
Physiotutors Podcast
The Physiotutors podcast is your opportunity to hear from some of the best physio's, researchers, lecturers and medical professionals for all things physiotherapy related. Join us as we discuss topics from orthopedics to pain management, from spinal cord to respiratory all in the name of physiotherapy.
Latest episodes

Oct 7, 2023 • 39min
Ep. 057 | Ring of Truth: Exploring Physiotherapy's Role in Tinnitus Treatment | Sarah Michiels
In this podcast episode, physiotherapist Sarah Michiels discusses somatic tinnitus, a type of tinnitus that is often caused by dysfunctions in the upper cervical spine and jaw. She highlights the prevalence of somatic tinnitus and the importance of a comprehensive diagnosis to rule out other causes. The talk provides insights into her evaluation and treatment approach, emphasizes the role of physiotherapy in improving muscle function and coordination to manage this debilitating condition. Content 00:00 Intro 00:46 Definition of Somatic Tinnitus 01:35 Tinnitus and the Cervical Spine 04:47 Prevalence of Tinnitus 06:22 Epidemiology of Tinnitus 08:15 Physiotherapy Diagnosis Possible? 10:30 ENT Diagnosis of Somatosensory Tinnitus 14:27 Special Testing for Tinnitus 16:00 Cervical Spine Assessments 17:35 Tinnitus and the Jaw 18:51 Red Flags 20:53 Physiotherapy Effectiveness for Somatosensory Tinnitus 22:00 Typical Treatment Course 23:20 What causes Improvements in Symptoms? 25:18 Tinnitus Relapse 27:10 Prognostic Factors 29:30 Sarah's Treatment Approach 31:48 Why Patients get worse 34:15 How to learn more about Tinnitus 35:10 Is MT knowledge required? 36:20 Sarah's Closing Thoughts 37:30 Could Van Gogh have been saved? 38:10 Outro Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All episodes and bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Sep 2, 2023 • 52min
Ep. 056 | Mobilisation with Movement (MWM) | Thomas Mitchell
Welcome to Physiotutors podcast episode 56 with Thomas Mitchell. Thomas is a wrist and hand specialist physiotherapist, and working toward his PhD at Sheffield Hallam. He is a physiotherapist of 25 years standing in primary care, private practice and sports. He is a First-contact Practitioner clinical supervisor and member of the British Association of Hand Therapists. He is also a Member of the Mulligan Concept Teachers Association, so the perfect person to talk to about the Mobilizations with Movement abbreviated as MWM. He is also an instructor for our online courses and has developed the complete upper limb focus together with Andrew Cuff. Content 00:00 Introduction 00:48 Definition of mobilizations with movement 02:42 Discussion on Mulligan's positional fault concept 04:14 Importance of symptom modification 06:39 Principles of mobilizations with movement 08:20 The concept of "Pill" in mobilizations with movement 10:36 The "Crocks" principle in mobilizations with movement 12:17 Empowering patients through functional positions 13:41 Personal adjustments in practice based on Mulligan's concept 15:33 Importance of Self-Treatment and Patient Expectations 17:03 Discussion on Plausible Fallacies and Patient Beliefs 18:40 Understanding Mulligan Concept and Pragmatic Approach 19:24 Explaining Treatment to Patients 20:40 Thomas Online Course 21:18 Differentiating MWM from Other Manual Therapy Techniques 23:16 Patient Control and Bottom-Up Approach in MWM 27:51 Evidence and Systematic Reviews on MWM 33:23 Importance of self-treatment and clinical expertise 35:57 Application of MWMS in chronic pain patients 37:40 Challenges with musculoskeletal rehab in the UK 40:13 Effectiveness of MWMS for lateral epicondylalgia and De Quervain's disease 44:34 Benefits of mobilizations with movement 47:36 Learning resources for Mulligan concept and MWMs 49:17 Thomas closing thoughts 51:08 Outro Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All episodes and bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Aug 5, 2023 • 39min
Ep. 055 | Cervicogenic Dizziness | Julia Treleaven
This episode of the Physiotutors podcast features Julia Treleaven, a researcher and physiotherapist, who discusses cervicogenic dizziness and its diagnosis. We delve into the condition's pathophysiology and prevalence in patients with chronic neck pain. We also discuss red flags to watch for during patient history taking and differentiating cervicogenic dizziness from other forms of dizziness. The episode covers functional tests used to assess balance and motor control and treatment options, including sensory-motor exercises, manual therapy, and posture correction. The discussion emphasizes the importance of focusing on the neck's role in such cases rather than just diagnosing the condition. Content 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Definition 06:36 Characteristics of Cervicogenic Dizziness 12:08 Physical and Orthopedic Tests for Cervicogenic Dizziness 15:03 Functional Assessment for Cervicogenic Dizziness 18:25 Treatment for Cervicogenic Dizziness 26:10 Progressing Sensory Motor Control Exercises for Cervicogenic Dizziness 29:46 Role of the neck in dizziness 32:08 Research endeavors in neck-related dizziness 34:58 Determining the role of the neck in dizziness and the controversy of cervicogenic dizziness Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All episodes and bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Jul 1, 2023 • 49min
