Explore every episode of the podcast Clinical Communication

Discussing degenerative meniscal tears with patients can be particularly tricky. They sound scary, are quite common and don’t often come with an easy solution.

Thankfully on this episode I am joined by Khalid Maidan from Clinical Physio, who himself is a Knee Specialist Physio where we discuss:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:20) – Why Is The Meniscus The Bridesmaid To The ACL?

(02:40) – The Limits Of Meniscal Objective Tests

(03:47) – Analogies For Degenerative Meniscal Tears & Nocebic Messaging

(10:30) – Discussing Scan Results & Management Options

(22:50) – Does Saying There Is No Suitable Surgery Help With Rehab Buy-In?

(29:55) – Knowing When To Feedback Scan Results & Options

(33:40) – Where To Find More

You can find Khalid on LinkedIn, plus Clinical Physio on Instagram @clinicalphysio or https://www.clinicalphysio.com/

For more details on the Clinical Communication Course you can find Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram @bwhybrowphysio or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Communicating well with the person in front of you can be tricky in a calm clinical environment at times. But how do we manage when the environment you’re in becomes more challenging?

Whether that’s in extreme environments up mountains, in jungles, deserts or space. Or with a camera crew filming your every move. Or if it’s the middle of the night and you’re exhausted from being awake for over 18 hours.

On this episode I am joined by Dr Will Duffin who; is a doctor working across primary and urgent care services, is the joint medical director of World Extreme Medicine, is an on-screen medical doctor for “Survivor”, and a whole lot more, where we discuss:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:47) – What Is Extreme Medicine & How Will Got Into It

(08:47) – Wills Experience As An On-Screen Reality TV Doctor On Survivor

(11:47) – How To Stay & Exude Calm Under Pressure

(23:07) – How To Manage Unsafe Expectations

(37:37) – The Importance Of Using Simulations

(42:57) – How To Communicate Well When Tired

(45:42) – Where To Find Out More About Will & Extreme Medicine

(47:15) – Would Will Consider Space Medicine?

(49:37) – How AI Will Change Extreme Medicine

You can find Will on LinkedIn & Instagram @the.extreme.medic

His website is www.drwillduffin.com

You can find out more about Extreme Medicine here www.worldextrememedicine.com  

You can see Ben at the North East Musculoskeletal Society (NEMS) Conference on Saturday 19th of September in Durham.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

For more details on the Clinical Communication Course you can find Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram @bwhybrowphysio or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Welcome to this new type of episode where I take other clinicians communication queries and discus them to help fellow clinicians with similar dilemmas. If you’ve got questions that you’d like help with (and are happy to be recorded) then do let me know!

On this episode I am joined by Luka who is a Physiotherapist originally from Croatia and now working in the Switzerland, we discuss:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:06) – When To Speak Formally & Informally

(00:08:33) – How To Manage Patient Nocebic Beliefs & Distress

(00:30:30) – How To Give Realistic Hope & Visual Explanations

(00:36:06) – WIIFM

(00:40:00) – Explaining Pain Without Causing Upset

(00:54:20) – How To Discuss Sleep

You can see Ben at the North East Musculoskeletal Society (NEMS) Conference on Saturday 19th of September in Durham.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

If you’d like to take part in an episode or know more you can find Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram @bwhybrowphysio or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

You can find Luka on Instagram @lukapavlinoviclb

“Explaining Pain” has evolved over the past decade and has become almost a common part of clinical practice. Whilst this can be done individually, discussing it to an audience comes with its own challenges and requires a different approach.

On this episode I am joined by Professor Cormac Ryan from Teeside University & Flippin Pain where we discuss:

(00:00:00) – Do More People “Get” Chronic Pain Now?

(00:10:30) – The Importance Of Stories In Explaining Pain

(00:24:10) – The Value Of Humour

(00:36:10) – The Importance Of Practising Talks

(00:41:30) – Cormac’s Fun Fact Introductions

(00:52:15) – The Power Of Lived Experience Input & Feedback

(01:09:55) – Ben & Cormac at the NEMS Conference

The Flippin Pain website is here: https://www.flippinpain.co.uk/

They can be found across social media & YouTube.

You can see Ben & Cormac at the North East Musculoskeletal Society (NEMS) Conference on Saturday 19th of September in Durham.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

You can find Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram @bwhybrowphysioor email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Welcome to this new type of episode where I take other clinicians communication queries and discus them to help fellow clinicians with similar dilemmas. If you’ve got questions that you’d like help with (and are happy to be recorded) then do let me know!

On this episode I am joined by Suki, who is a Physiotherapist originally from Serbia and now working in the USA, we discuss:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:02:07) – Can We Use Clinical White Lies? & Cultural Differences

(00:18:30) – How To Manage Cultural Expectations For Passive Treatment

(00:24:00) – Chunking & Checking

(00:24:46) – Where’s The Line Between A Simple Explanation And A Lie?

(200:8:30) – Addressing Difficult Beliefs

(00:34:30) – Should Clinical Discussions Change If Patients Want The Blunt Truth

(00:40:30) – Saying “I Don’t Know” In Practice

(00:43:50) – Reframing Pain Without Upsetting The Patient

(00:59:15) – What Words Has Ben Removed From Explanations

(01:04:30) – How Much Uncertainty Can We Show Before Losing Patient Confidence?

(01:06:00) – How To Stay Calm When Saying “I Don’t Know”

(01:09:50) – How Much Credit Should Clinicians Claim When Patients Improve?

