In this episode Ben speaks with Dr Brad Neal who is a Physiotherapist, Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Essex with a special interest in Patellofemoral Pain.

In This Episode We Discuss:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:01:00) – Brad’s Views On Current Cricket

(00:02:55) – Could Brad Ever Have Been A Cricket Physio?

(00:03:41) – Brad’s Experience Of Working In Elite Sport

(00:06:00) – Why Did Brad Choose Patellofemoral Pain To Work In?

(00:09:45) – How To Help Patients Understand The Multi-Factoral Nature of PFP

(00:11:10) – What To Say To The Patient When They’ve Been Told They Need To Strengthen Their VMO

(00:15:00) – Why We Should Tell Patients With Patellofemoral Pain What Isn’t Going On

(00:16:50) – Does The Patellofemoral Joint Cartilage Tear?

(00:17:10) – How To Reassure Someone With Patellofemoral Pain

(00:19:10) – How To Discuss Chromalaecia Patellae X-ray Findings

(00:20:40) – Are Normal Age Related Patellofemoral Joint Changes Found In Those Who Are Asymptomatic?

(00:22:00) – Should We Still Use Term “Patella Maltracking” Or Is Their A Better Way?

(00:24:00) – Are There Any Surgical Options For Patellofemoral Pain?

(00:25:55) – Does This Help Us With Buy-In To Rehab?

(00:27:45) – What To Say When They Ask “Will It Get Better?”

(00:29:10) – What’s Next For PFP Research

(00:33:20) – What Lessons From Academic Teaching Can We Use With The Patient In Front Of Us

(00:35:00) – Is There A Way To Assess Patient Understanding Of What We’ve Explained?

(00:37:45) – How Should Information About Conditions On Websites Be Laid Out?

(00:40:20) – Is Teaching Training Part Of Healthcare Training Or Should It Be?

(00:46:20) – Brads Hardest Conversations

(01:01:30) – Why People Should Watch & Play Baseball

(01:04:20) – Is Baseball The American Version Of Cricket?

(01:08:45) – Where To Find Brad Online

You can find Brad here:

X/Twitter: @DrBradNeal

Instragram: @teampfp

www.teampfp.com

You can follow Ben on @BWhybrowPhysio on your social media platform of choice.

“Messengers” is a book by Stephen Martin & Joseph Marks released in 2019. It is for anyone who wants to increase the likelihood that the messages they are giving are taken in and acted upon.

In Episode 14 of Clinical Communication we go through some of the lessons from it that can help you better manage the individual or group of patients in front of you.

(00:00) – Intro

(00:35) – You’re Not Only Judged On The Words You Say

(01:21) – Building Connections

(01:58) – Perceived Expertise

(04:29) – Warmth & Connectedness

(07:19) – Vulnerability

(09:06) – Outro

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, leave a review & subscribe.

The ICE questions are an essential component of any medical consultation. But what do they stand for? And why are they so essential?

This episode covers not only this, but the additional extra questions that should come with it.

Plus;

- When to ask them?

- Do you have to ask them in order?

- How to respond to answers you may get.

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

First impressions matter, and the way we are with the patient in front of us for those first few minutes can have a profound effect on the rest of their time with us.

This episode covers:     - The first things to say on meeting someone new,

- Body language and positioning before you start talking to them,

- Small talk and the timing of certain questions,

- Signposting or “Setting The Scene” at the beginning,

- And more.

Reference:

Roberts, L. (2019). Effective Communication: Making The Most Of The Consultation. Lumbar Spine Online Textbook (Section 10, Chapter 1). Available Free Online

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

Empathy is a buzzword in communication skills, everyone claims they are empathetic, but patients may not always agree.

In this episode we'll discuss:

- What Is Empathy

- The Difference Between Empathy & Sympathy

- How To Demonstrate Empathy To The Patient In Front Of You

- The Risks Of Empathy Coming Across As Fake

- What Not To Say

Further Reading:

Howick et al (2018)

"Effects of empathic and positive communication in healthcare consultations: a systematic review and meta-analysis"

Open Access Link:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6047264/

Licciardone et al (2024)

"Physician Empathy and Chronic Pain Outcomes"

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

Attentive Listening is a popular phrase in clinical communication skills. But what does it mean? And how can we demonstrate that we are attentively listening to the patients in front us? Find out in this episode.

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

Listening to the patient in front of us and letting them tell their story uninterrupted is one of the most important, and simplest, communication skills to utilise.

The benefits are many. Some are obvious, some more subtle. This episode discusses them all.

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis & Inflammatory Arthritis are conditions that many clinicians across many different specialities will see. Being able to have helpful and productive conversations with patients with these conditions is essential for being able to provide great care for them.

Jack March is a Rheumatology Specialist Physiotherapist & Director of Operations for PhysioMatters. You can find him online by searching for “Rheumatology Physio” in whatever social media you use.

His website is here: https://rheumatology.physio/

In This Episode Ben & Jack Discuss:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:00:59) – Music You Might Hear In A Rheumatology Department

(00:01:59) – Jack’s Top Disturbed Song

(00:03:47) – The Metal & Physio Podcast That Didn’t Happen

(00:04:30) – Jack’s New “Low Bone Density” Course

(00:05:15) – How To Explain Osteoporosis To The Patient In Front Of You

(00:09:45) – Is The “Swiss Cheese” Analogy Still Useful?

(00:13:23) – Should We Still Say “Brittle Bones”?

(00:15:55) – What To Say When They Ask “Anything I Should Avoid?”

(00:17:40) – What To Say When They Ask “Is It Curable?”

(00:20:25) – How To Explain Osteoarthritis To The Patient In Front Of You

(00:24:39) – How To Shift Patient Perspectives On Osteoarthritis Away From Wear & Tear

(00:40:00) – What To Say If They Ask “Do I Need An X-Ray?”

(00:41:55) – What Would Trigger You To Consider Asking Additional Inflammatory Screening Questions?

(00:49:05) - When Should We Ask The Inflammatory Screening Questions During A History Taking?

(00:54:00) – What Should We Say To Patients When Referring Them To Rheumatology?

