May 2025
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Fri, 5 September 2025

174. ACJ - The hidden culprit behind stubborn shoulder pain? Physio Edge Shoulder Success podcast with Jo Gibson

Have any of your shoulder patients improved and then plateaued, unable to regain their full range of movement, or get rid of their painful arc?

Sometimes it’s not the cuff, capsule, nerves or neck—it’s the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) holding things back.

In this episode, Jo Gibson sheds light on this often-overlooked contributor to persistent shoulder pain.

From real patient case studies to the latest research and simple clinic-ready symptom modification tests, Jo shares practical strategies you can use immediately.

Learn how to identify ACJ involvement, and use targeted rehab exercises, symptom modification and treatment strategies to help patients break through their plateau and regain their confidence and range.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro
02:59 - Case study: Patient with shoulder pain
03:29 - Recent research around the ACJ
06:37 - Psychosocial or biomedical factors influencing the ACJ and shoulder pain
06:53 - Role of the ACJ
07:06 - Pain and movement patterns indicating ACJ involvement
08:34 - Protective movement strategies that may affect the ACJ
09:18 - Symptom modification tests
10:08 - Exercises for the ACJ
12:43 - Manual therapy for a stiff ACJ?
15:40 - Summary: When to look at the ACJ

Join the free 7-day Shoulder assessment bootcamp with Jo Gibson and Clinical Edge

Click on an image below to access these free resources from Jo Gibson and Clinical Edge

The handout for this podcast consists of a transcript associated with this podcast.

Shoulder: Steps to Success online course with Jo Gibson

Improve your assessment and treatment of shoulder pain with the Shoulder: Steps to Success online course with Jo Gibson, now available for enrolment at clinicaledge.co/shouldersuccess

Free trial Clinical Edge membership

Use a fresh approach to your musculoskeletal and sports injury treatment with a free trial Clinical Edge membership at clinicaledge.co/freetrial

Links associated with this episode:

Direct download: 174._ACJ_shoulder_pain_Jo_Gibson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:05am AEST

Thu, 7 August 2025

173. Hip flexor pain in runners: Diagnosis, myths, and rehab. Physio Edge Track record: Running repairs podcast with Tom Goom

Anterior hip pain is often blamed on the hip flexors, but in runners, that’s rarely the diagnosis. So how can you identify the real cause and guide patients to a safe, effective recovery?

In this episode, Tom Goom (Running Physio) explores the function of the hip flexors in running, key differentials for anterior hip or groin pain, and practical rehab strategies you can use right away.

You’ll discover:

Why true hip flexor tendinopathy is uncommon in endurance runners
Red flags and key tests to identify bone stress fractures and intra‑articular pathology
Early‑stage loading strategies that protect the tendon from aggravation
The role of the adductors, trunk, and synergistic muscles in successful rehab
Common myths and misconceptions around hip flexors
How to progress rehab to sport‑specific drills and return to running

If you’re a physiotherapist or health professional treating runners, this episode gives you research‑backed, clinically reasoned strategies to assess and manage hip flexor pain with confidence.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
03:35 - Hip flexor function
06:56 - Tip 1 - Is it a hip flexor tendinopathy?
09:48 - Tip 2 - Rehab of hip flexors
11:35 - Tip 3 - Other muscle groups to include in rehab
13:08 - Common misconceptions
13:37 - 1. Pronation
14:49 - 2. Firing order
16:13 - 3. Weak transversus abdominis
17:12 - 4. Rib alignment and breathing patterns

🔗 Free Webinar Alert! Don't miss out on our free webinars for therapists on shin pain and Achilles tendinopathy in runners. Check the link in the description for more information.

Free running injury assessment & treatment video series available now

Improve running injury assessment & treatment now with the Running Repairs Online course with Tom Goom at clinicaledge.co/runningrepairs.

Get free access to the "Tricky tendons" infographic series

Unlock the secrets of successful tendinopathy assessment and treatment with this free infographic series for therapists.

Article associated with this episode:

Links associated with this episode:

Direct download: 173_Hip_flexor_pain_in_runners_Tom_Goom.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:32am AEST

Wed, 16 July 2025

172. Shoulder pain assessment & clinical reasoning. Physio Edge Shoulder Success podcast with Jo Gibson

Your patient presents with shoulder pain, and straight away you need to identify:

Is it rotator cuff related shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, instability, or something else entirely?

Is it rotator cuff related shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, instability, or something else entirely?
Is the pain actually coming from the shoulder?
Could it be the cervical spine?
Is there a tear that needs urgent referral?
Should you order imaging? Refer to a surgeon? Or confidently continue with rehab?