(01:12:35) – How To Explain To Someone Why They Got Better

(01:15:30) - Reflections

You can see Ben at the North East Musculoskeletal Society(NEMS) Conference on Saturday 19th of September in Durham.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

If you’d like to take part in an episode or know more youcan find Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram @bwhybrowphysio or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Welcome to this new type of episode where I take other clinicians communication queries and discus them to help fellow clinicians with similar dilemmas. If you’ve got a query that you’d like help with (and are happy to be recorded) then do let me know!

On this episode I am joined by Carol who is a soft tissuetherapist and personal trainer to discuss the following queries:

(00:00) – Introduction

(03:40) – What Is Info Dumping?

(06:35) – Controlling The Need To Correct Every Belief

(14:35) – Managing Catastrophising Beliefs

(20:10) – Knowing When To Discuss Beliefs

(41:22) – Carol’s Hardest Conversations

You can see Ben at the North East Musculoskeletal Society(NEMS) Conference on Saturday 19th of September in Durham.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

If you’d like to take part in an episode or know more youcan find Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram @bwhybrowphysio or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

This is a different episode to usual, as for the first time ever rather than a clinician I am joined by someone with a very rare condition.

On this episode I am joined by Jen who has a diagnosis of thevery rare painful neurovascular condition Erythromelalgia and reached out to me to arrange this episode where we discuss:

(00:00:00) – What Is Erythromelalgia?

(00:02:08) – How It Feels Having A Very Rare Condition

(00:04:38) – Jen’s Journey Before & After Diagnosis

(00:43:50) – What Jen Would Have Changed About Her Journey

(00:51:40) – What Were The Best Conversations Jen Had

You can see Ben at the North East Musculoskeletal Society(NEMS) Conference on Saturday 19th of September in Durham.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

You can find Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram @bwhybrowphysioor email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

You can contact Ben on the above if you’d like to speak withJen

Conversations with young athletes and their parents can lead to a range of difficult topics related to recovery, performance or even changing sport entirely.

On this episode Ben is joined by Angela Jackson, YoungAthlete Consultant Physiotherapist, where they discuss:

(00:00:00) – How To Motivate Teenagers

(00:04:20) – At What Ages Can Sport Become More Serious ForKids?

(00:11:07) – How To Discuss Expectations For Late Development

(00:14:20) – Childrens & Parents Reactions To RecoveryExpectations

(00:21:50) – Ages That Children Can Grasp Complex Ideas

(00:24:05) – Managing Different Parent & Child Interests

(00:29:40) – Encouraging Choice With Children

(00:31:34) – Knowing How Much To Involve The Parent

(00:33:40) – How To Manage Interrupting Parents

(00:37:03) – Managing Fear Of Not Being Able To Return To Play

(00:47:16) – Breaking News Of Recovery Time

(00:55:40) – Angie’s Hardest Clinical Conversation

(01:02:30) – The Future Of Conversations With Young Athletes

You can see both Ben & Angie at the North East MusculoskeletalSociety (NEMS) Conference on Saturday 19th of September in Durham.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

You can find Angie on LinkedIn and Instagram @angiejphysio

Her website for all resources and courses is: https://kidsback2sport.com/

You can find Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram @bwhybrowphysio

Experiences are often much more powerful for influencing beliefs and understanding that words and descriptions.

Behavioural experiments give you an option to achieve this.

But what does this mean?

How should we go about doing them?

This brief episode covers how.

You can see Ben at:

North East Musculoskeletal Society (NEMS) Conference

Durham - Saturday September 19th 2026

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

Therapy Show

Birmingham - Wednesday November 25th 2026

https://www.therapyshow.co.uk/

Most clinicians are in the business of behaviour change,whether that’s with patients or members of staff. A task that often sounds easy, but can be very difficult at times.

But what really changes behaviour?

Do previous theories need to change with evolving evidence?

On this episode Ben is joined by Orla O’Doherty, Behaviour Change Specialist & Educator where they discuss:

(00:00) – Do We Have Too Many Behaviour Change Experts?

(02:20) – The Lack Of Evidence For The Stages Of ChangeModel

(07:21) – Evidence Based Behaviour Change Models

(10:15) – Do We Rely On Motivation To Change Behaviour Too Much?

(12:58) – Can We Overcomplicate Behaviour Change?

(17:23) – Making Habit Plans & Behavioural Goals

(21:58) – Why Have Habits Not Gained As Much Interest Clinically?

(26:52) – Starting vs Maintaining Behaviour

(30:21) – Orla’s Hardest Clinical Conversations

(33:16) – When It’s Not The Right Time To Discuss BehaviourChange

(36:41) – The Future Of Behaviour Change

(41:20) – Where To Find Orla

You can find Orla on LinkedIn & Instagram @thecliniccoach

Her website is: cliniccoach.co.uk

Stages Of Change Paper Mentioned:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01139.x

EAST Framework:

https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/management/east-framework

COM-B Framework:

https://www.com-b.org/

You can find Ben on LinkedIn or Instagram @bwhybrowphysio

You can email in questions to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

What can make explanations more memorable?

How do you ensure the person in front of you has understood it as you intentioned?

When is the right time to explain?

This is a different episode to usual as it is a recording from a recent episode of The STA Clinician podcast with Matt Phillips and myself where we are talking all about explanations and more, including:

(00:00) - Introduction

(08:45) – The Validating Aspect Of Diagnosis

(13:33) – The Key First Steps

(21:19) – The Importance of Timing Explanations

(25:45) – Keeping Explanations Simple & Relatable

(37:02) – Checking Understanding

(45:17) – Explanations & Neurodiversity

(47:34) – Most Memorable Clinical Communication Episodes

You can find Matt Phillips across various social media sites @mattphillipsedu

The STA Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts.

