Physio Foundations – Details, episodes & analysis

Jaryd Bourke is a podiatrist and PhD candidate at Monash University Physiotherapy.  In this episode, Jaryd discusses Achilles tendinopathy and his research investigating heel lifts and changes in patient outcomes and biomechanics.

Edit: Sorry for saying Wodonga is a city in NSW! At least I know people are listening...  it's on the border...

Thanks to Jaryd for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections.

In this episode:

• 0:00 About this episode and welcome Jaryd
• 2:20 What is tendinopathy?
• 3:30 What is Achilles tendinopathy?
• 5:30 Heel lifts for Achilles tendinopathy - research
• 7:18 How could heel lifts help with Achilles tendinopathy symptoms
• 10:00 Jaryd’s trial on heel lifts for Achilles tendinopathy – key methods
• 17:00 Clinical implications
• 23:33 Final thoughts

Diagnostic domains, differential diagnosis and conditions requiring further medical attention that are considered important in the assessment for Achilles tendinopathy: a Delphi consensus study, link to paper:  https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/13/891.abstract

Follow Jaryd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaryd-bourke-86932b200/?originalSubdomain=au

If you are finding this content helpful, we would appreciate a review and rating for the Physio Foundations podcast. This really helps promote the podcast to others. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5-star rating.

Stay connected:

• Read more at Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
• Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio
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This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

Just in time for World Bronchiectasis Day, this is Part 2 of my discussion with Associate Professor Annemarie Lee on exercise for people with bronchiectasis. In this episode, Annemarie explains the benefits of exercise for people with Bronchiectasis and explores different ways people can engage in physical activity—whether as part of a formal rehabilitation program or by integrating it into daily life.

A huge thanks to Annemarie for sharing your expertise.

Use the timestamps below to jump to sections of interest.

0:00 About this episode

1:52 How does exercise benefit people with Bronchiectasis?

4:15 What does a typical pulmonary rehabilitation class look like?

6:15 Who is suitable for a pulmonary rehabilitation class for Bronchiectasis?

11:26 Exercise for airway clearance and exercise tolerance

14:18 Research gaps

16:50 How can people with Bronchiectasis monitor their exercise and symptoms?

22:55 The patient as a person, developing a therapeutic alliance

24:38 The most important knowledge and skills for a health professional – empathy

28:40 How to connect with Annemarie

Links and Resources:

• Bronchiectasis Toolbox
• Strong Lungs
• Annemarie Lee’s Research Profile (Monash University)

If you find this content helpful, please rate and review the Physio Foundations podcast on your favourite podcast app—it helps others find the show.

Stay connected:

• Read more at www.Perraton.Physio or follow the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.
• Watch us on YouTube: Perraton Physio YouTube Channel
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Disclaimer: This discussion is intended for health professionals and health professional students. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional regarding any questions about your health or medical condition.

This episode contains discussions about self-harm, suicide and sexual abuse, which may be distressing for some listeners. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In Australia, you can contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 for 24/7 confidential support. If you are outside Australia, please seek support from a crisis service in your country.

Dr Liam West is a Sports and Exercise Physician based in Melbourne, Australia and a fellow of the Australasian College of Sport & Exercise Physicians. In this episode, Liam, Zuzana and I discussed some practical aspects of how physiotherapists can work with sports doctors, what sports doctors want to know in your referral letter and updates, and common conditions where a sports doctor should be involved in patient care. We finish our discussion by focusing on the person rather than  the patient and talk about Liam’s approach to integrating biopsychosocial elements in patient care. 

In this episode:

0:00 About this episode and welcome Liam – background and interests

13:00 What do physios do that Liam is jealous of?

16:00 How do you build a career in sports medicine or sports physio?

17:30 Describe a typical week for a sports doctor – consulting, surgical assisting, sports game coverage

29:06 Referring people to a sports doctor, what does a sports doctor want to know in a referral or update?

38:53 Should you arrange an MRI or other investigations before you send someone to the sports doctor? Practicalities of rebates and referrals.  When should a doctor be involved in managing fractures?

52:30 When should you refer to a GP and when should you refer to a specialist?

