Physio Foundations

By Perraton.Physio

Welcome to the Physio Foundations podcast, a podcast about the foundational knowledge and skills that lie beneath expert clinical practice.

Hosted by Luke Perraton, PhD, physiotherapist and physiothe... more

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about Physio Foundations:

How many episodes does Physio Foundations have?

The podcast currently has 97 episodes available.

Physio Foundations episodes:

February 03, 2023 Exploring the world of sports physiotherapy – with Jodie Dakic
Jodie is a highly experienced sports physiotherapist, physiotherapy educator and emerging researcher in the field of women’s health and physical activity. In this episode I spoke to Jodie about her many years’ experience working in elite sport and the series of ground-breaking studies she is doing as part of her PhD looking at the impact of pelvic health on women’s physical activity. We explored the foundations of Jodie's career and her tips for up and coming practitioners who want to follow a similar path. Enjoy!

In this episode:
0:24 About Jodie
3:00 Jodie’s foundations – training, experience and pathway into elite sport, research and physio education
7:20 What do you love about working as a sports physio?
9:55 ‘I enjoy the pressure’. You have to enjoy striving and succeeding despite the pressure.
14:15 The unromantic side of sports physiotherapy
16:22 Other roles of a sports physiotherapist – triage, liaison, medical referral – building resilience and life experience
18:00 Life skills that develop when you travel with and without a sports team and travelling/working on your own
18:57 The sense of team and community within sports teams and the sports medicine team
22:08 Jodie’s PhD – ground-breaking studies of pelvic health and physical activity for female athletes
27:45 ‘I really believe in what I’m doing’ The driving force behind Jodie’s research
31:35 Jodie’s tips for finding your pathway into research – consider your motivating factors
34:50 You could do your PhD with Jodie one day? Just putting that out there…
35:30 Where can we find out more about Jodie and her work?
37:06 Jodie’s tips for starting a career in sports physiotherapy

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.
Jodie’s academic profile:
Follow Jodie on Twitter: twitter.com/jodiedakic
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
...more
41min
January 19, 2023 Essential knowledge for physiotherapists and physiotherapy students, New Zealand physiotherapy student and educator experiences – with Dr Sarah Ward, PhD
This is part 2 of my conversation with physiotherapist, triathlete and physiotherapy educator Dr Sarah Ward. We discussed Sarah’s experiences as a physio educator in New Zealand and how Sarah and her colleagues help prepare physiotherapy students for the workforce
In this episode:
0:00 Welcome back Sarah
2:50 What physiotherapy courses are there in New Zealand?
5:00 How do you remember anatomy when you return to study?
6:32 Why is anatomy so important?
8:10 The disruptions to education from COVID-19 – New Zealand experiences
14:04 Simulation in physio education. Making teaching relatable
15:32 The difficulties of engaging with students online
19:35 The stale physio academic who trained 30 years ago doesn’t actually exist
20:00 To be a good educator you have to be a good clinician – but being an educator is itself a skill

Sarah’s clinical profile: https://www.sportslab.net.nz/sarah-ward
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahward_nz
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
...more
23min
December 20, 2022 Sarah Ward PhD – ACL research, foundational physiotherapy skills and applying research in the clinic
Sarah Ward is a physiotherapist, researcher, age group champion triathlete and physio educator at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. I spoke to Sarah about balancing research, clinical practice and research, all the wonderful places she has been able to travel to as a physiotherapist. I really enjoyed this conversation with Sarah. If you enjoy it as well please share the episode and remember to follow the show so you can see future episodes like this.

In this episode:
0:20 Welcome Sarah
5:15 Where in the world has your physiotherapy degree taken you?
9:38 I thought I knew what physio was when I started the degree – skills and knowledge to treat the whole person
11:45 What led you from clinical work to research?
16:30 Taking frustrations in the clinic and developing them into research questions
17:00 Persisting quadriceps weakness – thinking beyond the muscle
17:52 How did your PhD change what you do clinically?
20:30 When you don’t have access to fancy tools and technology – basic foundational principles of strengthening and patient education
23:50 Novices – be patient with gaining experience
25:56 Ask questions. Always question things