You can find Ben on LinkenIn or Instagram @BWhybrowPhysio

You can email in to clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Last year, one of the most downloaded episodes was not on communicating about a specific condition or approach, but on how to teach. Something all clinicians have to do but often receive little to no training on how to do it.

Cleary there was an appetite for this topic, so we’ve recorded a part two!

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

Where they discuss:

(00:00) – Was Kate Surprised How Successful Our Last EpisodeWas?

(04:40) – Learning From Doing

(08:05) – Does The Patient Need To Want To Learn?

(10:36) – Creating Psychological Safety In Learning

(17:28) – How To Teach When They Don’t Agree

(29:23) – How To Discuss Uncertainty

(35:19) – Does Knowing About Medical Bias Change Practice?

(38:00) – Should Teaching Change With Social Media?

(44:33) – What If Someone Wants To Record?

(48:24) – Making Learning More Visible In Practice

(53:14) – Should Practice Guidelines Be More Specific OnEducation

You can find Kate Purcell on X & LinkedIn

You can find Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Where you can see Ben:

North East Musculoskeletal Society Conference – September19th, Durham

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

Therapy Show – November 25th, Birmingham

https://www.therapyshow.co.uk/

We often consider high level performers as those that work in sports or entertainment, but there's another group of high level performers who you may come across everyday, which is those in the corporate world.

This group comes with their own unique challenges such as; working demands, knowledge level and additional access to manage their own expectations.

On this episode Ben is joined Susan Julians, writer for MSKMag and who specialises in treating this group of high performers where they discuss:

(00:00) – How Sue Ended Up Working With Corporate Clients

(04:40) – Demands Of Working In A High Level CorporateEnvironment

(10:06) – Personality Types In Corporate Environments

(12:50) – Can You Tell Them To Slow Down?

(18:35) – Do They Prioritise Work Over Health?

(19:48) – Business Influencers & Fitness

(21:12) – Managing Expectations

(22:45) – Do They Need A More Direct Communication Approrach?

(27:12) – What If Things Go Too Far With Work Demands?

(29:45) – Managing Expectations When Conditions Don’tQuickly Improve

(35:22) – Fitting Rehab Plans Into Their Life

(38:15) – Does Upbringing Influence Interest To Work In TheCorporate World

(40:33) – Should We Ask About Them Changing Jobs?

(43:22) – Where To Find Sue

(44:28) – Does Technical Testing Equipment Help With Buy-In?

(45:24) – How Will The Corporate Workforce Change In The Future?

You can find Susan Julians on LinkedIn

You can find Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio oremail clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Where you can see Ben:

North East Musculoskeletal Society Conference – September 19th, Durham

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

Therapy Show – November 25th, Birmingham

https://www.therapyshow.co.uk/

Being a supportive clinician and team player can lead tomany benefits across services, but are there downsides if we become too nice?

Could less evidence-based care go unchallenged?

Could avoiding conflict mean patients don’t get the rightmessage?

On this episode Ben is joined by fellow Physio and recent MSKMag writer James Horner where they discuss:

(00:00) – Are Physios Too Nice?

(01:50) – James’s Journey Of Discovery

(07:08) – The Downsides Of Being Nice

(11:06) – How The MSKMag Article Came To Fruition

(13:45) – Has James Changed After Writing It?

(16:34) – When You Have To Be Blunt As A Clinician

(20:33) – The Harms Of Being Too Nice To Patients

(24:50) – Should We Change Training/Teaching?

(26:16) – Addressing Uncertainty & Clinical Supervision

(33:12) – Regression To The Mean

(42:22) – Key Takeaways & Where To Find James

You can find James on LinkedIn or Instagram @thenerdypshyio

You can find him on The Physio Pulse Podcast.

You can find Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio oremail clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Where you can see Ben:

Widespread Pain Differentials with Clinical Physio, May 20thOnline 7:30pm UK time

https://www.clinicalphysio.com/live-webinars/

North East Musculoskeletal Society Conference – September 19th, Durham

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

Therapy Show – November 25th, Birmingham

https://www.therapyshow.co.uk/

An aspect of clinical practice we can often take for granted is informing patients about "normal" imaging findings.

Just say it's alright, reassure and move on right?

Yet this is a conversation that they've waited a long time for and needs to be taken seriously.

This brief episode gives some suggestions on how to go about it.

You can find Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio orEmail clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Where you can see Ben:

Widespread Pain Differentials with Clinical Physio, May 21stOnline 7:30pm UK time

https://www.clinicalphysio.com/live-webinars/

North East Musculoskeletal Society Conference – September 19th, Durham

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

Therapy Show – November 25th, Birmingham

https://www.therapyshow.co.uk/

Do share & subscribe.

This may come as a surprise, but one of my biggest passionsthroughout life has been professional wrestling, and as we are in the week of Wrestlemania 42 I’ve got THE Physio for British Wrestling, Big John Rehab, to talk through how to communicate with professional wrestler patients as well as athletes in general.

We discuss:

(00:00:00) – What Drew John Towards Wrestling

(00:03:25) – When Did He Start Treating Wrestlers As A Clinician?

(00:06:35) – The Importance Of Knowing Your Sport

(00:10:56) – The Importance Of Adapting The Conversation ToThe Environment

(00:12:20) – John’s Journey In Basketball

(00:15:19) – Do Wrestler’s Have A Certain Personality Type

(00:16:30) – Does Communication Change With Famous Athletes

(00:20:35) – How To Tell Wrestlers When They Shouldn’tWrestle

(00:22:57) – Do Wrestlers Hide Injuries?