In this podcast, Jo Gibson (Upper Limb Rehabilitation Specialist Physio) guides you through a simple, evidence-informed clinical reasoning framework to help you confidently assess and treat patients with shoulder pain.

Drawing on decades of clinical experience and the latest research, Jo breaks down four essential questions you need to ask in every shoulder assessment—helping you identify red flags, tailor your treatment plan, and avoid common diagnostic pitfalls.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

How to distinguish shoulder pain from cervical spine referral
Key subjective clues that guide your diagnosis and treatment decisions
Whether it’s “torn”—and how to know if a surgical referral is appropriate
Clinical signs that help differentiate frozen shoulder from other causes of stiffness
Why pain irritability matters—and how it impacts your rehab approach
When to use (and when to avoid) imaging
How to identify instability and assess the likelihood of recurrence
What assessment tests to perform in your objective examination
The real value—and limitations—of special tests like the Hawkins-Kennedy, drop arm, Hornblower’s, and more.
How to modify testing to better isolate rotator cuff contributions
Why symptom modification tests are useful—and what they tell you
How to help your patient overcome fear, regain confidence, and move again
What research says about exercise prescription, and how many exercises you should give patients

Listen in to strengthen your clinical reasoning and give your shoulder assessments a clear structure that helps you feel more confident—and gets better outcomes for your patients.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro
03:12 - Subjective clues that guide diagnosis
04:33 - What to call shoulder pain? RCRSP or SAP?
06:04 - 4 key questions to ask
06:29 - Cervical spine driven shoulder pain
10:03 - Is it torn and does it matter?
11:29 - Traumatic dislocations
12:37 - Special tests in the "Is it torn" group
15:56 - Is it stiff?
17:36 - Is it irritable?
20:38 - Can I change it?
23:05 - Summary

Click on an image below to access these free resources from Jo Gibson and Clinical Edge

The handout for this podcast consists of a transcript associated with this podcast.

Shoulder: Steps to Success online course with Jo Gibson

Improve your assessment and treatment of shoulder pain with the Shoulder: Steps to Success online course with Jo Gibson, now available for enrolment at clinicaledge.co/shouldersuccess

Free trial Clinical Edge membership

Use a fresh approach to your musculoskeletal and sports injury treatment with a free trial Clinical Edge membership at clinicaledge.co/freetrial

Links associated with this episode:

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:12 - Subjective clues that guide diagnosis
00:04:33 - What to call shoulder pain? RCRSP or SAP?
00:06:04 - 4 key questions to ask
00:06:29 - Cervical spine driven shoulder pain
00:10:03 - Is it torn and does it matter?
00:11:29 - Traumatic dislocations
00:12:37 - Special tests in the "Is it torn" group
00:15:56 - Is it stiff?
00:17:36 - Is it irritable?
00:20:38 - Can I change it?
00:23:05 - Summary

Direct download: 172.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:53pm AEST

Tue, 8 July 2025

171. Achilles tendon ruptures: Rehab & recovery with Prof. Peter Malliaras

Your patient is running, playing sport, or jumping or lunging forward - an activity with fast eccentric or concentric activity in dorsiflexion,and suddenly they feel like they’ve been kicked in the back of the leg.

They might hear a snap and have difficulty weightbearing, walking and pushing off.

What’s your likely diagnosis?

You picked it - an Achilles tendon (AT) rupture.

AT ruptures are a devastating injury that can drastically impact a patient’s ability to walk, run, or return to sport.

Despite their frequency, there’s a lot of uncertainty among clinicians, patients, and even surgeons around how to best assess, treat, and rehabilitate Achilles tendon ruptures.

Patients are often fearful of doing the wrong thing and re-rupturing the tendon.

Therapists often follow a non-surgical protocol of putting people in a boot, but are unsure how to progress, how fast to progress and what to do during and after they’re in the boot.

An even bigger problem than AT re-rupture is the very common issue of an elongated tendon where patients have long-term difficulty with calf weakness and inefficiency, walking long distances, hopping, jumping, and returning to sport.

In this podcast, David Pope (APA Titled Musculoskeletal and Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist) is joined by Prof. Peter Malliaras (Specialist Physiotherapist FACP, clinician and researcher with a PhD in tendinopathy) to explore the latest evidence, clinical insights, and rehab strategies for Achilles tendon ruptures.