Ep. 054 | Prevention forecast: cloudy with a chance of injury | Nicol van Dyk
Nicol van Dyk is a physiotherapist and clinical researcher currently occupying the role of Injury Surveillance and Medical Research Officer with the Irish Rugby Football Union in Dublin, Ireland. In 2018 Nicol completed his PhD in Health Sciences at Ghent University, Belgium titled “Risk factors for hamstring injuries in professional football players.” During this time Nicol was a physiotherapist at the Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital. In this episode we are joined by Nicol van Dyk. We discuss injury prediction and screening tests, individual risk factors for athletes at risk of injury, the importance of clinical reasoning and individualized approaches as well as why it rains so much in the Netherlands.... This was a great episode to record and we hope you enjoy it. Content 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:00 Screening tests and injury prediction 00:05:10 Importance of screening tests in injury prevention and building athlete trust 00:13:14 Importance of Previous Injuries 00:17:47 Role of Technology and Social Support in Rehab 00:21:35 The Significance of Sleep in Injury Prevention 00:26:41 Understanding individual athlete risk factors 00:30:10 Importance of clinical reasoning and individualized treatment 00:38:08 Using mixed methods approach for injury prediction 00:41:09 Injury prediction vs risk estimation 00:44:32 Focus on performance and robustness 00:46:24 Importance of communication and empathy in physiotherapy Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All episodes and bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Jun 3, 2023 • 54min
Ep. 053 | Lumbar Radicular Syndrome | Adam Dobson
Welcome to episode 53! In this episode we are joined by Adam Dobson who is working as a specialist triage & treat spinal physiotherapist for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He is the author of "Lumbar Radicular Syndromes - At a Glance" and actively shares his knowledge around radicular syndromes on his Twitter (@adamdobson123) and as guest on various podcasts. We are very happy to have him on the microphone for this episode. Enjoy! Content 00:00 Intro 00:40 Definition of Lumbar Radicular Syndrome 02:57 Signs & Symptoms of Sciatica 06:12 Red Flags 14:14 Cauda Equina Pathway 19:20 Facet Joint Stenosis Differentiation 21:54 K.I.S.S. 22:30 Motor Control Exercises 24:45 Opinion on Piriformis Syndrome 30:20 Minor Neurogenic Dysfunctions 35:17 Treatment for LRS 38:55 Advice. Anything Else? 44:16 Clinical Decisionmaking 45:52 Adam's closing thoughts 50:47 Encore - Stenosis 53:05 Outro Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

May 6, 2023 • 50min
Ep. 052 | To Image or not to Image | Andrew Cuff
Andrew is a consultant physiotherapist from the UK with a special interest in the upper limb and particularly the shoulder, which is also the reason he has created a course on the stiff shoulder, the elbow and wrist for Physiotutors together with Thomas Mitchell. He is in the process of finishing his PhD this year on imaging for musculoskeletal conditions in primary care at Keele University, so he’s the perfect person to talk to about imaging! Content 00:00 Intro 01:25 How far are we from ideal? 05:56 Scale of MSK Imaging 09:40 Why don't we stick to guidelines? 15:50 When imaging makes sense 21:35 Do Patients Expect Imaging? 23:49 Sponsor 24:59 The goal of Imaging 27:52 Risks of Imaging 30:27 Imaging Techniques 101 35:10 Should Physios use Ultrasound 37:56 Scan interpretation as a skill? 43:10 How to explain imaging findings 48:15 Andrew's closing thoughts 49:49 Outro Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the CSP student conference 2023. For more information and to sign up visit: https://www.csp.org.uk/studentconference23 Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All episodes and bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Apr 1, 2023 • 33min
Ep. 051 | Plantar Heel Pain | Henrik RIel
Hi and welcome to Physiotutors podcast episode 51 with Henrik Riel. Henrik is a physiotherapist from Denmark and has obtained his PhD in the management of plantar heel pain. He is doing a post-doc fellowship at the university of Aalborg and he is an assistant professor at the physio department of the university of northern Denmark. In this episode we will talk about plantar heel pain etiology, the risk factors associated with it, Henrik's approach to examination, imaging, and treatment. We will answer the question if there are prognostic factors for the condition, what mode of strength training is recommended and discuss the efficacy of adjunct treatment modalities for plantar fasciopathy. So make sure to listen to the entire episode. Content 00:00 Intro 00:45 Plantar fasciitis, Plantar Fasciotpathy or Plantar heel pain? 02:41 Is it a tendinopathy? 03:33 The typical patient 04:40 Risk factors 07:13 Signs & Symptoms 09:05 Differential Diagnoses 10:10 Examination/Imaging & Testing 13:00 What about Heel spurs? 14:10 Prognosis 19:28 Isometrics for Plantar Heel Pain 22:04 Treatment Options 26:35 Load Management 28:15 Plyometrics/SSC Exercises 30:54 Henrik's Closing Thoughts 32:00 Outro Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All episodes and bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Mar 3, 2023 • 1h 3min