(00:26:07) – How To Have Discussions With Wrestlers On Adapting Their Style

(00:31:52) – Are Audiences More Dubious About Real Injuries?

(00:32:51) – John’s Hardest Clinical Conversations

(00:40:51) – Advice To Clinicians On Social Media

(00:48:01) – John & Ben’s Wrestlemania 42 Predictions

You can find Big John on Instagram @bigjohnrehab or onLinkedIn

You can find Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio oremail clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Where you can see Ben:

Upcoming Free Webinar with Modern Pain Care, April 25th

https://modernpaincare.com/webinar

North East Musculoskeletal Society Conference – September 19th, Durham.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

Therapy Show – November 25th, Birmingham

https://www.therapyshow.co.uk/

The person in front of you will form an impression and judgement about you within the first few seconds and minutes of meeting you that is then hard to change, so it's important to get right.

Starting a consultation or discussion is something not often talked about, so this episode talks through a few steps to help it go smoother and build rapport & trust quicker.

Upcoming Free Webinar with Modern Pain Care, April 25th

https://modernpaincare.com/webinar

Where you can see Ben:

North East Musculoskeletal Society Conference – September 19th, Durham

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-musculoskeletal-conference-2026-tickets-1981008464645

Therapy Show – November 25th, Birmingham

https://www.therapyshow.co.uk/

You can find Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio oremail clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

With growing awareness and diagnosis rates, neurodiversity is becoming a very talked about topic and coming up more and more in healthcare conversations. How could we better support those with neurodiversity? Should you ask someone if they have the diagnosis? Will criteria be changing over time?

On this episode Ben is joined by Rosi Sexton, Osteopath,Podcast Host, Former MMA athlete and Neurodiversity advocate. Where they discuss:

(00:00:00) – Rosi’s Journey With Neurodiversity

(00:06:50) – Diagnosis Of Neurodiversity In Females

(00:09:15) – Future Of Neurodiversity Diagnostic Criteria

(00:10:55) – Is Anyone Neurotypical?

(00:14:25) – Will What We Define As Neurodiverse Change WithTime?

(00:16:30) – When Neurodiversity Doesn’t Fit Into A System

(00:33:06) – How Can We Help Those With Neurodiversity?

(00:41:00) – Different Communication Responses In Neurodiversity

(00:49:05) – Should We Routinely Ask Patients If They AreNeurodiverse?

(00:54:00) – How A Clinical Environment Can Support ThoseWith Neurodiversity

(01:01:55) – Neurodiversity & Hypermobility

(01:10:00) – Different Neurodiversity Communication Styles

(01:21:30) – Next Steps For Supporting Neurodiversity

(01:31:00) – Rosi’s Hardest Conversation

You can find Rosi on Instagram @rosisexton & LinkedIn, her clinic is Olton Health & Performance.

Her podcast is “Everyday Athlete” available wherever you getpodcasts.

And keep an eye out for Neuroflect coming out later this year.

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

There was big news last week, after months of suspicion and anticipation I have produced and released the worlds first guide that clinicans can use in practice to help with differential diagnosis of chronic widespread pain.

This brief episode is the story of how the concept was created, how it was developed and what feedback has been so far.

The most of important thing you can do today is download it from the link below, try it in real life and then let me know how it goes!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cKCprTQeGFnHnlx9W8hX4jqxLnKKome5/view?usp=sharing

You can do this either by messaging me on social media @BWhybrowPhysio or via email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Behaviour change conversations can be tricky, but one part most at risk of going wrong and derailing the conversation is raising the topic of the behaviour itself, especially if the person in front of you isn't expecting it.

How can we do this without getting shut down or disrupting any existing relationship, and then how can we get an idea of whether they're willing or able to change right now?

This episode covers this in 3 simple steps.

Want to know more?

You can follow Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

For questions, courses or mentoring, email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Many clinicians deliver talks or presentations around the world every day - yet the vast majority leave a lot to be desired.

This episode may sound like a rant,

But it is really a blueprint on how to deliver a presentation or talk that those in attendance will actually engage with, remember and implement afterwards.

The suggestions are simple, but even if you do just one or two of them, you will easily elevate your future talks or presentations beyond the rest

For more info on Pain Practice OS click here:

https://pages.modernpaincare.com/painprogram

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Do Share & Subscribe!

Body language is often stated to have the biggest impact on communication in conversations compared to the words spoken and tone used.

Yet not as much attention and clinical research has beendirected to this area.

And whilst the evidence is still evolving, there are some essentials that are relevant to all clinicians that have a significant impact on the outcomes of the conversation and are covered in this episode.

You can follow Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Do Share & Subscribe!

Clinical conversations with older adults come with their ownset of potential challenges.

How to manage time where there could be multiple issues to cover?

How to keep the conversation on track?

How to involve relatives appropriately?

In this episode Ben is joined by Dr Dipti Samani, ConsultantGeriatrician & Medical Lecturer where they cover:

(00:00) – What Led To Dipti Choosing Geriatrics

(04:40) – Managing Relative Expectations

(13:12) – How To Manage Time When Speaking With Older Adults

(15:00) – How To Appropriately Interrupt

(17:15) – How To Recognise & Manage Delirium

(20:30) – What Made Dipti Interested In Geriatric Continence

(21:45) – What To Say When Continence Issues Are Raised

(27:15) – Managing Conversations Around Reducing Medications

(32:50) – More About Continence In Older Adults

(40:00) – Difficult Conversations With Relatives

(44:12) - What’s The Future For Geriatrics

You can find Dr Samani on LinkedIn or X @HmniDipti

You can Ben across Social Media @BWhybrowPhysio or emailclinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Do Share & Subscribe!

Listen to find out what five clinically relevant books I read this year that I would recommend you read in 2026.

Want to see the pictures of the books in the list? - find me @BWhybrowPhysio on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.

Or watch this episode on YouTube!

There have been several requests for some shorter individual episodes, along with the longer guest interview episodes, so this episode covers one the key principles for influencing someones beliefs and behaviour.

Which is to consider both the logical AND emotional side, something you won’t find anywhere else, and this episode covers how.

One of the most valuable 12 minutes you’ll come across allweek!

Sign up for Modern Pain Pro here:

https://modernpainpro.com/

Books mentioned:

Radical Candor – Kim Scott

SuperCommunicators – Charles Duhigg

Way Of The Wolf – Jordan Belfort

The Way Out – Alan Gordon

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Empathy is a word often used when discussing communication skills and clinical care. Yet how often do clinicians really know what it means or what it looks like in practice? What benefits does giving empathic healthcare achieve? And how we can achieve this without burning out?

On this episode Ben is joined by Dr Andy Ward, Director ofEducation and Training at Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, Associate Professor of Medical Education and Honorary Senior Academic GP in Leicester, UK.

Where they discuss:

(00:00) – Do We Still Have To Sell Empathy To Clinicians In 2025?

(02:40) – How Well Do We Understand What Empathy Means?

(07:19) – Affective Empathy & Burnout

(08:53) – Showing Genuine Empathy

(12:46) – The Benefits For Clinicians On Giving Empathetic Care

(21:57) – Going Outside Conventional Appointment Norms To Give Empathetic Care

(24:04) – How To Avoid Excessive Affective Empathy Causing Burn Out

(33:38) – Achieving Empathic Care Within Time Constraints

(37:34) – The Effect Of The Clinical Environment On Perceived Empathy

(45:51) – Further Empathy Training Available With Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare

You can find out more about the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare here:

https://le.ac.uk/empathy

Their email:

empathy@leicester.ac.uk

They are across social media on:

X & Instagram: @Empathy_Centre

YouTube: @EmpathyCentre

Plus Facebook & LinkedIn

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

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Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) & Hypermobile Ehlos-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) are conditions that can often come with a variety of symptoms, well beyond being someone being extra flexible and having regularly dislocating joints.

They can also be quite difficult and controversial conditions to discuss for various reasons, hence even more important they are discussed here.

On this episode Ben is joined by Anna Higo, Specialist Physiotherapist & Speaker in Hypermobility Syndromes, where they discuss:

(00:00) – Are Those With HSD or hEDS more likely to suspecttheir diagnosis compared to other patient groups?

(05:04) – Managing These Conversations With Children & Parents

(10:26) – Hypermobility As We Age

(13:03) – POTS, Long COVID & Hypermobility

(16:08) – Explaining HSD & hEDS

(22:18) – Getting Exercise Buy-In

(27:09) – How To Discuss Lycra/Compression Garments

(34:13) – The Importance Of Getting Family On Board

(35:33) – Managing Emotions When Someone Feels They FulfilhEDS Criteria But Don’t

(39:20) – What May Change On The Upcoming hEDS Criteria Update

(41:50) – The Future Of HSD & hEDS

hEDS Criteria (2017):

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/hEDS-Dx-Criteria-checklist-1.pdf

hEDS Together:

https://hedstogether.com/

You can find Anna on LinkedIn, Facebook & X @higo_anna

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

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Meniscal tears can be a significant knee injury with different treatment options available depending on a variety of factors, but how do we help patients understand the injury and management options available?

On this episode Ben is joined by Carl Clifford, Lower Limb Advanced Practice Physiotherapist, and Dr Michael Cooke, Sports Medicine & Emergency Care Consultant, both from Simply MSK where they discuss:

(00:00:00) – How Does Sports Medicine Work Life Balance Compare To NHS

(00:01:56) – What Made Them Interested In Their Specialities

(00:03:54) – Why Is The Meniscus 2nd Place To The ACL In Clinical Interest?

(00:06:16) – The Upcoming ACL Cross Bracing Lecture

(00:10:37) – How To Explain Acute Meniscal Tears

(00:16:32) – Managing Locking Beliefs

(00:22:00) – Does The Conversation Change With Athletes?

(00:24:58) – How To Discuss Management Options For Meniscal Tears

(00:34:48) – Repairing Meniscal Tears Over Meniscectomies

(00:36:44) – Discussing Non-Invasive Options

(00:38:59) – Managing Meniscal Tear Beliefs

(00:42:50) – Shared Decision Making With Degenerative Meniscal  Tears

(00:45:50) – Discussing Long Term Expectations With Meniscal Tears

(00:53:55) – The Future For Meniscal Injury Care

(00:57:45) – More Info On Simply MSK

(01:01:45) – Difficult Conversations With Meniscal Tears

You can find Carl & Mike on LinkedIn

Carl is on Instagram @theknee_phys

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

You can find more information about Simple MSK here:

https://www.simplymsk.com/

ACL Cross-Bracing Event:

https://www.simplymsk.com/acl

Do Share & Subscribe!

Shoulder dislocations and instability can affect patients ofmany ages, particularly in early adulthood or with aspiring athletes.

How can we help these patients address the fears & uncertainties of having an unstable shoulder?