(00:59:00) – How To Explain Inflammatory Arthritis To The Patient In Front Of You

(01:04:00) – Jack’s Hardest Clinical Conversations

(01:17:00) – The FA Cup Semi-Final Incident

(01:21:25) – Jack’s Courses & CPD Resources

(01:22:50) – Jack’s Final Thoughts

You can find Ben on social media: @BWhybrowPhysio

Every clinician has the potential to do the perfect assessment and come up with the ideal treatment plan for the patients needs and aspirations.

However, all of that is useless if they are unable to commit to it and carry out whatever has been discussed.

This episode is all about simple and practical tips you can use with any patient you see to increase their commitment to the shared plan once they get home, so that they are more likely to carry it out, and more likely to think it will help.

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, leave a review & subscribe.

Metaphors are an effective way to help patients easily understand complex ideas we talk about, be it diagnosis, treatment options or prognosis.

In this episode I go through three metaphors I use regularly in clinical practice that most of the patients you see can relate to and will hopefully benefit from, regardless of the speciality you are in.

They are;

The Computer Default Setting (2:04)

The Mobile Phone Analogy (4:30)

The Cocktail Analogy (7:28)

For the visuals on The Cocktail Analogy, you can find them on social media @BWhybrowPhysio or the YouTube video of this Podcast titled "Steal These Metaphors!".

Do let me know how you get on using them and tell me other metaphors you use which you feel are effective, they might just get read out.

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, leave a review & subscribe.

Silence, or using a pause, can be one of the most underappreciated communication skills in clinical practice.

Using it effectively can allow you to;

Gain more useful information from the patient in front of you,

Get a clear idea of how they feel about information you have provided and how to move forward,

Manage emotionally charged situations easier.

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

Mirroring or Matching are common terms used in communication skills training.

But what do they mean, and What are the different types?

This episode covers how Mirroring or Matching can be applied to:

Body Language

The Words We Use

Tone of Voice & Presence

How they can be utilised and what effect they may have.

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

Speaking with angry patients can be some of the most difficult conversations to have.

This episode goes through what to do, and what not to do, when speaking with someone who is very angry or frustrated.

Reading Suggested:

How To Have Impossible Conversations – Boghossian & Lindsay

How To Deal With Angry People – Dr Ryan Martin

For More follow @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instragram, TikTok & YouTube.

Do send in any questions, topic suggestions & guests to get.

“Supercommunicators” by Charles Duhigg has been one of the best new releases in 2024 on communication. This episode looks through lessons from it and they can be applied to clinical life.

Covering:

-  Knowing what type of conversation you are having,

-  Emotional contagion & deep questions,

-  How to know if someone is or isn’t enjoying a conversation,

-  Managing conflict & difficult conversation.

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

Simply telling people what to do and how to do it is often a very ineffective way to change behaviours. Instead they need to have the feeling that they have come up with the idea themselves.

How do we do this?

With Questions.

But not just any questions, this episode goes through both specific open and closed questions that are more likely to lead to behaviour change.

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, or leave a review.

Cauda Equina Syndrome is a rare but very serious condition that can keep many clinicians awake at night. In this episode Ben speaks with Rob Tyer all about speaking with patients about Cauda Equina Syndrome (and other important topics) as shown below.

Timeline:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:14 – Was It Hard For Rob To Transition From Taekwondo to Jiu Jitsu?

00:03:32 – How Does Rob Feel Taekwondo Has Changed Over The Years?

00:08:53 – What Made Rob So Interested In Cauda Equina Syndrome?

00:12:52 – Where Is The Right Environment For Further Tests If You Suspect Cauda Equina Syndrome?

00:17:32 – When Should You Ask The Cauda Equina Syndrome Screening Questions During A History Taking?

00:20:35 – How Should We Set-Up The Cauda Equina Screening Questions?

00:23:34 – Is There Any Advantage To Asking The Questions On A Screening Tool Prior To The Appointment?

00:24:55 – Is There A Way To Make Asking The Questions Feel Less Awkward?

00:28:25 – How To Ask About Bladder & Bowel Control Symptoms

00:32:25 – How To Ask About The Sensation Changes

00:35:08 – How To Ask About Altered Sexual Function

00:41:47  - How To Ask About Altered Gait/Balance/Drop Foot

00:45:11 – Do The Questions Need To Be Asked In An Order?

00:49:50 – How Should We “Safety-Net” Someone About Cauda Equina Syndrome?

01:03:22 – What Should You Say To Someone If You Feel They Should Go To A&E Due To Potential Cauda Equina Syndrome Symptoms?

01:12:23 – Rob’s Hardest Conversations

01:23:58 – What Did Rob Wish He Knew About Writing A Book Before He (And Tom) Wrote One?

01:29:23 – Rob’s Question For Ben

Link for Rob & Tom Jessons book, “Cauda Equina Syndrome: The MSK Clinicians Guide” –

https://shop.tomjesson.com/products/cauda-equina-syndrome-the-msk-clinicians-guide

You can find Rob on social media - @CombatSportPhys

You can find Ben on social media - @BWhybrowPhysio

Do subscribe and get in contact if you have suggestions what would make this better.

Want to have greater influence over the people you come across in life and interact with?

“The Influential Mind” by Tali Sharot was released in 2017 and is still one of the top regarded books for this topic.

This episode of “Clinical Communication” takes some important lessons from the book and how you can apply them to the person in front of you, to potentially have greater influence.

For more; follow @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube.

If you’re really keen do drop me a message and send me any questions you have.

Motivation can be a powerful tool for Behaviour Change.

But there is different types, extrinsic and intrinsic.

What do these terms mean? And how can we enhance them to lead to greater long term behaviour change with the people in front of us?

Find out in this episode of Clinical Communication.

For more follow @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube.

Reference:

Rethorn, Z. D., Bezner, J. R. & Pettitt, C. D. (2021). From expert to coach: health coaching to support behavior change within physical therapist practice. Physiotherapy Journal & Practice.

A clinician will spend every working day explaining something to someone, but how much effort is put into ensuring the other person remembers what is said and interprets the information as intended?

This episode of Clinical Communication covers what you can do and say to ensure the person in front of you remembers what you have said and is able to relate to it.