Ep. 050 | The Unstable Shoulder | Anju Jaggi
In this episode we will talk about all things shoulder instability. You will learn more about the Stanmore classification and structural damage after dislocations. We will discuss the typical patient with shoulder instability and how an examination process looks like. We will touch on muscle activation patterns, surgery and how physiotherapeutic management of a patient with shoulder instability could possibly look like. So make sure to listen to the whole episode! Our guest is Anju Jaggi. She is a physio consultant shoulder specialist at the royal national orthopedic hospital in stanmore, UK. She’s a past president of the European Society of Shoulder & Elbow Rehabilitation (EUSSER) and a published researcher with a particular interest in shoulder instability. Content 0:00:00 - 0:01:08 Introduction 0:01:08 - 0:02:32 What is Shoulder Instability? 0:02:32 - 0:05:50 What causes the shoulder pain? 0:05:50 - 0:13:44 TUBS/AMBRI/Neuromuscular 0:13:45 - 0:18:13 What gets damaged in the shoulder? 0:18:13 - 0:22:22 The typical patient fenotype 0:22:22 - 0:28:55 Examination Process 0:28:55 - 0:30:05 Special testing 0:30:55 - 0:34:29 How to test the cuff 0:34:29 - 0:37:16 When is the cuff weak? 0:37:16 - 0:40:05 Muscle activation patterns 0:40:05 - 0:43:30 Risk factors 0:43:30 - 0:46:14 Risk of Developing OA 0:46:14 - 0:47:58 Relocating a shoulder as physio 0:47:58 - 0:55:02 Shoulder Instability Rehab 0:55:02 - 1:00:21 Surgery vs. Physio 1:00:21 - 1:01:38 Anju's closing thoughts 1:01:38 - 1:03:10 Outro Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All episodes and bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Feb 4, 2023 • 1h 1min
Ep. 049 | Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) | Mike Reiman
Welcome to episode 49! Today's guest is Mike Reiman who is a physiotherapist, active clinical researcher, educator and mentor with a special interest in the hip. He is also an associate professor at Duke University and an adjunct professor at Wichita State University. In this episode we will talk about femoroacetabular impingement abbreviated as FAI. You will learn more about FAI morphology and the development of FAI. Mike will elaborate on the epidemiolgy of FAI, what can trigger symptoms and the prognosis in regards to the development of hip osteoarthritis. Of course we will talk about diagnosis and physiotherapeutic treatment and finish of with a discussion about surgery for FAI.So make sure to listen to the whole episode! Enjoy! Content 0:00:00 - 0:01:04 Introduction 0:01:00 - 0:02:50 What is FAI? 0:02:50 - 0:04:35 How FAI develops 0:04:35 - 0:08:10 Epidemiology of FAI 0:08:10 - 0:09:52 Asymptomatic FAI 0:09:52 - 0:13:13 Triggers for symptomatic FAI 0:13:13 - 0:18:13 Prognosis: Do patients develop hip OA? 0:18:13 - 0:21:34 Screening 0:21:34 - 0:25:35 History & Examination 0:25:35 - 0:28:13 Confirming the Diagnosis 0:28:13 - 0:29:45 Imaging necessary? 0:29:45 - 0:31:54 Muscle Strength Testing 0:31:54 - 0:45:10 FAI Rehab Start to Finish 0:45:10 - 0:48:45 How good is Physio for FAI? 0:48:45 - 0:53:40 How good is Surgery for FAI? 0:53:40 - 0:58:30 How to choose: Surgery or FAI 0:58:30 - 0:59:50 Mike's Closing Thoughts 0:59:50 - 1:00:29 Outro Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Jan 14, 2023 • 39min
Ep. 048 | Joint Efforts: Navigating Rheumatism | Jack March
In this episode we will talk about different rheumatological conditions that can mask as musculoskeletal pain and how to recognize them. Our guest is Jack March, a physiotherapist specialising in rheumatology who provides CPD courses on the recognition, investigation and management of rheumatological conditions. We will shine a light on imaging and medical tests for different conditions and cover differences between genders. At last, we will discuss how patients with rheumatism are best treated, talk about precautions during exercise and how to positively influence their prognosis. So make sure to listen to the whole episode! Enjoy! Content 00:00 - 00:58 Introduction 00:58 - 02:18 What is Rheumatism? 02:18 - 03:47 Rheumatological diseases to know 03:47 - 05:28 When to think it's Rheumatic 05:28 - 08:16 Screening for Rheumatoid Disorders 08:16 - 11:46 How Rheumatoid Inflammation is different 11:46 - 15:32 What are the Signs & Symptoms 15:32 - 17:04 How helpful is Imaging? 17:04 - 18:55 Difference in males vs. females 18:55 - 22:10 Testing for Rheumatoid Disorders 22:10 - 27:11 Referral to Specialist Management 27:11 - 35:45 What Physios can do in RD 35:45 - 37:55 Jack's Closing Thoughts 37:55 - 38:54 Outro Bonus Material To view and download the bonus content such as transcripts of this episode become a Physiotutors Member. All episodes and bonus content can be found here Follow our Podcast on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts