Physio Foundations

If you are studying and putting in the work, but feel like things aren’t sticking, or that you’re falling behind, this episode is for you. This episode is a practical overview of learning as a skill, with a focus on how to study more effectively in physiotherapy. It will also be useful for new graduates and clinicians who want to revisit and strengthen their foundations skills in learning. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections. In this episode: 0:00 Introduction to the episode 6:01 Learning is a skill 10:26 Adult learning is unstructured 18:30 Flexible learning is harder than structured learning 21:03 Lectures are a guide to your study – the problem with rote learning 27:50 Core learning skills – getting organised 30:55 Five tips for learning 41:30 Summary 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 Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Instagram and Linked In. 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.

What are the first five years of physiotherapy practice really like? Luke Perraton and Kristen Witt explore burnout, mentorship, professional development, and how to build a rewarding career in physiotherapy.

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

Associate Professor Annemarie Lee is a leading cardiorespiratory physiotherapist, educator and researcher whose work has helped shape how we understand and manage bronchiectasis in physiotherapy practice. This is the first episode of a two-part series on bronchiectasis. In this episode, we discuss subjective and objective assessment of people with bronchiectasis and provide an introduction to airway clearance techniques. A huge thanks to Annemarie for sharing your expertise. Use the timestamps below to jump to sections of interest. In this episode: 0:00 About this episode and welcome Annemarie 4:50 What is bronchiectasis? 8:50 Other impacts of bronchiectasis – loss of physical function, pelvic floor dysfunction, low back pain, reflux, etc. 12:50 Emerging treatments 13:40 Objective assessment of people with bronchiectasis 21:30 Airway clearance techniques 25:00 Bronchiectasis Toolbox website 29:12 Strong Lungs website 31:50 Summary 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 Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn. 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.

On this episode, I welcome back Mick Hughes and Randall Cooper to talk about the role of exercise in health and physiotherapy practice. We also discuss the work they are doing with their education platform, Learn.Physio, and what they have learned over the past five years from interviewing and creating content with world-class clinicians and educators. Thanks to Randall and Mick for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to the relevant sections. In this episode: 0:00 About this episode and welcome back Mick and Randall 1:50 Exercise Matters podcast 8:45 How can graduate physios advance their exercise knowledge and skills? 11:35 What sets physiotherapy apart from coaching, exercise physiology, and other professions? 18:40 When to say “I’m not sure” and refer to other health professionals 20:15 Can we over-medicalise exercise? When is it actually appropriate to medicalise exercise? 27:38 Tips for engaging people in exercise – find out what’s important to them 30:15 The Learn.Physio platform – highlights from behind the scenes 36:30 How do you integrate new knowledge from courses into your practice? 40:30 Managing information overload as a graduate practitioner 42:07 Do students learn differently in 2025 compared to the past? 48:00 Learn online, but learn in person as well – don’t neglect your interpersonal and hands-on skills Links and resources: Check out: www.Learn.Physio Listen to the Exercise Matters podcast with Randall and Mick, and give them a 5-star rating and review on Spotify, Apple, or your favourite podcast player: Spotify Apple Podcasts While you're there, we’d also appreciate a rating and review for the Physio Foundations podcast—it really helps promote the show. Hit the follow button and give us a review and 5 stars! Stay connected: Read more at www.Perraton.Physio or follow the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page. Watch us on YouTube: Perraton Physio YouTube Channel Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn. 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.

Narelle Dalwood is a neurological physiotherapist and Senior Lecturer at Monash University Physiotherapy. In this episode, Narelle and I discuss the foundations of neurological physiotherapy, including neuroanatomy and the pathology of common conditions such as stroke. Thanks Narelle for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections. In this episode: 0:00 About this episode and welcome Narelle 1:04 Common neurological conditions 3:14 Middle cerebral artery strokes 7:50 Heterogeneity - combining imaging, history and assessment findings 12:45 Defining terminology – infarcts and haemorrhagic strokes 14:38 How do you recognise a stroke? Timely recognition and clot busting drugs. 22:00 Upper and lower motor neurons 25:14 Reflexes and recognising serious neurological problems 33:25 Neuroplasticity 41:12 How to develop your neuro physio knowledge and skills – brush up on your neuroanatomy 54:30 Final thoughts Narelle mentioned these guidelines and resources for health professionals, patients and their families from the National Stroke Foundation: https://informme.org.au/ https://enableme.org.au/ https://sciptguide.com/ Stay connected: Read more at Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page. Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In. 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.

