JOSPT Insights

Physical therapist, researcher, and runner Dr Jean-Francois Esculier, PT, PhD, from The Running Clinic and the University of British Columbia, is on a mission to help runners avoid injuries and perform well. Dr Esculier shares his views on choosing the right running shoes, including how he classifies shoes as minimalist or maximalist based on shoe weight, stack height, heel-to-toe drop, technology, and flexibility. We dive into the research on running shoes, changing a runner's gait, and how to apply the research in clinical practice. Physical therapist, runner, and JOSPT social media editor Paul Blazey asks the questions on today's episode.

Prof Jeremy Lewis and Dr Paul Salamh discuss the overcomplication of shoulder assessment and treatment, emphasizing the limitations of imaging and special tests. They highlight the importance of patient education, shifting away from structural diagnoses, and adapting treatment based on presentations rather than specific structures. The podcast also covers the significance of subjective evaluation, functional movement assessment, and patient-driven treatment for shoulder issues.

Musculoskeletal disorders are the number one contributor to the number of years lived with disability, and osteoarthritis—which affects over 300 million people across the world—is one of the top contributors to global disability. Chances are, you have treated a patient with knee pain this week. So how did you approach that clinical session? Patients might ask for your advice when they are making a decision about knee surgery—what do you tell them? Professor Ewa Roos, international leader in exercise-based osteoarthritis care, joins JOSPT Insights to answer these questions and share her thoughts.

How much do you know about the social and economic factors that influence health? Did you know that the social determinants of health are central drivers of health inequities? Orthopaedic physical therapy leader Professor Chad Cook helps unmask the characteristics and factors that play a key role in how people access and experience health care. We look at what the social determinants of health are and why clinicians should care about them, then do a quick wrap-up of research on social determinants of musculoskeletal health.

Dr Amy Arundale, physical therapist and biomechanist with the Brooklyn Nets, gives you the low down on why you want to add clinical practice guidelines to your reading list. Guest host Dr Karen Litzy of Karen Litzy Physical Therapy and the Healthy Wealthy & Smart podcast asks the questions, diving into the knee and anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention guideline that Dr Arundale led, published in JOSPT in 2018, and exploring why Dr Arundale is a strong advocate for educating, collaborating, and consistently following up with athletes.

Are you spending your time reading worthwhile research articles? How can you tell if you should be integrating the findings into your practice? In this episode, Dr Chelsea Cooman and Dr Dan Chapman talk with Prof Steven Kamper about how to evaluate articles and how best to use the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). They also quiz Dr Kamper, in a lightning round, on research concepts that he covers in his Evidence in Practice series in JOSPT. Finally, Dr Kamper tackles the question, "Is evidence-based practice simply cookbook medicine?"

“Concussion is a clinical diagnosis only.” As a concussion physical therapy specialist and someone with lived experience of concussion, Dr Jessica Schwartz provides sage advice about assessing concussion (orthopaedic, neurological, vestibular system, exercise tolerance) and progressing rehabilitation after concussion. She also shares her top tips for structuring your concussion assessment to help you prioritize rehabilitation.

Leading clinician-researcher Prof Ann Cools irons out the wrinkles of the rotator cuff and helps confidently design a quality exercise therapy program for people with degenerative rotator cuff tear. What are the main goals of exercise therapy? What types of exercises should you choose? Which exercises should you avoid? Tune in for answers to these questions and practical tips.

”Load management is not simply about resting”. Sport scientist and dual PhD Professor Tim Gabbett shares his philosophy on training load management and recovery and explains why athletes should be training smarter and harder. How do you know if an athlete has trained too much? What are the next major developments in training load monitoring? Listen to this episode for some answers.

”My hip hurts when I sit, sleep, and walk up stairs—what is the problem?” Dr Alison Grimaldi joins Dr Chelsea Cooman and Dr Dan Chapman to take a deep dive into gluteal tendinopathy: how to accurately diagnose lateral hip pain, typical symptoms to watch out for, and the best objective tests and measures. Dr Grimaldi shares her gluteal tendon loading progression, and expert tips on rehabilitation including patient education, gait cues, and posture adjustments.