54:00 Mental health in sports injury rehab, difficult questions, mental health support for patients and health professionals/students

71:30 Influence of hormones on musculoskeletal health, screening for rheumatological conditions

79:00 The most important skills for a physiotherapist -  problem solving and active listening. Learn from other health professionals, be curious and vulnerable enough to admit when you are wrong

87:00 Final tips for career development

Thanks, Liam for a great conversation. Read more about Liam here: https://alphingtonsportsmed.com.au/profile/dr-liam-west/

Follow Liam on X: https://x.com/liam_west?lang=en

Read Liam’s chapters in the Brukner and Khan textbook (students I’m looking at you, read books!): https://csm.mhmedical.com/book.aspx?bookid=1970

Liam talked about the Tame the Beast website: https://www.tamethebeast.org/about

We also discussed the SCREENDEM checklist for screening for rheumatological problems: https://rheumatology.physio/mini-blog-screendem/

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Follow @PerratonPhysio on YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale. 

In part 4 of this four-part series, Mel finishes her quality appraisal of the quality of the study by Katherine Lawler and colleagues. Mel demystifies the process of data analysis in qualitative research and gives us some tips for using qualitative research in our study and clinical practice.

Access the study here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2024.2343822

Follow along using the COREQ checklist here: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/coreq/

In this episode:

0:00 Introduction to the episode

1:14 Who did the data analysis? Knowledge and perspectives of the team. Naming and identification of themes? The coding tree. Why does this matter?

5:45 How are themes identified? The coding lens – perspectives of the researchers. The inductive process - using the words of the people to make codes, vs predetermined themes.

10:42 Are there times when it is more appropriate to use a deductive process?

12:15 Relating qualitative research to what we do in the clinic, e.g. a subjective assessment

14:45 The difference between how you collect vs analyse data. Open vs closed questions

16:50 Software for qualitative analysis, feedback from participants on findings

18:20 Where should a busy clinician start? Look at the quotes from participants. Is there consistency between the data and the author’s findings? Is there diversity of opinions in the report?

28:03 Final thoughts – try to engage with research evidence. Resources to look at to get started and progress your qualitative research skills

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

Follow Physio Foundations and Perraton Physio at our website www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale. 

In part 3 of this four-part series, Mel explains the process of appraising the quality of qualitative research, using the example of the study by Katherine Lawler and colleagues. Access the study here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2024.2343822

Follow along using the COREQ checklist here: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/coreq/

In this episode:

• 0:00 Introduction to the episode
• 1:25 Why we need to evaluate the quality of qualitative research?
• 2:51 Checklists you can use – the COREQ checklist. Don’t forget to look at the supplementary material for your article
• 6:45 Reflexivity: The research team and how they manage their biases. Why this is important?
• 12:20 The relationship between researchers and participants. A guide to understanding
• 16:10 The interviewer characteristics and why they matter. Relating qualitative research to the interviews we do with patients in the clinic
• 19:30 Study design – what is a theoretical framework? Examples of theoretical frameworks. Real world practical applications of qualitative research
• 29:05 Study setting and data collection – where was the study conducted? Who was present at the interviews? What questions were asked (topic guide) 
• 30:40 How big is the dataset? Looking beyond the sample size. The concept of ‘information power’
• 33:24 What are the most important things to consider from the quality appraisal so far?

Coming up next:  In the final part of this series (part 4) we will finalise our quality appraisal of the qualitative study by Lawler and colleagues and give you our tips for applying what you have learned in the clinic or in your research studies.

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

Follow Physio Foundations and Perraton Physio at our website www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale. 

In part 2 of this four-part series, Mel demonstrates the process of reading, interpreting and understanding qualitative research. Mel refers to a study by Katherine Lawler and colleagues. Access the study here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2024.2343822

In this episode:

• 0:00 Introduction to the episode
• 3:19 Example of the methods of a qualitative study
• 5:00 When is qualitative research the best approach to answer a research question?
• 8:00 Explaining the qualitative methods that were used and relating these methods to what you do in the clinic, e.g. during a subjective assessment or patient interview
• 11:15 How qualitative data can be collected and analysed – exploring and explaining phenomena, understanding the context of the study and introducing the concepted of transferability
• 18:50 Summary and final thoughts

Coming up next in part 3 of the series, we will discuss how to appraise the quality of the study.

