Global Physio Podcast

Today’s episode focuses on the fascinating career of Jennifer Allen, a Canadian-trained physiotherapist who is a former Chair of the Global Health Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Jennifer has practiced and taught physiotherapy all over the world. Jennifer discusses her experience at World Physiotherapy Congress in Dubai in June 2023 and emerging roles for physiotherapists in the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Response Units.

Resources:

– International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR)

– Jen Allen’s episode on The Project Health Wellness and Psychology Podcast

– Canadian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit (ERU)

– Experiences of Canadian Physiotherapists on the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit (ERU) Roster: Part I by Jennifer Allen

– Experiences of Canadian Physiotherapists on the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit (ERU) Register Part II: World Health Organization Emergency Medical Team Rehabilitation Network & Community of Practice by Marie Gedeon

– Qatar Rehabilitation Therapy Student Association (QRTSA)

– World Physiotherapy Congress

– Global Health Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association

Contact Us:

– Website: globalphysio.ca

– E-mail: [email protected]

– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalphysiopodcast/

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/globalphysiopodcast

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/globalptpodcast

Today’s episode, we have Alex Heilmann, a Masters student at UBC, studying Community Planning. He is from Boston originally and moved to Vancouver to study Planning, particularly Transportation Planning. His work and projects relate to transitioning cities away from car dependency. We cover a range of topics on how urban planning and city design impacts health, not just physical health, but social capital and environmental health.

Resources:

– War on Cars: https://thewaroncars.org/

Contact Us:

– Website: globalphysio.ca

We, the podcast co-hosts, dedicated this episode to reflecting on how things have been going since the Global Physio Podcast relaunch in 2023. We express our gratitude for the many guests who have come onto the podcast. We discuss the successes as well as the challenges and lessons learned with the podcast. We talk about the ways we’ve changed as people and clinicians, and share some of the content we’ve been immersed in as of late. Stay tuned, there is a lot of great content coming up in 2024!

Resources:

– The End of Physiotherapy by Dave Nicholls: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315561868/end-physiotherapy-david-nicholls

– Afrobeats artist Ayra Starr: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ZpEKRjHaHANcpk10u6Ntq?si=LwzTQVdDQJaD7_6s8Ij7Og

– Ten Percent Happier Podcast: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast

– Susan Czyzo: https://groundedphysiotherapy.ca/

– Environmental Physiotherapy Association Blog: https://environmentalphysio.com/blog/

– Paradoxa E-Blast: https://paradoxa.substack.com/

– Walkable City by Jeff Speck: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250857989/walkablecitytenthanniversaryedition

– Ma and Me by Putsata Reang: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374720056/maandme

– The World for Sale by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-world-for-sale-9780197651537?cc=ca&lang=en&

Contact Us:

– Website: globalphysio.ca

In this podcast episode, we speak with Bahareh Alexandra Hejazi about her experience and insights about her time spent in Italy, Palestine and Uganda. Despite international work offering many exciting prospects for health professionals and potential to create positive change across the globe, it is important to speak about the uncomfortable truths and complexities involved.

Alex speaks candidly about the impact of power and privilege associated with professionals from the Global North, the often under-considered consequences and disruptions we cause to local communities with our “good intentions”, and suggestions she has for clinicians interested in working globally.

We hope this episode catalyses conversations for those who are considering international work, and even those who are currently engaging in this realm, to critically examine their work, projects and organizations. Does the work empower the agency of local communities to create systemic change? Or does it continue to perpetuate the narrative that “West Is Best”?

Alex qualified as a physiotherapist in 2014 in London, UK. She was working in London, both in hospital and community settings until 2018 when she moved to Canada. As a student she did elective placements in Italy and Palestine, which truly ignited her drive to ensure accessible and quality healthcare for all. During a sabbatical leave, she lived in Uganda for five months where she volunteered at a centre for children with disabilities. This experience opened her eyes to some of the power inequalities in the healthcare profession between high and middle/low-income countries that can be perpetuated by volunteering. Her volunteer experience is something she often reflects on and has guided her journey as a physiotherapist since. She now works in two communities in Eeyou Istchee, Cree First Nation territory in what is also known as northern Quebec. She is very passionate about her job and working with people to provide healthcare that is guided and led by what the community needs and wants.

