to working life

3:02 What interested you about private practice when you were a student?

4:12 Developing knowledge and skills in hospital settings in another country

7:15 What skills are you developing since graduation? Thinking on your feet

9:30 What attitude do you need to be successful as a new graduate physio? Be prepared to make mistakes and learn from them. You don’t have to do everything in the first appointment

11:55 What are the most important foundational knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist? It’s less about new techniques and more about communication skills, building empathy, connection, listening skills

18:10 A hallmark of expertise is being able to say ‘I don’t know’. Be empowered to ask questions

20:45 Tips for first year physiotherapy students – trust the process, concentrate in class, take notes, be brave and ask questions

24:45 Learning for the bigger picture – why am I here, why does this matter, when would I use this when working as a physio in the future?

29:00 There’s more to physio than sport, it’s all connected. Wise words from Josh

31:00 Why do you want to work overseas (Australian in the UK) as a physio? Practical tips and experience. Tips for others who are thinking of working overseas

43:52 Final thoughts and summary – trust the process

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Josh’s clinical profile: http://www.psmgroup.com.au/team-details/josh-vinton/

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke to specialist paramedic, educator and researcher Dr Ben Meadley about his career as a specialist mobile intensive care ambulance (MICA) paramedic and the rapidly evolving profession of paramedicine. Ben explained what Johnny Utah from the movie Point Break can teach us about physical performance standards for health professionals and the importance of emotional intelligence, empathy, capability, aligning practice with research and pushing into new frontiers. Thanks Ben for a great conversation.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

In this episode

0:00 Welcome Ben

1:12 About Ben – background, interests, career so far

4:40 Why is it so important that health professionals look after their own health? It takes time to develop expertise – the importance of people staying healthy and staying in health professions

8:40 What can Johnny Utah from Point Break teach us about physical performance standards for health professionals?

11:30 What is an acceptable baseline of physical fitness and performance? A job task analysis for physiotherapy

18:30 The importance of being able to perform tasks confidently and capably, e.g. being able to demonstrate exercises well

20:00 What are the most important foundational knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist? Emotional intelligence, understand when its time to listen and when its time to take charge

25:10 People want you to help them solve a problem; the balance of listening/adapting and being decisive

27:45 The evolution of the paramedic profession and what we can learn from this in physiotherapy. Working effectively with other professionals

36:55 The importance of being empowered to say ‘I don’t know’. Look, pause, plan

40:20 Final thoughts? The evolution of all health professionals is to develop your emotional intelligence, empathy, capability, aligning with research and pushing into new frontiers

42:00 Thank you for helping me spread positive messages about our profession

Ben’s academic profile: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/spahc/paramedicine/staff/ben-meadley

Ben’s website: https://www.benmeadley.com/

Find Ben on social media: https://twitter.com/ben_meadley

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Zuzana and I sat down with physiotherapist, business owner and runner Kevin Lieberthal about managing running-related injuries. We also spoke about strength assessment and strength training in the clinic, and about Kev’s entrepreneurial side-project, Gravel and Tar.

In this episode

0:00 About this episode

1:39 Kevin’s background, interests and career so far - from squash, to triathlon, to cycling to running marathons

5:20 How do you maintain your passion for the profession?

8:07 Positive reflections on our great profession

9:40 What does running mean to your patient? Weighing up high and low risk injuries and the other reasons that people choose to run

12:12 Why running training load is like Bolognaise sauce

13:35 You can’t run too fast all the time. Some people recover faster than others. Consider how you look at the individual and how they tolerate load

14:30 Running shoes – they can change things, but they don’t make load disappear

14:50 Injuries as opportunities. Knowing when to quit and playing the long-term game

20:45 Three phases to consider: Return to run, return to train and return to perform. There is no such thing as a return to running program that suits everyone.

25:30 High risk and low risk injuries. Using hopping and weight bearing tolerance as indicators. Energy deficiency, alternations in menstrual cycle, bone health

29:25 Bone deafness. Lack of stimulation of bone in distance running. The importance of cross training and including impact and change of direction.

32:42 How and when do you introduce strength work for runners?