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.
Sarah’s clinical profile: https://www.sportslab.net.nz/sarah-ward
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahward_nz
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
...more
27min
December 15, 2022Why don’t you teach them this at university? The realities of teaching and learning in an entry-to-practice course. With Pat Vallance
In this episode Pat Vallance and I try to answer the perennial question asked of physiotherapy educators; why don’t you teach them this at university?
In this episode:
3:30 What is realistic to cover in an entry-to-practice course?
5:25 What are we trying to achieve in an entry-to-practice course?
6:05 The aim isn't to specialise - you have 3-4 years to become safe, effective and professional over a wide range of competencies
7:12 The huge challenge of transforming a novice learner into an autonomous professional
8:15 Why don’t we do two years of full time strength and conditioning in entry-to-practice physiotherapy courses?
11:45 The wide range of competencies and skills that are covered in a physiotherapy course. If you add something in you need to take something out
12:30 Competing demands for student’s time and energy – the trade off between surviving and learning
14:00 Having a life outside of study. The importance of having balance, avoiding distractions and burnout
15:35 Why don’t you guys teach them X, or Y, at university?
17:30 When the responsibility for teaching and learning falls beyond the entry-to-practice course
20:37 You don’t have to have a master-level of competency after finishing an undergraduate course
22:45 What mentorship did you seek as a graduate?
25:58 Do you know why physiotherapy courses are so popular?
30:03 The main reason to go to university is to learn how to learn
31:10 How does your engagement as a student in the early years of studying relate to your success in later years?
33:10 The skills that really matter when you are a practitioner – why your marks and grades don’t matter nearly as much as you think they do
38:28 Pat’s example of how he developed a weaker area of his undergraduate study into a PhD

Connect with Pat on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-vallance-1b0713182/?originalSubdomain=au
Follow Pat on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/pat_vallance
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
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.
...more
44min
December 05, 2022How do you become a physiotherapy educator?
I spoke to physiotherapist, PhD student and physio educator Pat Vallance about his pathway from student, to clinician, to PhD student and physiotherapy educator. Pat gave us some tips for learning and being engaged with learning during university training and we finished off our conversation by discussing the perennial question that haunts physiotherapy educators... 'Why don't you guys teach them this stuff at uni?'
In this episode:
2:40 What do you love about teaching?
4:35 About Pat – how did you end up at Monash uni physio teaching with us?
8:22 How do you become a physiotherapy educator?
12:40 What tips would you give physiotherapy or other health professions students?
15:08 Spend the time to plan to prepare yourself to learn
17:26 Learn by teaching to your peers
19:55 The perils of being distracted when studying and the importance of recovering and reflecting
23:05 The most important foundational knowledge and skills for practitioners – communication, particularly informal communication with peers and patients
24:32 Critical thinking and applying information to new circumstances
28:33 A story from Pat about the importance of clinical communication
31:42 Anxiety related to being assessed – get out of your head and listen to the patient
33:30 Why didn’t you teach them that at university? Opening a can of worms

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.
Connect with Pat on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-vallance-1b0713182/?originalSubdomain=au
Follow Pat on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/pat_vallance
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
...more
42min
November 21, 2022The problem with clinical communication part 3 - application in the clinic
Zuzana and I continue our discussion on the application of my 10 tips for clinical communication.

In this episode:
7:13 Motivation interviewing tips – how to engage people and consider their motivations for exercise.
10:05 How confident are you that this week you will get your exercises done?
18:02. The 3 things you need consent for in clinical practice and practical examples
20:35. Give people options so they can give you informed consent.
23:27 Investigate with your communication – Zuzana’s perspectives and examples
29:45 Warning people, without frightening them, warning about risk of reoccurrence
34:10 Give people a couple of tests they can do every day to monitor their condition and reflect on how they can manage their condition.
46:30 Educating people through verbal and non-verbal cues
53:10 Strategies for helping people who are becoming dependent on therapy
56:00 Learn from your patients and have fun in the clinic

Follow and subscribe to Physio Foundations on your favourite podcast app.
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton

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.
...more
59min
November 02, 2022The problem with clinical communication part 2 - applications to real clinical cases
Zuzana and I discuss the application of my 10 tips for clinical communication to clinical cases.

In this episode:
2:30 ‘Now I understand, nobody has explained it to me like that!’. How to tailor your patient education to different people
6:17 The Teach Back method – a powerful way to confirm if the patient understands you, using their own words
7:57 A patient may not be ready to hear what you want to say. Repeat and reinforce important points multiple times.
11:00 Doing ‘hands on’ treatment – this is the perfect time to do some education and explore their perspectives and goals
15:40 Using patient’s jargon to help them understand their problem more deeply.
21:50 The exercises people do have a foundation in clinical communication and humour
23:30 If someone has bought in a radiology report, it is meaningful to them. Don’t ignore it.
26:20 Using literature in your education without just appealing to authority

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.