Resources:

– Alex’s piece on “The Trouble of Good Intentions” with World Economic Forums: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/alexandra-hejazi/

Contact Us:

– Website: globalphysio.ca

Sara Abassbhay completed her Bachelor of Sciences in Rehabilitation and her Master of Sciences (applied) in Physical Therapy at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her career has taken her all over the world and she has practiced as a physiotherapist in Singapore, Ghana, and Canada. More recently, she was working in the Yukon Territory in northern Canada and on a Mercy Ship near Sierra Leone. Sara has also dipped her toe in animal rehabilitation. And this year, she will begin her PhD in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at AUT in Auckland, New Zealand.

In addition to talking about Sara’s fascinating career in global health, we talk about burnout amongst physiotherapists and how this connects with the limitations of the Western biomedical model. Sara encourages physiotherapists to question the framework that we practice within and highlights the importance of getting uncomfortable. We discuss the value of creating novel work-models and the challenges that come with that.

Resources:

– McGill Global Health Rehabilitation Initiative Podcast

– Mercy Ships

Contact Us:

– Website: globalphysio.ca

While our profession has been female-dominated for most, if not all, of its history, leadership positions are disproportionately occupied by men. In addition, there are significant gender inequities with regard to the global unmet needs of rehabilitation. Women accounted for just over half of the 2.4 billion people worldwide living with conditions that would benefit from rehabilitation services according to data from the Global Burden of Disease Study conducted in 2019. So, why aren’t we talking more about gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) within rehabilitation? Today’s guests are here to help us do just that.

Dr. Rosemary Morgan is an Associate Scientist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of International Health, with a joint position in the School of Nursing. Her research focuses on the role of gender inequities on health, wellbeing, and public health interventions.

Dr. Linda Thumba has her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Emory University and recently completed her Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. She is currently working as an Institutional Support Contractor at USAID.

Resources:

– Dr. Rosemary Morgan Profile at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

– Linda Thumba’s Linked In Profile

– USAID: Rehabilitation Through a Gender Lens

– Cieza A et al. 2020. Global estimates of the need for rehabilitation based on the Global Burden of Disease study 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, Volume 396, Issue 10267, 2006 – 2017. DOI: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32340-0/fulltext

– Physiopedia Page: Introduction to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)

– Physiopedia Course: Introduction to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) 

– Harvard Implicit Bias Test

– Jhpiego Gender-Transformative Leadership

– Dr. Rosemary Morgan: Gender norms, ill-fitting face masks, and making a difference (one cat at a time) on the Everybody Hates Me: Let’s Talk About Stigma Podcast

– Caroline Criado Perez’s Book: Invisible Women

– Rosemary Morgan, Lillian Asiimwe, Amanda L Ager, Zuhra Haq, Linda Thumba, Diana Shcherbinina, Rehabilitation services must include support for sexual and gender-based violence survivors in Ukraine and other war- and conflict-affected countries, Health Policy and Planning, Volume 38, Issue 3, April 2023, Pages 417–419, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czad005

– Dr. Dave Nicholls’ Book: The End of Physiotherapy

Increasing diversity, equity and inclusion, commonly abbreviated as DEI, has been in the forefront of many sectors. Within health, providing culturally sensitive care and having a professional body that is diverse can lead to improved health outcomes. The conversation often involves ensuring clinicians practice cultural sensitivity during care, forming executive committees that are representative of the communities they serve, and developing health strategies that include the perspectives of groups with different positionalities.

However, what if the curriculum in which we train our health professionals deters certain groups from pursuing their career? What if their perception of the profession diverges and clashes with their cultural and religious views? What is the impact of that for DEI within the professional body, quality of care and equitable practices?