36:45 What are your top 3 exercises in the gym for runners? Don’t forget those calves

42:05 What are the most important knowledge and skills for a physio? Question yourself, constantly explore things, challenge yourself, disagree when necessary, follow your interests

53:00 What advice would you give physios who want to develop their entrepreneurial side?

58:25 Final thoughts. Love this profession. Find your niche and stick to it. Be known for something.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Kevin’s profile: http://www.physiocentralpark.com.au/kevin_lieberthal.html

Find Kevin on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-lieberthal-b7409731/?originalSubdomain=au

https://www.instagram.com/physio_at_central_park/?hl=en

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton. Connect with Zuzana @drzuzi

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This week I spoke with Associate Professor Kelly-Ann Bowles from the Department of Paramedicine at Monash University. Kelly is a biomechanist and a paramedicine researcher as well as the acting head of the Department of Paramedicine and the Director of Research for our School of Primary and Allied Health Care. We spoke about the foundations of her career and her thoughts on the direction of the physiotherapy profession.

Kelly has a very interesting and diverse professional background and has mentored many students and colleagues (myself included) in their careers. There is plenty in this episode for students, grads and experienced clinicians to unpack. Enjoy, and thanks Kelly for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode

3:00 Welcome Kelly to Physio Foundations

4:20 The foundations of Kelly’s career

6:15 The unpredictability of working in elite sports biomechanics, working around athletes and coaches, working long hours and loving it

8:30 How did you develop your research career? Sports bras for breast support – finding important research questions with real impact for people

10:43 The importance of getting fitted for a bra and how this can improve physical activity and participation in sports

12:59 How did you get into paramedics research? Completing a PhD over ten years, saying yes to lots of things, sending your CV to everyone in the country

15:15 Strategically building your knowledge and skills

16:20 Balancing new opportunities and the need to stick things - skills more than titles

18:55 What are the attributes that make a really good clinician? Research skills and collaboration with other professionals

21:30 How do you develop professionalism in paramedics and what can other professions learn from this?

24:21 Ben Meadley’s fascinating PhD on the health of paramedics

26:40 It’s easy to always put your patient’s health first - the importance of professionals looking after their own health

31:00 Message for the next generation of clinicians – you get to dictate the direction of the profession through your own stance and behaviour.

31:35 How to connect with Physio Foundations and share the podcast

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Kelly’s academic profile: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/kelly-bowles

Find Kelly on social media: https://twitter.com/k_bowles

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Chris Seville is a physiotherapist, physiotherapy educator and principal practice owner at healthy bodies physiotherapy in Cheltenham in Melbourne’s south east. Chris is also a powerlifter and powerlifting coach who has won multiple championships and represented Australia at the World Championships. He currently holds the under 83kg Australian Squat Record. We spoke about his clinical interests, his experiences working in high-profile clinical roles and how he uses his knowledge of powerlifting to help people of all ages and functional levels improve their quality of life. Thanks Chris for a great conversation.

In this episode:

0:00 About Chris

2:17 Welcome Chris to Physio Foundations

4:40 What is powerlifting? How did you get into powerlifting? Chris’s squat record.

11:26 How did a shoulder reconstruction lead to a career in powerlifting?

12:18 How do you use powerlifting knowledge with everyday people in the clinic?

13:30 Getting people in the gym as a clinician is a really enjoyable part of the practice

14:56 What else do you offer patients apart from strengthening exercises?

16:54 How did your strength training skills help you as a physio working in elite football?

18:45 What can a health professions student learn by being active and training themselves?

23:05 Anyone can get strong. Apply a stimulus, progressively overload over time, allow time for recovery, and you’re going to get stronger

24:48 What are the benefits of strength training for people of all ages?

28:44 The Epley formula for predicting how much weight people can lift.