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

We discussed the Balance Intensity Scale: https://rb.gy/cwcfmz

Follow Physio Foundations and Perraton Physio at our website www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale. 

In this four-part series, Mel introduces qualitative research, provides examples of how you can read and understand qualitative research, explains how you can search for, and evaluate the quality of, qualitative research, and discusses how qualitative research can influence your clinical practice.

Part 1 of this four-part series is an introduction to qualitative research for students and clinicians.

In this episode:

• 0:00 Introduction to Mel and the four-part series
• 2:00 What is qualitative research and why is it important in physiotherapy?
• 3:25 How is qualitative research different from qualitative research?
• 5:35 What are some barriers for clinicians to engage with qualitative research?
• 7:35 Key terminology you need to be familiar with, e.g. reflexivity – being aware of your influence on the research process.  Transferability – can the findings be transferred to other similar contexts?
• 13:45  How can clinicians get started with using qualitative research?  Don't just read the abstract, read the methods. Look for systematic reviews of qualitative research
• 16:50 Summary – qualitative research can be very useful when it is transferable to your clinical practice. Jump in and start reading

In part 2 we will explore a recently published qualitative study and how this research's findings may apply to clinical practice.

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

We discussed the Balance Intensity Scale: https://rb.gy/cwcfmz

Follow Physio Foundations and Perraton Physio at our website www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Tim is a consultant physiotherapist and managing director of Melbourne CBD Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine Clinic, in Melbourne, Australia.  In this episode, Tim summarised his approach to rehabilitation for people with ACL injuries and ACL reconstruction.

In this episode:

• 0:00 About this episode and welcome Tim
• 2:20 Tim’s background and interests
• 6:33 Why are ACL injuries such a big problem?
• 10:00 How do you manage ACL injuries in the clinic? 
• 15:45 Operative and non-operative pathways – it’s not always a black and white decision. ACL healing and long-term outcomes – watch this space.
• 20:22 Meniscal integrity and knee stability, early knee rehabilitation goals and exercises
• 32:00 Isometric and pulsing exercises with a metronome, preparing the motor system for locomotion and confidence in higher load situations
• 34:50 Confidence and fear of movement
• 37:00 Objective measures of function and strength – dynamometry and force plates
• 42:00 Return to sport testing – force plate variables and testing. Don’t forget the ankle plantarflexors

Thanks Tim for a great conversation. Read more about Tim here: https://melbournecbdphysio.com.au/our-clinic/

Tim talked about this website: https://www.aclreferencevalues.nl/

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Professor Terry Haines is the Head of the School of Primary and Allied Health Care at Monash University. In this episode we discussed Terry’s journey from graduate physiotherapist to research leader, and how clinicians can solve problems with research.

In this episode:

• 0:00 About this episode and welcome Terry
• 3:17 What gets you out of bed in the morning?
• 7:40 How did you get started in research?
• 13:13  What are the key areas for physiotherapy research?
• 18:25 How can students and clinicians get involved in research?
• 29:15 The most important knowledge and skills for physiotherapists – be prepared to have a go

Read more about Terry here: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/spahc/about-us/school-staff/thaines

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Michelle joined me to discuss her research in hip and knee osteoarthritis and how we can apply this research in the clinic. Thanks Michelle for a great conversation.

In this episode:

• 0:00 About this episode and welcome Michelle
• 11:00 Summary of hip and knee osteoarthritis research and the role of sleep in musculoskeletal health
• 17:30 Are higher or lower loads responsible for changes in cartilage in the knee? Knee adduction moments, muscle strength, braces and orthotics.
• 23:00 Loading and the multifactorial nature of pain in osteoarthritis, changing the narrative of how osteoarthritis is described
• 32:30 Resources for managing sleep for people with musculoskeletal conditions
• 40:40 Women and girls in STEM, challenges faced and the BrainSTEM program

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.