Physio Foundations

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.

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.

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.  

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. Jaap’s research  - discussed during the episode 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.

This week I had a conversation with new graduate physiotherapist Tom Peers-Barlow about his experiences moving from the public sector into private practice. We discussed ways you can get involved in research as a new graduate practitioner and strategies for managing feelings of nervousness when you first start working as a health professional. Tom shared his tips for how to set yourself up with good habits for lifelong learning and getting the most out of your clinical career.  Thanks Tom for a great conversation. In this episode: 0:00 About this episode and welcome Tom 2:10  Tom’s background and interests 5:15 How did you feel when you first started in private practice? 8:20 How did hospital work and university help prepare you for private practice? 10:45 Adapting to stress – the positive aspects of stress 12:10 Transitioning from university to working life 16:50 Strategies for when you are feeling overwhelmed 19:50 Simulated clinical work at university – making mistakes in a safe environment as a way of learning and prompting discussion 22:20 Tips for students – get as much exposure to your areas of interest as possible and use all the learning resources 25:26 Strategies for managing distractions and staying focused 31:30 What is it like learning as a professional vs learning as a student? 34:00 How do you get started in research as a new grad? Developing special interest areas 42:30 Thinking about formal research training, masters and PhD 50:05 Final thoughts: If you don’t understand something, look it up. Stay curious. 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.

This week I spoke to Jaap Switters about chronic pelvic pain and the range of contributing factors and management strategies that practitioners can use to help people in the clinic. Jaap is an osteopath and physiotherapist based in Vienna, Austria who specialises in male chronic pelvic pain and associated conditions. Jaap is also a university educator and researcher with a series of research publications on chronic pelvic pain and associated conditions. In this episode: 0:00 About this episode 3:07 Welcome back Jaap, background and interests 4:20 Definition of male chronic pelvic pain and the noisy neighbours analogy 7:30 What causes chronic pelvic pain? The dodgy garlic kebab analogy 12:10 How acute stress contributes to chronic pelvic pain. The alarm system analogy 18:00 Can new graduate practitioners help men with chronic pelvic pain, and if so, where do they start? 19:25 Negative findings on investigations is a good thing! 21:20 Red flags and contributing factors for chronic pelvic pain 26:15 Overactive bladder – understanding normal frequency of urination and screening questions to use in the clinic 32:30 Education strategies related to fluid intake, nocturia and retraining the nervous system 37:20 Bladder health and retraining 41:00 Incontinence 44:58 Summary and tips for managing chronic pelvic pain in the clinic – the flat tyre analogy 49:41 Bringing it all together and what’s next   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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.