29:25 How can clinicians move beyond the manual muscle test? Dynamometry and functional strength assessment

30:00 If somebody can lift 60kg, and your program never takes them to 60 kg, you can’t develop their strength – have a look at the task you want to improve

32:45 Ways to measure and train strength when you don’t have access to a gym

33:25 What are the most important foundational knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist? Principles of strength training and knowledge of anatomy

35:38 Why is knowledge of anatomy important? Examples of when knowledge of specific tissues is vital

43:16 Tips for retaining knowledge when working as a clinician – discuss areas you need to revise with your team and mentors

45:09 Where can young clinicians find postgraduate training to improve their knowledge and skills in strength training – courses, reading, working with mentors

50:40 Final thoughts – get to the gym and find people to work with who can teach you how to apply these principles in the clinic

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Chris’ clinical profile: https://www.healthybodiesphysiotherapy.com.au/meet-our-team/

Find Chris on social media: https://www.instagram.com/healthybodiesphysio

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This is part 2 of my conversation with sports physiotherapist, physio educator and pelvic health researcher Jodie Dakic from Monash University Physiotherapy. We discuss the how you can reframe your approach to university and lifelong learning and the bigger picture of developing yourself professionally across your career.

In this episode:

0:00 Why is this episode important?

2:15 Students are worried about assessments, educators want students to focus on their learning – Jodie’s perspectives

3:00 The ‘soft skills’ that can make or break you as a student and a professional. What else are you learning when you enrol in a course?

5:00 Are you learning for assessments or learning to become a professional?

6:08 What learning skills do you need to learn effectively at any level?

7:20 You need to practice if you want to practice physiotherapy!

9:00 Independent learning = trying to find information for yourself. Be a problem solver

11:00 It’s a small world. You are not invisible in your classroom and you are studying with your future colleagues and maybe your future boss! Practice professionalism and balance this with having fun.

15:35 If learning is the most important thing, then why do we have assessments?

18:15 How important are grades and marks in university? Let’s put things in perspective.

19:38 Personal development is a huge part of university learning – the importance of developing strategies for resilience and self-care

24:08 Make you own decisions about the importance of what you are learning and what you like – don’t get drawn into groupthink

26:20 What are the most important foundational knowledge and skills for a physiotherapist – active listening, really listen to a person and reflect on what they are saying. Adapt your style of communication to individuals

30:00 It’s not just the questions you ask but how you ask them

34:15 Final thoughts – get the foundations right now and have an amazing career later

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Jodie’s academic profile: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/jodie-dakic

Follow Jodie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JodieDakic

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

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Jodie is a highly experienced sports physiotherapist, physiotherapy educator and emerging researcher in the field of women’s health and physical activity. In this episode I spoke to Jodie about her many years’ experience working in elite sport and the series of ground-breaking studies she is doing as part of her PhD looking at the impact of pelvic health on women’s physical activity. We explored the foundations of Jodie's career and her tips for up and coming practitioners who want to follow a similar path. Enjoy!

In this episode:

0:24 About Jodie

3:00 Jodie’s foundations – training, experience and pathway into elite sport, research and physio education

7:20 What do you love about working as a sports physio?

9:55 ‘I enjoy the pressure’. You have to enjoy striving and succeeding despite the pressure.

14:15 The unromantic side of sports physiotherapy

16:22 Other roles of a sports physiotherapist – triage, liaison, medical referral – building resilience and life experience

18:00 Life skills that develop when you travel with and without a sports team and travelling/working on your own

18:57 The sense of team and community within sports teams and the sports medicine team

22:08 Jodie’s PhD – ground-breaking studies of pelvic health and physical activity for female athletes

27:45 ‘I really believe in what I’m doing’ The driving force behind Jodie’s research

31:35 Jodie’s tips for finding your pathway into research – consider your motivating factors

34:50 You could do your PhD with Jodie one day? Just putting that out there…

35:30 Where can we find out more about Jodie and her work?

37:06 Jodie’s tips for starting a career in sports physiotherapy

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Jodie’s academic profile:

Follow Jodie on Twitter: twitter.com/jodiedakic

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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This is part 2 of my conversation with physiotherapist, triathlete and physiotherapy educator Dr Sarah Ward. We discussed Sarah’s experiences as a physio educator in New Zealand and how Sarah and her colleagues help prepare physiotherapy students for the workforce

In this episode:

0:00 Welcome back Sarah

2:50 What physiotherapy courses are there in New Zealand?

5:00 How do you remember anatomy when you return to study?

6:32 Why is anatomy so important?