If you have suggestions for what would make this resource better, topics to cover or guests to suggest;

Do contact @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, leave a review & subscribe.

How should we explain spinal-related nerve pain to patients?

What should we say to those who want scans, but it’s not indicated?

How should we explain imaging results to patients?

For answers to these and a lot more, check out this conversation with Adam Dobson, Spinal Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner.

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:00:43) – Would Adam Ever Become “The Space Physio”?

(00:02:45) – How To Explain Spinal Related Nerve Pain

(00:10:33) – What To Say If They Ask “Have I Got A Trapped Nerve?”

(00:15:12) – What If They Ask “Will This Get Better?”

(00:18:40) – What To Say When It’s Not Their Nerves, It’s Their Blood Supply

(00:24:50) – Screening vs Work-Up Imaging

(00:32:50) – What To Say When Imaging Findings Come Back “Normal”

(00:43:00) – How To Explain Relevant Imaging Findings

(0047:42) – What Does Nerve “Abutment” Mean?

(00:49:30) – What To Say When Someone Wants A Scan, But It's Not Indicated

(01:01:50) – How To Discuss Prostate Issues During A Back Pain Appointment

(01:11:35) – Difficult Conversations Around Pain

(01:18:18) – Success Stories From Adam’s “Back To Health” Programme

You can find Adam on social media @AdamDobson123

His website is: https://www.theradicularclinician.com/

You can find Ben on social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Steroid injections have been available in healthcare for seventy years for various uses.

But how should we discuss the risks and benefits of them for musculoskeletal pain with patients?

How should we support someone who is really keen for one, but it’s not in their best interests?

On this episode Ben is joined by Nick Livadas, Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner & Lecturer at Teeside University for which he leads the Musculoskeletal Injection Therapy module.

 They discuss;

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:25) – What Made Nick Interested In Steroid Injections?

(00:04:30) – What Do Patients Usually Ask About Steroid Injections?

(00:08:50) – Shared Decision Making With Steroid Injections

(00:13:15) – How Have Patient Questions & Knowledge About Steroid Injections Changed Over Time?

(00:13:40) – Should We Still Describe Steroid Injections As A “Window Of Opportunity”?

(00:18:00) – How Should We Tell A Patient A Steroid Injection May Not Help Them?

(00:19:40) – What Should We Say To Someone When The Benefit Of The Steroid Injection Lasts Longer Than Expected?

(00:23:07) – How To Discuss The Risks Of Steroid Injections To Patients?

(00:29:55) – How To Tell The Patient When A Steroid Injection Isn’t In Their Best Interests

(00:36:10) – Are These Conversations Really The “Advanced” Part Of Being An APP?

(00:38:50) – How To Support Those Who Are Afraid Of An Injection

(00:41:48) – Nicks Hardest Conversations (And Helpful Strategies)

(00:48:50) – The Time Limit Downside To Being An Advance Practitioner

(00:54:04) – What Would Nick Change About Persistent Pain Management In Society?

(00:56:23) – How NEMS was formed & What It Is

(01:01:10) – How To Contact Nick & Further Courses

You Can Find Nick On;

X & LinkedIn – @nicklivadas

His Musculoskeletal Injection Therapy Course at Teeside University is here:

https://www.tees.ac.uk/parttime_courses/sport_&_exercise/ucpce_musculoskeletal_injection_therapy.cfm

You Can Find North-East Musculoskeletal Society (NEMS) at:

X – @nemsoc16

Instagram – @nemsociety

You Can Find Ben on X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube & LinkedIn - @BWhybrowPhysio

The tone of voice we use to communicate is as important as the words we say, and yet much less attention is made towards it.

Until Now.

This episode covers essentials points on using different tones of voice with the patients we see, as well as giving some examples and when to use them.

For more, subscribe and follow @BWhybrowPhysio on your social media of choice.

One of the hardest conversations in clinical practice is when the person in front of you holds the opposite belief to you as to how their problem should be managed, and they are not open to changing their mind.

Engrained beliefs don't change suddenly, but how these conversations play out can be made more productive and collaborative for everyone involved.

This episode discusses how to achieve this and important aspects to consider.

Find this useful?

Then please subscribe and share it with anyone you think would find it useful.

You can find Ben on X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok & LinkedIn - @BWhybrowPhysio

Thank you for listening.

Shoulder pain is a common reason for people to seek healthcare support. Whilst many will respond well to time and rehabilitation, certain situations and beliefs make it harder to treat and manage.

This may be in relation to certain tissues being “torn”, the joint being “out of place” and “unstable” or having to break bad news when there is no easy solution.

Jo Gibson is an Upper Limb Specialist Physiotherapist & International Lecturer for shoulder conditions. In this episode Ben & Jo discuss;

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:37) - What Influence Did Jo’s Father Have On Her Practice?

(00:06:07) - Where Did “Communication Is Your SuperPower” Come From?

(00:09:00) - Which Communication Skill Did Jo Find The Hardest To Master?

(00:16:05) - Are We Done With The Term “Shoulder Impingement”?

(00:21:00) - How To Help Someone With A Rotator Cuff Tear Buy Into Rehab

(00:26:42) - How To Support Those Who Are Worried Their Shoulder Will Regularly Dislocate

(00:33:03) - How To Discuss Frozen Shoulder With A Patient

(00:37:47) - Jo’s Hardest Conversations

(00:45:48) - What Did The Upper Limb Unit Team Mean To Jo?

(00:47:57) - Jo’s Courses & Further Info

Jo is on X/Twitter: @ShoulderGeek1 & LinkedIn

Her course is “Shoulder Steps To Success” available either in person or online.

Ben is available across social media @BWhybrowPhysio – follow & subscribe to stay up to date.

A cranial nerve examination can be part of a general neurological examination for some clinicians, but often not considered by others. Whilst resources and guides now exist online on how to perform a cranial nerve examination, less guidance is available on what to say to patients before, during and after performing one.

Until now.

Alan Taylor is a Specialist Physiotherapist in Vascular Flow Limitations, especially related to Cervical Spine Risk, as well as being an Associate Professor at The University of Nottingham.

In this episode Ben & Alan Cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:00:50) – What led to Alan Being Interested In Cranial Nerve Testing?