On the episode Ben is joined by Edel Fanning, shoulder specialist physiotherapist with a PhD in relation to shoulder instability where they discuss;

(00:00:00) – What Made Edel Pick Shoulders?

(00:03:26) – Is Social Media Improving Speed Of Research Uptake?

(00:08:35) – How Edel Finds Managing Both Athletes &Chronic Shoulder Pain

(00:10:37) – Managing “Impingement” & Other DifficultBeliefs

(00:22:30) – Helping Patients Understand How Other FactorsInfluence Their Shoulder Instability

(00:24:30) – Conversations With Children & Parents AboutInstability

(00:27:51) – Utilising Different Clinicians Who May Suit ThePatients Personality Better

(00:30:11) – Instability, Pain & Strength

(00:33:36) – Using VR For Shoulder Instability Rehab

(00:36:08) – Graded Exposure For Shoulder Instability Rehab

(00:37:27) – How To Answer “Will It Dislocate Again?”

(00:46:53) – Long Term Affects Of Shoulder Instability &Fixations

(00:48:12) – How To Help Teenagers Understand Instability

(00:50:58) – Discussing Labral Injuries With 40-50 Year Olds

(00:57:03) – Having Long Term Career Discussions WithAthletes On Shoulder Instability

(01:00:30) – Edel’s Hardest Clinical Conversations

(01:11:20) – The Future Of Shoulder Instability

You can find Edel on LinkedIn

Predictive Reoccurrence Instability Scale

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32736499/

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

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This episode is different to all the others.

Every Clinical Communication episode so far has been around communicating and interacting with patients.

This episode is on how we interact with each other and thesignificant effect it can have on our own wellbeing, the team around us and our patients.

On this episode Ben is joined by Dr Chris Turner, A&EConsultant and Co-Founder of “Civility Saves Lives”, an initiative to help enhance teamwork and civility in healthcare.

Where they discuss:

(00:00) – Chris’s TED Talk Experience

(10:27) – The Power Of Apology

(20:39) – Do People Struggle To Apologise?

(25:38) – The Dilemma Of Blame

(32:43) – What If We’re On The Receiving End Of Blame

(40:25) – Are We Becoming More Civil? & The Purpose Of Civility

(44:15) – More Info On Civility Saves Lives

(51:32) – Iron Maiden or Judas Priest?

You can find Dr Chris Turner on LinkedIn, more informationabout “Civility Saves Lives” is here: https://www.civilitysaveslives.com/

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

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Exercise and activity are one the pillars for improving overall health and well-being, but how can we encourage people to stick with it?

On this episode Ben is joined by Sue Julians, staff writer for MSK Mag and Physio, where they discuss one of her articles earlier in the year on exercise adherence, including:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:40) – How Sue Became An MSKMag Writer

(05:05) – What Inspired Her To Write About Exercise Adherence

(09:11) – Self-Determination Theory

(11:21) – Enhancing Autonomy

(15:12) – Relatedness & How To Enhance It

(18:46) – Enhancing A Feeling Of Competence

(20:54) – The Effect Of The Environment On Exercise Behaviour

(23:11) – Personality Types & Exercise Adherence

(32:47) – The Effect Of Age On Exercise Adherence

(38:08) – The Effect Of Hormones On Exercise Adherence

(39:57) – Sue’s Hardest Clinical Conversations

(42:41) – The Future Of Physio

You can find Sue on LinkedIn

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

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Cervical Myleopathy is a rare but very serious condition,which can result in rather difficult conversations, including around surgery and discussing long term expectations that could significantly affect someones life.

On this episode Ben is joined by Dr Ben Davies, Neurosurgeon& Academic Researcher into Cervical Myleopathy where they discuss;

(00:00) – Intro

(00:44) – What Made Ben Choose Myelopathy & Kept Him Interested In It

(03:49) – Why Is Myleopathy Not As Popular As A Research Area

(05:29) – What Happens In Cervical Myelopathy

(06:50) – Is Myelopathy Preventable?

(07:22) – The mJOA For Decision Making

(08:46) – How To Explain Myelopathy To Patients

(13:30) – How To Discuss Myelopathy Management Options

(22:22) – Setting Expectations For Surgery

(24:28) – Will It Inevitably Get Worse?

(26:02) – How To Discuss Recurrence After Surgery

(28:03) – Make Patients The Experts In Their Own Condition

(30:52) – Ben’s Hardest Conversations

(35:45) – The Future Of Myelopathy

You can find Dr Ben Davies on LinkedIn or here https://myelopathy.org/

You can find Ben Whybrow across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

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It's time for the 4th Bonus Content featuring extra content from recent guests including:

David Alderton (00:42):

If Doing Nothing Is Always An Option, Is There Always A ChoiceIn Shared Decision Making?

Derek Griffin (06:06):

Achieving Buy-In For Pacing, Finding The "Why" Behind Someones Activity Behaviour & Fibromyalgia Stigma And Beliefs

Pauline-Clare Callaghan (14:00):

Pregnancy & Endometriosis

Lianne Wood (22:02):

Challenges when trying review to review papers on exerciseadherence

Vincent Kortleve (24:59):

How Have Healthcare Clinicians Communication Skills Changed Over The Years

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

For more do Share & Subscribe!

Clinicians are becoming more aware of the importance ofcommunication skills in clinical practice, but this doesn’t mean things always go to plan.

On this episode Ben is joined by Vincent Kortleve, who is a published author and educator in communication skills, as well as being a trained Psychologist and Physiotherapist.