8:10 The disruptions to education from COVID-19 – New Zealand experiences

14:04 Simulation in physio education. Making teaching relatable

15:32 The difficulties of engaging with students online

19:35 The stale physio academic who trained 30 years ago doesn’t actually exist

20:00 To be a good educator you have to be a good clinician – but being an educator is itself a skill

Sarah’s clinical profile: https://www.sportslab.net.nz/sarah-ward

Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahward_nz

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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Sarah Ward is a physiotherapist, researcher, age group champion triathlete and physio educator at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. I spoke to Sarah about balancing research, clinical practice and research, all the wonderful places she has been able to travel to as a physiotherapist. I really enjoyed this conversation with Sarah. If you enjoy it as well please share the episode and remember to follow the show so you can see future episodes like this.

In this episode:

0:20 Welcome Sarah

5:15 Where in the world has your physiotherapy degree taken you?

9:38 I thought I knew what physio was when I started the degree – skills and knowledge to treat the whole person

11:45 What led you from clinical work to research?

16:30 Taking frustrations in the clinic and developing them into research questions

17:00 Persisting quadriceps weakness – thinking beyond the muscle

17:52 How did your PhD change what you do clinically?

20:30 When you don’t have access to fancy tools and technology – basic foundational principles of strengthening and patient education

23:50 Novices – be patient with gaining experience

25:56 Ask questions. Always question things

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Sarah’s clinical profile: https://www.sportslab.net.nz/sarah-ward

Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahward_nz

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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In this episode Pat Vallance and I try to answer the perennial question asked of physiotherapy educators; why don’t you teach them this at university?

In this episode:

3:30 What is realistic to cover in an entry-to-practice course?
5:25 What are we trying to achieve in an entry-to-practice course?
6:05 The aim isn't to specialise - you have 3-4 years to become safe, effective and professional over a wide range of competencies
7:12 The huge challenge of transforming a novice learner into an autonomous professional
8:15 Why don’t we do two years of full time strength and conditioning in entry-to-practice physiotherapy courses?
11:45 The wide range of competencies and skills that are covered in a physiotherapy course. If you add something in you need to take something out
12:30 Competing demands for student’s time and energy – the trade off between surviving and learning
14:00 Having a life outside of study. The importance of having balance, avoiding distractions and burnout
15:35 Why don’t you guys teach them X, or Y, at university?
17:30 When the responsibility for teaching and learning falls beyond the entry-to-practice course
20:37 You don’t have to have a master-level of competency after finishing an undergraduate course
22:45 What mentorship did you seek as a graduate?
25:58 Do you know why physiotherapy courses are so popular?
30:03 The main reason to go to university is to learn how to learn
31:10 How does your engagement as a student in the early years of studying relate to your success in later years?
33:10 The skills that really matter when you are a practitioner – why your marks and grades don’t matter nearly as much as you think they do
38:28 Pat’s example of how he developed a weaker area of his undergraduate study into a PhD

Connect with Pat on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-vallance-1b0713182/?originalSubdomain=au

Follow Pat on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/pat_vallance

Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.

Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: luke@perraton.physio, or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

View Details

I spoke to physiotherapist, PhD student and physio educator Pat Vallance about his pathway from student, to clinician, to PhD student and physiotherapy educator. Pat gave us some tips for learning and being engaged with learning during university training and we finished off our conversation by discussing the perennial question that haunts physiotherapy educators... 'Why don't you guys teach them this stuff at uni?'

In this episode:

2:40 What do you love about teaching?
4:35 About Pat – how did you end up at Monash uni physio teaching with us?
8:22 How do you become a physiotherapy educator?
12:40 What tips would you give physiotherapy or other health professions students?
15:08 Spend the time to plan to prepare yourself to learn
17:26 Learn by teaching to your peers
19:55 The perils of being distracted when studying and the importance of recovering and reflecting
23:05 The most important foundational knowledge and skills for practitioners – communication, particularly informal communication with peers and patients
24:32 Critical thinking and applying information to new circumstances
28:33 A story from Pat about the importance of clinical communication
31:42 Anxiety related to being assessed – get out of your head and listen to the patient
33:30 Why didn’t you teach them that at university? Opening a can of worms