Peter draws on his extensive clinical experience, recent research, and the development of a specialist Achilles rupture service at OrthoSport Victoria to help guide your decision-making and treatment approach.

In this podcast, you’ll discover:

The mechanism of injury and clinical presentation of Achilles tendon ruptures.
Key diagnostic tests and how to avoid missed or delayed diagnoses.
Common pitfalls that lead to tendon elongation—and how to prevent them.
When to recommend surgical vs non-surgical management.
A new, innovative approach to strengthening the Achilles tendon while the patient is in the boot.
How to safely begin loading the Achilles in the early phase of rehab.
Strategies to protect against tendon elongation during and after boot use.
Whether we should be stretching or trying to improve dorsiflexion.
Objective strength criteria to guide progression through rehab stages.
Return-to-walking and return-to-sport timeframes—and how to individualise them.
What to do when patients present late or have already developed elongation.
Complications to watch for post-injury or post-surgery.
How to help patients navigate the psychological and motivational challenges of recovery.

Listen to this episode to gain clarity on Achilles tendon rupture assessment and rehab, and develop a structured, evidence-based approach you can apply immediately in your clinical practice.

Timeline

00:06:23 Problems Physios and patients face with AT ruptures?

00:09:29 Subjective - How to identify a likely AT

00:12:03 Who gets an AT rupture?

00:18:45 Why do AT's rupture?

00:20:06 Misdiagnosis

00:24:14 Surgical or non-surgical management?

00:30:25 Elongation - Improve dorsiflexion or make the AT stiffer?

00:36:53 Safe loading in the boot & progressions

00:42:49 When to start exercising in the boot

00:46:08 Elongation - why is it a problem?

00:54:00 Bent or straight knee calf exercises?

00:59:55 RTP - How long does it take?

01:03:32 Surgical vs non-surgical timeframes

01:04:25 Assessment and diagnosis of AT ruptures

01:08:40 Initial management of an AT rupture

01:11:26 Education - What to tell patients

01:12:54 Imaging

01:14:57 Delayed presentation - How to manage

01:16:10 Red flags & complications

01:19:10 Walking - How to guide patients as they come out of the boot

01:21:27 Exercise progressions after the boot

01:23:48 Key takehome messages

Get free access to the "Tricky tendons" infographic series

Unlock the secrets of successful tendinopathy assessment and treatment with this free infographic series for therapists.

Links associated with this episode:

Research associated with this podcast

Direct download: 171.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:05pm AEST

Wed, 9 April 2025

170. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) injuries with Dr Lachlan Giles

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a popular grappling-based martial art that uses joint locks and chokes to subdue or submit opponents. It’s an intense, physically demanding sport with complex movements and submission techniques that involve a risk of injury, particularly to the knees, shoulders, elbows, neck, and lower back. It’s important for Physiotherapists and health professionals who treat BJJ athletes to understand the different mechanisms of injury, movements and positions athletes need to be able to perform, so they can develop successful rehabilitation programs, and safely and successfully return athletes to training. In this podcast, David Pope (APA Titled Musculoskeletal and Sports and Exercise Physio) explores BJJ injuries with Dr. Lachlan Giles—a BJJ black belt and world-class BJJ competitor, including 1st Place IBJJF Pan-Pacific Championship 2016 & 2017, 3rd place ADCC 2019 Open weight division and many more accomplishments. Lachlan is also a BJJ coach to top level competitors, including Levi Jones-Leary, Craig Jones before he moved to DDS, and a Physiotherapist with a PhD in knee pain and rehab. Lachlan shares his extensive experience treating and managing BJJ injuries, drawing from the research, as well as his clinical knowledge and personal experience as an elite grappler and BJJ coach. In this podcast, we discuss:

The challenges physiotherapists face when treating BJJ athletes and how to adapt rehab programs for them.
Common areas injured in BJJ.
What commonly causes knee injuries, including LCL and ACL sprains, in BJJ.
Different positions athletes need to get into in BJJ, why it’s important to understand these positions, and how you can use this to guide your rehab and return to sport.
Strength vs flexibility vs conditioning? Which factors are critical in injury recovery, prevention and performance?
Practical strategies for modifying training and load to allow injured athletes to continue training safely.
The role of neck strengthening in protecting against neck injuries from chokes and takedowns.
How to structure a safe return-to-play progression for knee, back, and rib injuries.
Key factors that impact athlete recovery. When athletes can continue training, when and how to modify training and when to recommend complete rest. The impact of training style, intensity, and mindset on injury risk and longevity in the sport. How older athletes can adjust their game to have fewer injuries while continuing to train and compete. Listen to this podcast now to have a better understanding of BJJ injuries, rehabilitation, and strategies to help athletes successfully get back to or continue training and competing in BJJ.