Follow and subscribe to Physio Foundations on your favourite podcast app.
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
...more
30min
October 15, 2022The problem with clinical communication – 10 tips for foundational clinical communication skills
Join me as I discuss the problem with clinical communication that can affect practitioners at any level and my 10 tips for building solid foundations in your clinical communication.
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.
In this episode:
5:25 What is the problem with clinical communication?
9:33 Tip 1. Slow down and explain what you want to do and why you want to do it
17:51 Tip 2. No jargon!
22:40 Tip 3. Get consent (not negotiable). The three things you need consent for. The enemy of consent is assumption. Explanation and consent come as a package deal and can't be sold separately
28:17 Tip 4. Explain what you are doing while you are doing it. Involve people in the process of assessment and treatment
31:10 Tip 5. Investigate with your communication
38:28 Tip 6. Monitor the effect of interventions
43:03 Tip 7. Warnings
46:03 Tip 8. Verbal and non-verbal cueing
49:28 Tip 9. Summarise
50:41 Tip 10. Link everything back to the person and their condition

Follow and subscribe to Physio Foundations on your favourite podcast app.
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
...more
55min
September 11, 2022 Sports physio in the snow - Zuzana’s week in Falls Creek. ACL injuries, braces, recovery, lots of skiing and how you can do the same.
Last week Zuzana worked as a sports physiotherapist at Falls Creek ski resort in Victoria, Australia. I sat down with Zuzana to talk about her experience. We talked about the common injuries seen in skiing, Zuzana’s previous work with the Australian Paralympic Ski team, ski instructing and bracing for early management of acute ACL injuries. Its always good fun having a chat to @drzuzi herself!
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.
Zuzana’s research profile: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/zperraton/about
Zuzana’s clinical profile: https://www.sportsmedbiologic.com.au/zuzana-perraton.html
Connect with Zuzana on Twitter @DrZuzi https://twitter.com/drzuzi
Follow and subscribe to Physio Foundations on your favourite podcast app.
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

...more
39min
August 07, 2022Jaap Switters – Male chronic pelvic pain. A biopsychosocial approach to diagnosis and management
Jaap Switters is an osteopath and sports/musculoskeletal physiotherapist from Vienna, Austria with a special interest in helping men manage chronic pelvic pain. Jaap and I talked about screening for pelvic pain and other series health conditions, how to ask sensitive questions related to bowel, bladder and sexual function and the biopsychosocial management of chronic pelvic pain, including patient education, exercise and behaviour change.
This is an episode for health professionals of all levels and fields, not just those working in the field of male pelvic health. Enjoy, and thanks Jaap for a great conversation.

Reminder - 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.

In this episode:
0:00 Welcome Jaap
3:58 Getting started in the area of male chronic pelvic pain
6:00 What is the burden of male chronic pelvic pain?
9:58 Men need the courage to seek treatment
14:00 Tips for screening for bladder, bowel and sexual function
18:00 How do you prepare a person to talk about sensitive topics?
21:19 When Dr Google turns the pain volume up
25:15 Helping people change their behaviour to improve their pelvic pain
28:35 Empowering people with motivational interviewing
30:20 The UPOINT system to manage chronic pelvic pain in men
33:00 Published literature by Jaap
35:00 Referred pain, red flags and differential diagnosis of thoracic pain
38:50 Gut feelings. Something is not right
40:25 Multilingual clinical practice. Managing terminology and patient communication in different languages
43:10 Final thoughts – stay open minded and open to new information

Connect with Jaap
https://www.jms-praxis.at/
Using the UPOINT system to manage men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34552790/#:~:text=Methods%3A%20%3A%20CP%2FCPPS%20in,sexual%20dysfunction%20and%20psychiatric%20complaints.

Follow and subscribe to Physio Foundations on your favourite podcast app.
Join the conversation in the YouTube comments or via social media @PerratonPhysio
For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit perraton.physio/physiofoundations
Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.
Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the podcast? Email me: [email protected], or DM me on Twitter @lukeperraton
Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
...more
45min

FAQs about Physio Foundations:

How many episodes does Physio Foundations have?

The podcast currently has 97 episodes available.