On this episode they discuss:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:00:49) - How Much Has Vincent’s Communication Skills Teaching Changed Over The Years

(00:04:17) - Vincents Book “Communication Skills For Physiotherapists”

(00:06:04) - The Four Communication Pillars In The Book

(00:08:27) - Building Rapport In Life Doesn’t Mean You CanBuild A Therapeutic Relationship

(00:12:44) - Managing Emotional Conversations

(00:13:55) - What A Coaching Conversation Looks Like

(00:19:40) - Managing Resistance To Change

(00:24:29) - The Communicative Detective

(00:27:47) - When Open And Closed Questions Aren’t Used Correctly

(00:36:00) - Don’t Assume The Message You Discuss Is What IsTaken In

(00:42:53) - Vincents Hardest Clinic Conversations

(00:49:03) - Managing Quick Fix Expectations

(00:53:30) - Vincent’s View On The Future Of Communication Skills

Vicent’s book “Communication Skills For Physiotherapists” isavailable in English, Dutch & Spanish.

You can find him on LinkedIn & X @CommunicatorPT

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio oremail clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

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Exercise is one of the most common treatment suggestions for low back pain. Yet outcomes in the research are variable.

What are some of the contextual factors that can influence the outcome of using exercise to treat low back pain?

And how much does adherence really matter?

On this episode Ben is joined by Lianne Wood, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter and Advanced Practice Physiotherapist, where they discuss:

(00:00) – Introduction

(00:58) - Lianne’s Realist Review Into Contextual FactorsFor Back Pain & Exercise

(04:08) - The Role Of Trust & Trying To Measure It

(07:16) - The Effect Of The Patients Confidence In Their OwnAbility & In The Clinicians Knowledge

(09:53) - Did Motivation To Adhere Influence Outcomes?

(11:32) - The Importance Of Individualised Input

(12:53) - The Limitations Of Current Adherence Evidence

(16:06) - The Review Into Back Pain Outcomes & AdherenceTo Exercise

(20:22) - Different Ways To Measure Adherence

(23:05) - Bias In Exercise Studies

(24:45) - The Effects Of Beliefs On Exercise Outcomes

(29:30) - The Importance Of Thinking Deeper With ExerciseFor Pain

(33:25) - Lianne’s Hardest Clinical Conversations

(38:24) - The Future For Exercise Adherence Research

Lianne’s Two Papers Discussed:

Contexts, behavioural mechanisms and outcomes to optimisetherapeutic exercise prescription for persistent low back pain: a realistreview (2024)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38176852/

Exercise adherence is associated with improvements inpain intensity and functional limitations in adults with chronic non-specificlow back pain: a secondary analysis of a Cochrane review (2025)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40175237/

You can find Lianne on X @WoodwicksLianne and LinkedIn

Her research profile is here:

https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/39689-lianne-wood

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio oremail clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

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The use of stem cells to treat various medical issues includingjoint pain is gaining more and more awareness, which means patients are asking about them more frequently.

Yet most of us know very little about them, so how should weanswer the questions that commonly come up?

On this episode Ben is joined by Dr Ansar Mahmood, Consultant Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon and American Board Certified in Regenerative Medicine, where they discuss:

(00:00:00) - Introduction

(00:00:59) - The history of stem cells, what they do & how they work 

(00:13:02) – Sleeper stem cells

(00:15:36) – Delays in research to practice

(00:17:08) – The intelligence of stem cell function

(00:20:20) – What expectations should be given for stem cell injections for joint pain

(00:21:30) – Different regulations for stem cell implementation

(00:28:40) – When might we see stem cells for joint pain being used in the NHS?

(00:31:12) – What is pharma trying to do with stem cells?

(00:35:32) – The biggest drivers for research development: collaboration & AI

(00:41:43) – The risks of stem cell injections & production

(00:47:15) – Setting expectations for the length of stem cell injection effect

(00:54:38) – Future joint preservation clinics

(00:57:03) – Will stem cells eradicate steroid injections?

(00:59:17) – Dr Mahmoods social media and courses

You can find Dr Mahmood on LinkedIn and Instagram @dransarmahmood

The Kyzn Clinic – www.kyzn.co.uk

The Academy of Regenerative Medicine - https://abrm.thearm.co.uk/ or @RegenAcademy on social media.

You can find Ben on social media @BWhybrowPhysio or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Do share & subscribe!

It is estimated over 190 million women around the world haveendometriosis, and with awareness increasing and more management options becoming available, those with the diagnosis may have more questions than ever before.

On this episode of clinical communication Ben is joined by Pauline-Clare Callaghan, Specialist Pelvic Health Physiotherapist and Educator with Endometriosis UK. On this episode they discuss:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:00) - The dangers of the edometriosis MRI report

(03:07) - Why does it take so long to diagnosis

(03:39) - The pros and cons of social media for endometriosis

(04:25) - Endometriosis specialist centres

(04:46) The variety of endometriosis presentations

(06:24) - How to help your patient understand endometriosis

(14:09) -  How to manage endometriosis surgical beliefs

(17:51) – Conversations around intimacy related pelvic pain

(23:12) - How to achieve buy-in for non-surgical treatment

(25:05) - Managing different cultural sensitivities in pelvic pain

(26:12) - Prehabilitation for endometriosis surgery

(27:10) - Adenomyosis

(28:00) - Pain persisting after endometriosis surgery & injustice

(29:44) - Managing questions about genetic risk with endometriosis

(31:20) - Is endometriosis awareness improving?

(32:36) - Paulene-Clare’s hardest conversation

(38:54) - Memorable improvements with non-invasivemanagement

(41:15) - The future of endometriosis care

You can find more about Endometriosis UK and their work here:

https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio or emailclinicalcommunication@outlook.co.uk

Shared decision making appears in almost every clinical guideline — but in the real world of clinical practice, how often do we actually do it well?