Associate Professor Adam Culvenor is a Principal Research Fellow from the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine (LASEM) Research Centre, a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leadership Fellow and the head of the Knee Injury Research Group within LASEM. In this conversation, Adam and I discussed the research he has led on post traumatic knee osteoarthritis including the OPTIKNEE 2022: consensus recommendations, the SUPER-Knee trial, the role of diet in managing osteoarthritis and the Australian Knee Injury Study. Thanks Adam for a great conversation. Use the timestamps below to jump to relevant sections and follow the links below to find out more about Adam and his work. In this episode: 0:00 About this episode and welcome Adam 6:00 The infrapatellar fat pad 8:10 Adam’s pathway into research – MRI outcomes after ACL reconstruction 14:45 Cartilage imaging studies leading into the SUPER-Knee trial 19:36 How does strengthening help with cartilage health after knee injury? 24:40 Role of diet in managing osteoarthritis 26:40 OPTIKNEE 2022: consensus recommendations to optimise knee health after traumatic knee injury to prevent osteoarthritis 30:55 Australian Knee Injury Study 35:15 Key takeaways – consider the need for imaging, be guided by the guidelines, get involved in research as a clinician or a student Read more about Adam here: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/a2culvenor Be part of the Australian Knee Injury Study: https://www.kneeinjurystudy.com.au/ Adam discussed the OPTIKNEE consensus recommendations following traumatic knee injury: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/24/1393.citation-tools Whittaker JL, Culvenor AG, Juhl CB, et al OPTIKNEE 2022: consensus recommendations to optimise knee health after traumatic knee injury to prevent osteoarthritis. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2022;56:1393-1405. Read more about the SUPER-Knee trial: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/1/e068279 Stay Connected: Read more at www.Perraton.Physio or the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page. Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In. 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 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 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.

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.

Associate Professor Laura Diamond is a biomedical engineer and researcher interested in hip biomechanics and osteoarthritis. In this episode we discussed Laura’s research into the role of the deep hip muscles during functional activities and what her findings may mean for rehabilitation of people with hip pain. Thanks Laura for a great conversation. In this episode: 0:00 About this episode and welcome Laura 5:45 Laura’s research in hip and knee biomechanics and muscle activation 9:15 What happens if you contact the deep hip muscles to the maximum amount? Redirecting the hip contact force in the acetabulum. 14:50 Do people with pain or joint pathology have difficulty generating force in the deep hip muscles? 19:20 Do we need to change the language from ‘stabilising the hip’ to ‘changing the loading of the hip’? The importance of having enough cartilage loading 22:00 Strategies for changing hip joint loading – cues during walking 36:00 What does the future hold? Technology and wearables You can find the papers discussed in this episode here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aAGSJHUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra Connect with Laura via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-diamond-8b0bb8135/?originalSubdomain=au We discussed this episode of the Physio Network podcast (but don’t leave here until you subscribe!): https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-siwxj-1dcf0dfd?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share 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.

Thihan is a highly experienced Sports Physiotherapist who has held roles with the Melbourne Renegades, Bangladesh Cricket, Hampshire Cricket, and most recently as the Rehabilitation Manager for the Sri Lankan Cricket Team. Thihan is also one of the hosts of the Physio Social Club Podcast. In this episode, we took a tangent from cricket, and discussed Thihan’s recent leg injury and his experiences with injury, surgery and rehabilitation. Thihan offered very interesting insights into the experience of having a serious injury and surgery in a developing country, reflections on the real experience of a lengthy rehabilitation, and advise for students and new graduate physios for prioritising their assessment and management. There is a lot in this episode! Thanks Thihan for a great conversation. In this episode: 0:00 About this episode and welcome Thihan 3:05 Thihan’s injury – fractured tibia and fibula. There was no pain until after the surgery – reflecting on when pain is not associated with pathology 5:30 The experience of having surgery in a developing country 9:30 How did you process the experience? Shared decision making with the surgeon 12:23 ‘Letting go’, controlling what you can control and allowing people to do their job 14:40 Fracture healing, pain management, IV paracetamol, risks of compartment syndrome, experience of having an epidural 20:50 Waking up halfway through orthopaedic surgery! (not as bad as it sounds) 25:45 Being present and taking things one step at a time. It’s hard to think about the bigger picture as a patient. Meet the person where they are 31:40 Being proactive in your own rehabilitation. Lessons for practitioners 36:35 How can students keep things simple and be effective? Have a system and a structure to your assessment that you can repeat until you learn the patterns. Know why you are asking questions. 42:40 What is your job as a sports physio? How is this similar to hospital-based work? 47:30 How do you stay motivated during long-term rehab? 50:30 Goals in long-term rehab can often be impairment goals, e.g. ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, because this helps you visualise progress 53:40 Maintaining a positive mindset during the rehab journey 55:30 Empathy – 'get in the hole' with the patient / person 59:00 Summary – the secret to long-term success is to engage with the process of your rehab (or learning), review and repeat throughout your career. Read more about Thihan here: https://thecricket.physio/about The Physio Social Club podcast: https://physiosocialclub.com/about Read Thihan’s Linked In posts related to his injury, surgery and rehab here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thihanchandramohan/?originalSubdomain=au Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page. Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In. This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.