(00:03:50) – Why Are Cranial Nerve Examinations Not Taught As Much At Undergraduate Level?

(00:07:18) – How Accurate Are The Cranial Nerve Tests?

(00:08:50) – How To Prepare Patients For A Cranial Nerve Examination?

(00:10:54) – What To Say During Each Part Of A Cranial Nerve Examination?

(00:20:49) – Can The Torch On A Mobile Phone Replace A Pen Torch?

(00:22:57) – What Should We Say To Patients After The Cranial Nerve Examination?

(00:29:40) – What Is It Like To Be An Expert Witness & Who Should Consider Doing It?

(00:34:10) – Alan’s Hardest Clinical Conversation

(00:39:20) – What Is The Story Of Alan & Rogers Not Country Music Band?

You can find Ben across Social Media: @BWhybrowPhysio

Alan’s Social Media:

X/Twitter: @TaylorAlanJ

Instagram: @alan_taylor_physio

YouTube: @alantaylor1068

Alan’s Cranial Nerve Examination Paper Discussed:

A Guide To Cranial Nerve Testing For Musculoskeletal Clinicians

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8725776/

Lawrence County Band:

https://www.youtube.com/@Skiffleshow

https://linktr.ee/lawrence_county?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYxduB4Kcna3j5NI8XIulc8pDwQqlZMuXOZIOK-WIG5gz0gJ2D89APPTG0_aem_84E4Qu8lQKBU2EoDXM5AJA

Trying to influence individual patient beliefs is tricky, but can be made even harder when someone else in their life is giving opposite information to you and having a greater influence.

This episode talks through who else could influence a patients belief and how you could try to manage it.

If you find this useful then do share & subscribe.

For more follow @BWhybrowPhysio on X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or LinkedIn.

Over the past year I've been asked to deliver some talks or webinars to various organisations and departments around clinical communication skills and difficult conversations.

One of which I was given permission to record the audio for, and so am releasing now to you.

There are interactive elements which you are welcome to play along with at home, work, in the car or wherever you listen.

It covers the topics of:

What is empathy and how to demonstrate it?

How to show you are attentively listening to the person in front of you?

How manage difficult conversations around patient expectations? (in this case of imaging)

Plus some audience questions at the end.

Want to know more?

I am @BWhybrowPhysio on X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn & YouTube.

Please follow & subscribe.

Thank you for listening and watching this year.

Group programmes can be a part of the management of many long-term conditions, combining various different activities which combined can have greater outcomes than individual components.

Whilst suggestions may exist for what kind of content to cover in the specific group, the practicalities of how to run a group and ensure it is effective, have not been discussed in much depth, until now.

In this first discussion episode, Ben is joined by Conor Creedon who is a Back Pain Specialist Physiotherapist & First Contact Practitioner. Both Ben & Conor run group programmes for people with persistent pain, in this episode they cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:02:11) – Connors Group Programme

(00:06:25) – How Should We Assess If Someone Is Ready For A Group Programme?

(00:12:00) – Is It Possible To Individualise Elements Of A Group Programme?

(00:17:00) – What Is The Impact Of The “Mechanisation Paradigm” On The Thinking Of Clinicians & Patients?

(00:28:44) – How Do We Help Patients Understand The Context Nature Of Long Term Conditions?

(00:30:30) – How Using Stories Could Be The Future

(00:38:00) – How To Help Patients Understand The Multi-Factoral Nature Of Their Condition, Without Devalidating Their Existing Beliefs.

(00:42:43) – How Do We Help Patients Understand These Factors, Without Feeling That It’s Their Fault?

(00:48:27) – How To Use An “Accusation Audit” In A Programme

(00:53:43) – What To Do When Participants Don’t Get On

(00:57:06) – When To Remove Someone From A Programme

(00:58:12) – Conor’s Hardest Conversation

(01:02:08 – Success Story From Conor’s Programme

You can find Connor on LinkedIn or at www.conorcreedonphysio.co.uk   

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Got questions/situations you need help with or interesting stories to share?

Send it to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com and we’ll read it out.

Books Mentioned:

Ian McGilchrist – The Matter With Things

Chris Voss- Never Split The Difference

Donald Miller – Building A Story Brand

Alan Gordon – The Way Out

Liam Mannix – Back Up

Baaahhh

Helping those with persistent pain can be a very challenging but also very rewarding venture. And rather than trying to fix or solve their problem, it requires a different approach of working with them to help them take ownership of the situation and feel in control.

On this episode of Clinical Communication Ben is joined by fellow Physiotherapist & Pain Coach Mathilde Kehler, where they discuss:

(00:00) - Introduction

(02:29) - How Do We Help Patients Understand What A Pain Coach Is?

(13:08) - When Should We Ask About Goals?

(18:28)- What To Do When Someone With Persistent Pain Comes In Wanting A “Fix”

(35:04) - What To Do With Psychosocial Information We Receive

(46:24) - What’s The Future Of Pain Coaching?

You can find Mathilde on LinkedIn and on Instagram @smerteguiden

Her website is:https://smerteguiden.dk/

Live Seminar with Clinical Physio on CBT & Motivational Interviewing:https://www.clinicalphysio.com/cbt-motivational-interviewing/

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Got questions or stories to share? You can send them in toclinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Various evidence exists showing the benefits of injuryprevention programmes for reducing the risk of injury to young athletes, yet uptake in them has not been 100%.

So how can we increase the number of young athletes doingregular injury prevention programmes? And how can we influence coaches and organisations to ensure it is implemented?

In this Ben is joined by Tom Jacbos, who is a Sports &Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, and also a trustee for “Power Up To Play”. A charitable organisation aiming to increase young athlete welfare with injury prevention programmes. On this episode they discuss;

(00:00:00) - Introduction

(00:01:52) - What Made Tom So Interested In InjuryPrevention?

(00:06:43) - Should We Still Call Them Injury PreventionProgrammes?

(00:17:57) – How Do We Help Young Athletes Buy Into InjuryPrevention Programmes?

(00:24:43) – How To Influence Coaches To Implement InjuryPrevention Programmes

(00:35:57) – Do Parents Help or Hinder Buy-In To TheProgrammes?