Our guests today, Sarah Jang and Dr. Nathalia Costa, are the authors of the paper titled “Exploring physiotherapy education in Australia from the perspective of Muslim women physiotherapy students”. Through exploring the experiences of Muslim women within physiotherapy education, they raise important questions about the impact of Western dominant discourses within physiotherapy on ethnic minority groups. They dive into ways to make physiotherapy education more inclusive for different cultural and religious backgrounds. We also talk about the amplified image of physiotherapy and sport, envisioning physiotherapy integration with public health, discrimination and political impact on health seeking behaviors and most importantly, what we can learn from Muslim communities.

Dr. Nathalia Costa is an Early Career Researcher (PhD awarded in November 2020) and a Lecturer at the Sydney School of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney. She is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Queensland. Her research spans from micro (e.g., uncertainty in clinical practice, training) to macro factors (e.g., policy, health systems) impacting musculoskeletal care that is person-centred and equitable. Her publications span both qualitative and quantitative studies, and she has also taught across a range of disciplines, including research methods, musculoskeletal physiotherapy, sociology applied to health, fundamentals of physiotherapy, fundamentals of health care, health policy and health systems finance. Dr Costa is also an Associate Editor for Qualitative Health Research, an international (Q1) journal dedicated to publishing interdisciplinary research to enhance healthcare and further the development and understanding of qualitative research in healthcare settings.

Miss Sarah Jang, a physiotherapist and a rehabilitation consultant. She recently started her career working in Occupational Rehabilitation. Her interests include equity in health settings.

Resources:

– Nathalia’s Twitter: @nathaliaccosta1

– Sarah Jang, Nathalia Costa, Adelaide Rusinga & Jenny Setchell (2023) Exploring physiotherapy education in Australia from the perspective of Muslim women physiotherapy students, Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, DOI: 10.1080/09593985.2023.2230597

– Hassan, S.H. Effects of Religious Behavior on Health-Related Lifestyles of Muslims in Malaysia. J Relig Health 54, 1238–1248 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9861-z

– Abdel-Khalek AM. Religiosity, health and happiness: significant relations in adolescents from Qatar. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2014 Nov;60(7):656-61. doi: 10.1177/0020764013511792. Epub 2013 Dec 10. PMID: 24327187.

– Samuels EA, Orr L, White EB, Saadi A, Padela AI, Westerhaus M, Bhatt AD, Agrawal P, Wang D, Gonsalves G. Health Care Utilization Before and After the “Muslim Ban” Executive Order Among People Born in Muslim-Majority Countries and Living in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Jul 1;4(7):e2118216. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.18216. PMID: 34328502; PMCID: PMC8325073.

– Vu M, Azmat A, Radejko T, Padela AI. Predictors of Delayed Healthcare Seeking Among American Muslim Women. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2016 Jun;25(6):586-93. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2015.5517. Epub 2016 Feb 18. PMID: 26890129; PMCID: PMC5912720.

– McLaren, H., Hamiduzzaman, M., Patmisari, E. et al. Health and Social Care Outcomes in the Community: Review of Religious Considerations in Interventions with Muslim-Minorities in Australia, Canada, UK, and the USA. J Relig Health (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01679-2

– Padela AI, Gunter K, Killawi A, Heisler M. Religious values and healthcare accommodations: voices from the American Muslim community. J Gen Intern Med. 2012 Jun;27(6):708-15. doi: 10.1007/s11606-011-1965-5. Epub 2012 Jan 4. PMID: 22215274; PMCID: PMC3358400

– Samari G. Islamophobia and Public Health in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2016 Nov;106(11):1920-1925. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303374. Epub 2016 Sep 15. Erratum in: Am J Public Health. 2016 Dec;106(12 ):e13. PMID: 27631738; PMCID: PMC5055770.