In this episode of Clinical Communication, Ben is joined by David Alderson, Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University and Specialist First Contact Physiotherapist, whose specialist interest is shared decision making during consultations. They explore how clinicians can genuinely share decisions with patients. From practical strategies to common pitfalls, andinsights that can help you make consultations more collaborative and patient centred.

They cover:

(00:00) Intro

(01:18) The choice dilemma in shared decision making

(05:06) The “Mum Test” for shared decision making

(06:46) Are clinicians doing as much shared decision making as they claim?

(07:58) How the ICE questions guide shared decision making conversations

(15:23) How to manage expectations when they can’t be met

(16:28) What to do when many management options exist

(19:07) How to spot and manage your own biases in shared decision making

(23:08) When to mention doing nothing as an option

(25:40) Are clinicians willing to do nothing?

(28:11) How to use stats without steering the patient’s decision

(31:53) What to do when patients don’t want to be involved

(35:49) Two powerful questions every clinician can use in shared decision making

(39:29) David’s hardest clinical conversation  

(46:29) Will shared decision making change with AI?   

(48:42) David’s course: Essential Consultation Skills for FCPs

🔗 Resources & Links ⁠

Essential Consultation Skills for FCPs – MACP Event⁠

Do we really allow patient decision-making in rotator cuff surgery? Torrens, Miquel & Santana (2019) ⁠Open Access Paper⁠

📲 Connect with David on LinkedIn

📲 Connect with Ben across social media@BWhybrowPhysio and on LinkedIn

📩 For teaching, mentoring & more:clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

Fibromyalgia can be a tricky condition to discuss as various opinions on it exist across society and evidence around it is always evolving.

Thankfully on this episode Ben is joined by Derek Griffin, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and International Speaker on persistent pain management, especially Fibromyalgia. On this episode they discuss:

(00:00:00) - Introduction

(00:01:15) - Awareness Of Fibromyalgia In Society

(00:07:07) - How To Help Someone Understand Fibromyalgia

(00:25:38) - Should We Explain It The Same If It’s Secondary Fibromyalgia?

(00:32:06) - When Discussing “Sensitivity” Can Backfire

(00:40:26) - The Importance Of Picking Up On Visible Cues

(00:52:58) - What To Say When They Ask: “Will This Get Better?”

(00:58:26) - The Importance Of Acknowledging & Discussing Flare Ups

You can find Derek:

On Instagram - @derek_griffin_phd

On X - @DerekGriffin86

And on LinkedIn

You can find Ben & Derek’s Therapy Live Pain Masterclass Talks here:

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/physiomatters/1314746? 

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Sign Up for Pain Practice OS here:

https://pages.modernpaincare.com/painprogram

Want to discuss teaching or mentoring? Email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com

And finally do share and subscribe.

Before every Clinical Communication episode extra questionsare asked to guests to help them get settled in. The responses aren’t released at the time, until now…

On this bonus content episode:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:56) - Ian CowellHow A Cognitive Functional Therapy Paper Comes Together

(14:16) - Jo TurnerHow Clinicians Can Feel Comfortable Not Always Knowing The Answer

(20:32) - Chris Tiley What Exercise Gets Harder As We Get Older?

(22:37) - Bill Taylor Should We Match Patient Language For Private Body Parts

(30:22) - Michelle LyonsHow To Discuss Menstrual Cycles With Your Partner

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Or email clinicalcommunication@outlook.com for queries on mentoring, teaching and more!

Finally, do Share & Subscribe!

Clinical communication knowledge is always progressing andwe are way beyond just listening and having good rapport. So what else do we need to consider and how should it be taught to future healthcare professionals?

This episode is from a recording of the “Healthcare Education Transformation” podcast that Ben was recently on with Dr F Scott Feil, where we discuss:

(00:00) – Introduction

(07:21) - Why Communication Is Important

(21:44) - What Is Going Well In Communication Teaching InHigher Education

(34:50) - The Future Of Healthcare Communication Education

(42:25) - Communication Top Tips

(46:27) - What Would Ben Change About Higher Education

You can find Dr F Scott Feil on LinkedIn, as well as on X& Instagram @FScottFeil_DPT

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

Do 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

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A few weeks ago I was a guest on the Physio Pulse podcastwith Jeff Morton & James Horner. They kindly gave me a copy of the recording to release here, where we discuss:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:05:00) - How Ben Became A Communication Skills Facilitator

(00:10:50) - Why Communication Skills Are Becoming More Embraced By Clinicians

(00:19:51) - Does Having A Specialist Job Title & Appearance Come With Greater Influence Over Patients?

(00:22:18) - How To Have Difficult Conversations With More Senior Colleagues

(00:24:21) - When Communication Skills Have No Effect

(00:29:43) - How To Respond To Cues

(00:34:54) - The Power Of Silence

(00:40:29) - Non-Verbal Communication

(00:41:32) - Managing Patient Requests For Imaging

(00:50:37) - How To Manage Disagreements With Colleagues

(01:03:26) - Do Ben & Jeff Ever Get Angry?

(01:06:24) - Jeff & James’s Hardest Conversations

(01:16:35) - The Birthday Cake Dilemma

You can find Jeff on Instagram @jmortonphysio

You can James on Instagram @thenerdyphysio

Their podcast is the Physio Pulse Podcast.

You can find Ben across social media @BWhybrowPhysio

You can email in to clinicalcommunication@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.

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.

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 

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 

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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