(00:38:44) – How Do We Influence Larger Organisations?

(00:46:41) – Will Making These Programmes Mandatory Make An Impact?

(00:50:16) – What To Say When Coaches Have Doubts About The Programme

(00:55:00) – Do The Same Principles Apply To Adult Athletes?

(01:02:30) – Tom’s Hardest Clinical Conversation

(01:11:11) – What’s The Future For Injury Prevention Programmes?

(01:14:23) – How To Find Out More About Power Up To Play

You can find more about Power Up To Play here:

https://poweruptoplay.org/

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Got questions or stories to share? Contact clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

The concept of influence, persuasion or even manipulation (psychologically) in clinical practice can seem very uncomfortable to some. Yet it occurs in every interaction we have, whether we intentionally do it or not.

And with the increasing evidence that contextual factors and therapeutic relationships play a large role in patient outcomes, being able to master these could be as important as the assessments we do and treatment plans suggested.

On this episode Ben is joined by Andrew McCauley, Specialist Physiotherapist & Athletic Development Coach where they discuss;

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:24) – Andrew’s 10 Quick Fire Questions

(00:06:19) – What Led Andrew (and Ben) To Be Interested In Cialdini’s Work?

(00:11:39) – What Is Priming & How Have We Used It?

(00:21:21) – Why We Should Not Feel Uncomfortable With The Terms “Influence”, “Persuade” or “Manipulate” As Healthcare Clinicians?

(00:25:50) – Is Influence By Authority Still Effective In Healthcare?

(00:34:12) – Can We Use Scarcity In Healthcare?

(00:39:47) – Is It Ethical To Use Reciprocation With Patients?

(00:45:52) – How Could We Use Social Proof With Patients?

(00:50:48) – Is Being Likeable With Our Patients Enough?

(00:55:15) – How Do We Increase Feelings Of Unity With Our Patients?

(01:02:08) – How To Increase Patient Commitment & Consistency To The Plan

(01:15:01) - Andrew’s Hardest Conversation

(01:24:30) - When Andrew Was Able To Influence A Patient When He Thought He Couldn’t

(01:30:42) - Where To Find Andrew, Therapeutic Conversations Unravelled Podcasts & Unravelling S&C For Therapists

You Can Find Andrew On Social Media:

Instagram: @procaresports

Twitter/X: @mccauleyandrew

As well as on LinkedIn

Therapeutic Conversations Unravelled Podcast (TCUP):

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/4gkQRHkg0EZJ7kOPnlPurC?si=9a4e4a69e51e401a

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/therapeutic-conversations-unravelled-podcast-tcup/id1777788887

Unravelling S&C For Therapists Course:

https://linktr.ee/procaresports

Books Mentioned:

Influence – Robert Cialdini

Presuasion – Robert Cialdini

Grit – Angela Duckworth

Key Person Of Influence  - Daniel Priestly

The Chimp Paradox – Steve Peters

Thinking Fast & Slow – Daniel Kahneman

Atomic Habits – James Clear

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Send Questions or Stories in to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

During the recording of “Clinical Communication” episodes, before guests are asked the deep hard questions, they’re given some easier warm up questions to start with to help them feel comfortable.

These are also recorded though not released at the time, until now.

Some of this content from earlier episodes has been released on social media, but others from recent episodes have been held onto for this special episode, where you will hear:

(00:00) – Introduction

(01:26) Jo Gibson:

Which Rotator Cuff Muscle Is The Heaviest?

How To Build Rapport With Scousers?

(04:18) Nick Lividas:

Weirdest Body Parts People Have Had Steroid Injections

Weirdest Substances Being Injected

Where Are We Currently With Stem Cells?

(14:29) Ian Reilly:

What Is The Future Of Podiatry?

Orthotics in Podiatry

Original Podiatric Theories

Do In-Soles Have To Be Specially Made?

For more, find @BWhybrowPhysio across social media.

Got questions, dilemmas or stories? Send them in to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Many healthcare clinicians can probably identify a bunion or toe deformity, but asked anything more than this by patients and most would get stuck.

So how do we explain what they are, why they’ve occurred and what the management options are in a way the patient can understand?

How do foot surgeons have conversations around surgical options & expectations and explaining risks?

In this episode Ben is joined by Ian Reilly, Consultant Podiatric Surgeon & International Lecturer, where they discuss:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:00:46) – Dad Jokes

(00:02:05) – How Romanian Christmas’s Compare To British

(00:03:50) – What Made Ian Choose Podiatry & Podiatric Surgery?

(00:07:08) – How To Explain What A Bunion Is To A Patient & Why They Have It

(00:13:00) – When Surgery Doesn’t Always Go Well

(00:17:38) – How To Discuss The Risks Of Foot Surgery

(00:21:28) – Shared Decision Making & Informed Consent In Foot Surgery

(00:25:20) – What To Say If They Ask “Will My Bunion Come Back After Surgery?”

(00:28:07) – How To Manage Different Surgical Opinions

(00:30:50) – What To Say If They Ask “How Can I Prevent This Bunion Coming Back?”

(00:33:53) – How To Explain What A Hammer Toe Is To A Patient & Why They Have It

(00:35:58) – What To Say If A Toe Deformity Is Asymptomatic?

(00:39:12) – How To Discuss The Risks Of Toe Deformity Surgery

(00:41:05) – How To Discuss Toe Amputations

(00:51:28) – How Surgeon Communication Skills Have Changed Over The Years

(00:56:10) – Does Better Surgeon-Patient Rapport Lead To Better Outcomes?

(00:58:24) – How To Tell A Patient Surgery Isn’t Appropriate

(01:02:31) – Always Find Out What Your Patient Wants

(01:03:37) – Ian’s Hardest Conversation

(01:12:01) – Ian’s Most Rewarding Surgical Outcomes

(01:16:00) – Outro Discussion & Ian’s Courses

You can find Ian on Social Media here:

X/Twitter: @podsurgery

Instagram: @podsurgeon

YouTube: @IanReillyPodsurgeon

As well as on LinkedIn.