– Padela AI, Zaidi D. The Islamic tradition and health inequities: A preliminary conceptual model based on a systematic literature review of Muslim health-care disparities. Avicenna J Med. 2018 Jan-Mar;8(1):1-13. doi: 10.4103/ajm.AJM_134_17. PMID: 29404267; PMCID: PMC5782414.

– Laird LD, Amer MM, Barnett ED, Barnes LL. Muslim patients and health disparities in the UK and the US. Arch Dis Child. 2007 Oct;92(10):922-6. doi: 10.1136/adc.2006.104364. PMID: 17895342; PMCID: PMC2083249.

– Sarsour NY, Hammoud MM. Integration of Arab and Muslim Health Education Into a Medical School Curriculum. MedEdPORTAL. 2021;17:11188. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11188

– Worldmapper: https://worldmapper.org/maps/

Contact Us:

– Website: globalphysio.ca

Today’s episode is all about reflexivity. The show co-hosts discuss their individual positionalities and examine how their lived experiences and socialization may influence the podcast. The show co-hosts share their dream of creating a podcast that is relevant to physiotherapists all over the world, amplifies voices that have been historically silenced and breaks down barriers with regard to knowledge translation. Ultimately, the hope is to bring together a community of curious physiotherapists who can learn from and inspire one another. Whether you’re a physiotherapist in the Global North or Global South, this podcast is for you.

References:

– Mary Anne Chambers in U of T Magazine: https://magazine.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Spring2020.pdf

Contact Us:

– Website: globalphysio.ca

The biopsychosocial model has been touted as an effective approach towards addressing physiotherapy-related health conditions for its ability to guide clinicians to think beyond biomedical factors. The shift to integrate subjective experiences, psychological and social aspects to understand a patient’s lived experiences is a step forward beyond purely patho-anatomical explanations of pain and disability. However, this model is not immune to critique and challenges.

Today, our guest is Karime Mescouto (she/her/ela/dela), a Brazilian physiotherapist and a Postdoctoral researcher at RECOVER at The University of Queensland, Australia. Her research examines the assumptions and the application of the biopsychosocial model within clinical settings. Furthermore, drawing on social theories, she aims to provide insight on how power structures, cultural and sociopolitical dimensions intersect with clinical care. She argues a clinical approach that integrates ethical multiplicity and critical reflexivity can help account for the interconnectedness between bodies, objects and the environment towards more equitable and just practices.

Her doctoral research examines how to enhance low back pain healthcare delivery by critically looking at the biopsychosocial model of health. She uses a variety of critical qualitative methodologies and collaborated with clinicians and people with lived experience of back pain to explore the social, cultural and interpersonal aspects of clinical and research practices.

Resources:

Environmental physiotherapy is an emerging practice area. There are physiotherapists all over the world calling for more sustainable physiotherapy practices. Moreover, there is a growing consciousness within physiotherapy globally around the environmental injustices experienced by equity deserving groups. A lot of people, including physiotherapists, may experience stagnation when confronted by the enormity of the climate crisis. This is where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness can help us process and move through difficult emotions and engage in environmental justice. Today’s guests will help us journey deeper into mindfulness and environmental justice.

Susan Czyzo (she/her) is a Canadian physiotherapist, Pilates instructor and mindfulness teacher.  She is passionate about helping adults live life actively and mindfully, so that they can find ease in mind and body, and live meaningful lives. Susan is currently living in Toronto, on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Outside of her virtual and private practice work, Susan loves getting outdoors to hike, paddleboard, surf and run.

Elizabeth Houlding is a physiotherapy resident who graduated from the University of Toronto in 2022 and is now working in school-based pediatric rehabilitation. During her masters degree, Elizabeth co-created and chaired Justice Rehab, a student group whose purpose is to increase awareness and action around systems of oppression in rehabilitation. Her masters thesis investigated creating transformational change to make physiotherapy clinics Queer and Trans inclusive. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys biking, rollerskating, and climate and labour organizing.

Resources:

– Elizabeth Houlding: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-houlding-8908b2111

Contact Us:

– Website: globalphysio.ca