Get free access to the "Tricky tendons" infographic series

Unlock the secrets of successful tendinopathy assessment and treatment with this free infographic series for therapists.

Links

Chapters:

04:40 - Lachlan's PhD
10:06 - Can VMO be targeted with rehab?
14:06 - What challenges do Physios face when treating BJJ athletes?
17:03 - When to allow patients to continue training
19:35 - Different types of training
21:36 - Lachlan's training with an LCL injury
26:53 - Common injuries in BJJ
29:18 - Other areas injured in BJJ, and why low back pain occurs
33:39 - How BJJ athletes can train to stay healthy and avoid injury
37:05 - Getting back to training and rolling
42:23 - Tests before patients "invert" with their legs over their head
48:11 - Leg entanglement, 50/50 and leg locks
52:09 - Positions to use when coming back from an injury
53:08 - Rib and costochondral injuries
59:44 - Forearm periostitis

Direct download: 170._BJJ_injuries_with_Dr_Lachlan_Giles.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:40am AEST

Sat, 29 March 2025

169. Beyond stretching: How to create lasting flexibility. Physio Edge Running repairs podcast with Tom Goom

Static stretching has long been used to improve flexibility, but research shows its effects are often short-lived. So how can you help patients achieve lasting improvements? In this episode, Tom Goom (Running Physio) explores exercises you can provide to patients to increase muscle fascicle length, improve flexibility, and reduce injury risk. You’ll discover:

Why static stretching alone may not create long-term flexibility gains
Exercises to improve muscle length and function
Key training parameters for effective flexibility training
Strategies to maintain flexibility improvements over time If you’re a physiotherapist or health professional looking for research-backed flexibility strategies, this episode is packed with practical insights!

🔗 Free Webinar Alert! Don't miss out on our free webinars for therapists on shin pain and Achilles tendinopathy in runners. Check the link in the description for more information.

Free running injury assessment & treatment video series available now

Improve running injury assessment & treatment now with the Running Repairs Online course with Tom Goom at clinicaledge.co/runningrepairs.

Get free access to the "Tricky tendons" infographic series

Unlock the secrets of successful tendinopathy assessment and treatment with this free infographic series for therapists.

Article associated with this episode:

Links associated with this episode:

Direct download: 169.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:50pm AEST

Thu, 20 February 2025

168. How to explain shoulder pain to patients. Physio Edge Shoulder Success podcast with Jo Gibson

How do the terms we use influence a patient’s understanding of their shoulder pain, their recovery expectations, and even their treatment choices? In this episode of the Physio Edge Shoulder Success Podcast, Jo Gibson (Upper Limb Rehabilitation Specialist Physio), explores the power of language in physiotherapy and how our explanations can either support or hinder a patient’s progress.

Drawing on research and real-world clinical experience, Jo discusses a compelling case study:

Persistent shoulder pain after multiple treatments – A patient with years of ongoing pain, failed surgeries, and various diagnoses struggles to make sense of their condition. Despite normal imaging, they avoid activity and seek repeated treatments, caught in a cycle of fear and uncertainty.

Jo unpacks key questions around patient communication:

How do diagnostic labels like "impingement" or "rotator cuff tear" shape patient beliefs?
Why do patients often focus on the most negative aspects of their diagnosis?
How can we explain shoulder pain in a way that reassures rather than reinforces fear?

You’ll also gain practical strategies to:

Explore what patients understand about their diagnosis and how it influences their behavior.
Use language that encourages confidence and movement rather than avoidance.
Identify non-verbal cues that indicate uncertainty or distress in your patients.

With evidence-based insights and actionable communication tips, this episode will help you refine your patient interactions and improve rehabilitation outcomes.

Listen now to discover how small changes in your language can make a big impact on your patients’ recovery.

Click on an image below to access these free resources from Jo Gibson and Clinical Edge

The handout for this podcast consists of a transcript associated with this podcast.

Shoulder: Steps to Success online course with Jo Gibson

Improve your assessment and treatment of shoulder pain with the Shoulder: Steps to Success online course with Jo Gibson, now available for enrolment at clinicaledge.co/shouldersuccess

Free trial Clinical Edge membership

Use a fresh approach to your musculoskeletal and sports injury treatment with a free trial Clinical Edge membership at clinicaledge.co/freetrial

Links associated with this episode:

Direct download: 168.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:06pm AEST