His website is: https://podsurgeon.co.uk/

You can find Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio

More information on Podiatric Surgery Training:

https://rcpod.org.uk/podiatric-surgery/become-a-podiatric-surgeon#:~:text=Qualified%20podiatrists%20undertake%20postgraduate%20training,Podiatric%20Surgery%20(MOPS)%20programme

“Trick or Treatment” Book Mentioned by Simon Singh & Ezard Ernst.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trick-Treatment-Alternative-Medicine-Trial/dp/0552157627

Have questions/situations you want help with or stories you would like to share?

Send them into clinicalcommunication@outlook.com and it may well get read out and answered.

There is currently no general consensus on how to reassure the person in front of you.

But from research so far, what do we know that can make reassurance more effective?

In these situations knowing WHAT to say is particularly important, but as is knowing HOW & WHEN to say it.

All of which is covered in this episode in just over 10 mins.

Find this useful?

Then please share it with others & subscribe.

Got questions or stories to share?

Send them in to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Further Reading:

Reassurance for patients with non-specific conditions - Traeger et al (2017)

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5537438/pdf/main.pdf

Cognitive and affective reassurance and patient outcomes in primary care: a systematic review

Pincus et al (2013)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23872104/

Our biggest learning moments are not from our successes, but from our failures.

Today I'm giving 3 examples of when my communication skills failed and I couldn't help the person in front of me.

Plus, more importantly the important lesson I took from them, which had nothing to do with words, language or tone of voice.

Whilst this podcast can tell you how to improve your clinical communication skills, we practice in reality and things don't always go to plan, however much experience you have.

But hopefully next time you do face a difficult conversation, belief to manage or behaviour to change, it may go a bit easier after listening to this.

For more, follow @BWhybrowPhysio on Social Media.

Got questions, stories or episode suggestions to send in?

Email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

And subscribe.

Breaking Bad News to patients can be some of the most difficult conversations clinicians can have . It encompasses a lot more than just palliative care and cancer and is something many clinicians will have to do, regardless of their speciality.

Yet there is little easily available guidance on how to go about it outside of basic medical training.

There is a way we can have these conversations that can make it easier for both patient and clinician. Which is the topic of this episode.

Book Mentioned:

Breaking Bad News: A Ten Step Approach - Peter Kaye

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Find this useful? - Please share and subscribe.

Got questions, stories to share or guest suggestions? - Send it in to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Everyday healthcare clinicians around the world set out to improve the health of their patients by suggesting habits that the patients can adopt to improve their wellbeing.

And whilst it is important for the people we see to feel motivated to change, there a certain ways we can suggest these habits occur that will make them more likely to stick.

This episode does not consider every aspect of habit formation, but areas covered include; location, timing, environment, routine, monitoring and rewards.

Find this useful?

Please do share & subscribe.

You can also send in questions and stories to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Ben is on social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Reading suggested:

Atomic Habits - James Clear

Millions of people around the world regularly run for exercise and pleasure and become the identity of a runner.

Yet when they need help from a healthcare clinician, some unique conversational challenges can occur with this patient group.

On this episode Ben is joined by Matt Phillips, Sports Therapist and creator of Run Chat Live, where they discuss:

(00:00) - Intro

(00:51) - The Down Side Of Completing A Marathon

(04:26) - Do Runners Have A Different Mentality?

(08:54) - How To Support Someone To Reduce Their Running

(12:86) – How To Encourage Other Forms Of Training

(21:50) – Symptom Modification For Runners

(24:44) – Myth Busting With Runners (And How Not To Do It)

(33:59) – Not Everyone Wants To Be Involved In SharedDecision Making

(39:51) – Matt’s Hardest Clinical Conversation

(43:15) – One Of Matts Greatest Running Patient Achievements

(46:59) – Run Chat Live, Sports Therapy Association Podcast& Matt’s Course

You can find Matt across social media @runchatlive

Link for “Gait Analysis for Runners” course:

https://thestschool.co.uk/gait-analysis-course-dates/

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Send in questions, stories or suggestions to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

And please subscribe & share 😊

Many clinicians find discussing weight with the person infront of them daunting, and yet weight can have a significant impact on multiple conditions and outcomes.

How do we raise the subject without offending them?

What should we say (or not say)?

In this episode Ben is joined by Ben Steele-Turner, Physiotherapist with an Msc in Human Nutrition and ongoing with a PhD into how Physiotherapists can better support weight management in people with osteoarthritis.

In this episode they cover:

(00:00:00) - Intro(00:02:26) - How do we raise the subject of weight management when patients don’t initiate it?(00:09:51) - Are there certain terms we should avoid when discussing weight management?

(00:18:44) – Should we ask them about what foods they eat?(00:28:50) - How to respond when someone claims to be eating healthy but they are living with overweight?(00:36:39) - What to say when they ask “can’t I just have the weight loss injection?”(00:42:51) - How has Rory Sutherland influenced your practice & PhD?(00:45:36) - Lessons from Uber That We Can Apply To Healthcare(00:53:56) - The Doorman Fallacy & Cost Cutting

(01:12:29) - Ben’s hardest conversation

(01:17:31) – When Weight Management For Knee OA Goes Right

The study mentioned:

 Commitments, norms and custard creams – a social influence approach to reducing did not attends (DNAs): Martin, Bassi & Dunbar-Rees (2012).

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3308641/

You can find Ben Steele-Turner on Instagram & LinkedIn: @physiutrition

You can find host Ben Whybrow across social media: @BWhybrowPhysio

Got questions, stories or suggestions? – Send them in to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

And finally, please do Share & Subscribe. 

Menstrual cycles are considered the fifth vital sign for awomans health and can have an impact on functions all over the body. Yet many clinicians may feel uncomfortable discussing the topic with the person in front of them, with little guidance on how and when to raise the subject.

Until Now.

On this episode Ben is joined by Michelle Lyons, SpecialistPhysiotherapist and Lecturer in Pelvic and Women’s Health. In this episode they discuss;

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:39) - How do we raise the topic of menstrual cycles when the patient hasn’t?
(17:35) - What if they’re on contraception and don’t know their period health?

(20:40) – How to raise the topic of bowel health
(23:07) - How do we encourage women to track their periods?
(29:40) - What if they come from a culture where menstrual health isn’t regularly discussed?

(32:10) – Being aware of iron deficiency anaemia
(35:00) – Michelle’s hardest clinical conversation

(40:32) – The impact of lifestyle factors on menstrual health

(42:50) – Michelle’s Podcast & Courses

You can find Michelle on social media:

Instagram: michellelyons_muliebrity

X/Twitter: @ml_muliebrity

And on LinkedIn

Her Podcast is: Celebrate Muliebrity

Her Website with Courses is: https://celebratemuliebrity.com/

You can find Ben across social media: @BWhybrowPhysio

Please Share & Subscribe

You can send in questions, stories or suggestions to: clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

During every guest interview extra questions are asked at the beginning before the main episode to help get the conversation started. Whilst these are not released at the time, they are recorded and add value, and now bonus content from recent guests is ready to be released.

This bonus content episode involves:

(00:00) – Introduction

Matt Wedderburn

(00:44) - When & How To Ask ICE Questions

(05:30) - Should We Bother To Use The Body Chart When Time Is Limited?

Ben Steele-Turner

(08:28) - Achieving Buy-In For Weight Management For KneeOsteoarthritis

(11:29) - How To Make Weight Management Plans That Last

Mathilde Kehler

(23:52) - What Kind Of Person Could Make A Good Pain Coach?

Tom Jacobs

(30:38) - What Does A Professional Team “Injury Prevention”Warm Up Look Like?

(31:57) - Ben’s Experience Working In Sport

(35:56) - Unique Injury Prevention Warm Ups

(41:08) - Is There Still A Role For Screening In InjuryPrevention?

Matt Phillips

(44:08) - Which Is The Least Competitive Running Event?

You can find Ben across Social Media: @BWhybrowPhysio

Send in Questions, Stories & Suggestions to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

First Contact Practitioners/Physiotherapists have been an evolving role for over the past five years, with it becoming a role that more senior clinicians are going into.

Yet with this new role comes new challenges; time limitations, more diagnostic uncertainty and different expectations from both patients and other clinicians.

In this episode Ben is joined by Matt Wedderburn, First Contact Physiotherapist and creator of “Primary Care MSK” which provides musculoskeletal educational training to primary care services.

In this episode they cover:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:05) - How should we explain to the patient what an FCP is?
(03:30) - How should we explain to other medical professionals what the role of FCP is?
(09:30) - How do we manage those 20 mins without the patient feeling rushed?
(19:29) - How should we discuss uncertainty in primary care with the person in front of us?

(21:42) – Reassurance in FCP
(24:00) - What if they want to see a GP instead?
(28:55) - Your hardest clinical conversation
(36:40) - What is the future for FCPs?

You can find Primary Care MSK on social media @PrimaryCareMSK

Their website is https://www.primarycaremsk.co.uk/

Matt is on LinkedIn

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Do send in Questions, Stories & Suggestions toclinicalcommunication@outlook.com

And please Share & Subscribe.

Every clinician is asked to deliver some teaching orpresentation throughout their career, whether this is to groups of patients, students or colleagues. Yet hardly any of us receive any formal teaching training.

We’ve all attended talks which seemed interesting on thesurface, but failed to engage us.

So how do we avoid making the same mistake?

On this episode Ben is joined by Kate Purcell, AdvancedPractice Physiotherapist, former lecturer and with fellowship to the Higher Education Academy.

In this episode they cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:03:10) - Should We Teach Patients, Students Or CliniciansDifferently?

(00:13:17) - What Does “Meta-Cognition” Mean?

(00:16:46) - How Can We Make Reflecting More Appealing?

(00:21:56) - People Remember Emotional Moments Over Facts

(00:27:05) - Are There Still Different Types Of Learners& Should We Accommodate To Them?

(00:29:37) - How Do We Manage Different Learning Types OfLearners In A Group?

(00:40:19) - Are Case Studies Taking Over Healthcare Education?

(00:44:25) - Does Chunk & Check When Explaining Apply ToGroups?

(00:48:01) - Ben & Kate’s In-Service Training Pet Peeves

(00:49:40) - Could AI Make Us Less Critical Thinkers?

(00:59:12) - Kate’s Hardest Teaching Conversations

(01:03:13) - How We Can Build Rapport & Trust With The Group In Front Of Us

(01:07:10) - Empowering Learners

(01:09:01) - Kate’s Extra Thoughts

You can find Kate on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter@k8purcellphysio

Her website is: physiotherapytutor.com

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio or by emailing clinicalcommunication@outlook.com 

Please Share & Subscribe

Clinicians are often encouraged to take on a coaching,rather than fixing, role when working with patients. There’s lots of resources now available on how to do this, yet for some, this may be a new and challenging concept.

Plus, some unanswered questions still exist;

What if the patient doesn’t want to be coached?

What if I ask the wrong questions?

Am I still providing value if the patient solves their ownproblem?

On this episode Ben is joined by Jo Turner, Professionally Certified Coach with the ICF & Physiotherapist, where they discuss:

(00:00)- Introduction

(02:25) - Can Questions Be Too Open?

(05:28) - Can We Ask Too Many Questions?

(12:29) - Should “What Matters Most To You In All Of This?” Be A Routine Question?

(17:42) - How Can Clinicians Feel More Comfortable Taking A Coaching Rather Than Fixing Approach?

(23:59) – Can We Alter Our Environment To Become More Of A Coach?

(25:18) – Not Every Patient Wants To Be Coached

(27:38) - How Do We Get To The Real Problem, Not Just The First Mentioned?

(31:43) - Can We Be Too “Passive” When Coaching?

(34:45) – Questions To Ask At The End Of An Appointment

(38:40) - Jo’s hardest clinical (or coaching) conversations

(42:54) – Mentoring vs Coaching

(44:34)- What’s the future of coaching?

You can find Jo Turner on LinkedIn or on “MeHub” onFacebook.

Link for “Coaching Unpeeled” Course:

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mehab/1520869

You can find “YouMatter” wherever you get your podcasts.

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Do send in question, stories or suggestions to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Many men can be affected by pelvic pain and related conditions but often find it hard to talk about it, with clinicians at times not always knowing what to say.

In this episode Ben is joined by Bill Taylor who is a Specialist Physiotherapist & Teacher in Male Pelvic Pain. In this episode they discuss;

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:00:44) – How To Start The Male Pelvic Pain Conversation

(00:21:03) – How To Ask Deep Difficult Questions

(00:33:18) – How To Encourage Men To Open Up About Their Pelvic Dilemmas

(00:54:56) – The Downside Of Prostate Cancer Treatment

(01:03:45) – Bill’s Hardest Conversations

(01:18:30) – Bill’s Male Pelvic Pain Mission

You can find Bill on LinkedIn, Facebook & Instagram@billtaylor3311

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

You can send in questions, stories & suggestions to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Please Share & Subscribe

Resistance and strength training is often highly recommended for the management of many conditions affecting older adults, with many guidelines and recommendations available.

Yet many barriers can get in the way, whether they’re physical, psychological or something else.

In this episode Ben is joined by Physiotherapist & Author of “Never Too Old To Lift” Chris Tiley, where they discuss:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:08) - How To Manage The Situation Where A Family Member Is Protecting The Patient?

(05:40) - How Can We Help An Older Person Understand The Benefits And Risks Of Lifting?

(09:05) - The Benefits Of Groups

(12:46) - Is There Anything Communication Wise You Wouldn’t Do With An Older Adult, That You May Do With Someone Younger?

(15:35) - How To Get An Older Person Motivated To Lift, WhenThey Appear To Have Given Up?

(24:02) - What About If They Need To Slow Down?

(30:40) - What Does Chris Wish He Knew About Writing A Book Before He Wrote It?

(33:50) - How To Manage Limiting Beliefs In Older Age

(40:48) – How Stories Help With Buy-In

(43:49) - The Effect Greg Lehmans Course Had On Chris

(48:22) - Never Too Old To Lift Website & Podcast

You can find Chris on LinkedIn & Instagram@nevertoooldtolift

His website mentioned is: www.nevertoooldtolift.com

His Podcast, Facebook & YouTube Channel is “Never TooOld To Lift”

Chris’s Therapy Expo Talk: https://youtu.be/53r1Ly0lUpM

Upcoming Greg Lehman Course: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/reconcilingbiomechanicswithpainscience/1496927

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio or by emailing clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Please Share & Subscribe 

Plenty of podcast, articles, videos and other resources talk through the words and analogies we can say to help someone understand their pain.

This can give clinicians the right words to say, but they may still have no effect, as it is not just knowing WHAT to say, but knowing WHEN and HOW to say it.

This episode is the audio from a recent webinar I have given called "Advanced Pain Communication".

Want to have this or something similar delivered live to you or your team?

Want to see the video version of this episode with slides?

You can message Ben on X, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube @BWhybrowPhysio

Or email clinicalcommuncation@outlook.com

And please Share & Subscribe.

It is well known that the more perceived expertise andcompetence we have in someone, the more likely we are to trust them and have a better outcome.

This is great if you are a clinician with extensive expertisein a certain area, though not all of us are. But there are ways we can sound like an expert to achieve the same results without being disingenuous. Which is the topic of this short episode.

Find this useful? Then do share & subscribe.

You can follow Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Mark Kargela’s Pain Management OS Course :

https://pages.modernpaincare.com/painprogram?redirect_from=podpage

Therapy Live Pain Masterclass:

https://www.physio-matters.com/Pain25/

How To Reassure Patients with Ian Cowell

Reassurance is included in clinical practice guidelines acrosshealthcare and is usually a part of any assessment. Yet, very little research and guidance existed on how to go about doing it.

But there has been recent new research that suggests whatdoes (and doesn’t) work when trying to reassure those with chronic low back pain, which could be applied across many other conditions.

On this episode Ben is joined by the lead author Ian Cowell.Clinician, Educator & Researcher with the Evolve Pain Academy/Cognitive Functional Therapy group. Where they discuss;

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:00:51) - Reaction To Ian’s New Published Paper

(00:03:00) - Why Hasn’t There Been Much Published OnReassurance?

(00:05:07) - Where Did Attempted Reassurance Go Wrong?

(00:07:37) - Asking or Responding To Concerns

(00:20:33) - The Importance Of Non-Verbal Communication

(00:21:54) - What Allowed Reassurance To Go Well

(00:29:58) - Using Behavioural Experiments For Reassurance

(00:38:03) - Managing Patient Beliefs

(00:42:07) - What To Do When Behavioural Experiments Don’t Go To Plan

(00:44:27) - What Cues Did Clinicians Miss?

(00:53:13) - Who Doesn’t Cognitive Functional Therapy Work For?

(00:58:15)- Is Persistent Pain Research Becoming MorePositive?

(01:00:39) - Ian’s Hardest Clinical Conversations

(01:05:07) - Could This All Be Applied Across Healthcare InGeneral?

Ian’s New Reassurance Paper:

“A Detailed Analysis of How Physiotherapists "Give" Reassurance for Patients' Concerns in Back Pain Consultations” – Cowell et al (2025).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40455078/

Also Read:

“How do physiotherapists solicit and explore patients'concerns in back pain consultations: a conversation analytic approach” – Cowell et al (2021)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31392911/

You can find Ian on X/Twitter @brookphysio & LinkedIn

Evolve Pain Care Academy: https://evoolvepaincare.academy/

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

You can send emails to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Please share & subscribe.

More resources are becoming available on how to supportthose with persistent pain, yet challenging conversations can still occur, especially when someone is still going through a medical journey and expectations are still uncertain.

This episode is a recording between Ben and Dr Mark Kargela, Specialist Physical Therapist in Persistent Pain, on Mark’s “Modern Pain Podcast” where they discuss:

(00:00) – Introduction

(05:42) – How Communication Knowledge Has Evolved Over Time

(11:26) – Guided Discovery & Open Questions

(23:32) – Managing Diagnostic Uncertainty

(32:28) – Managing “Fix” Expectations

(38:49) – Best Ways To Develop These Skills

(45:46) – The Future Of “Explain Pain”

Pain Programme Link:

https://pages.modernpaincare.com/painprogram

You can find Mark across social media @modernpaincare

His Website: www.modernpaincare.com   

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Do Share & Subscribe