Plantaris tendinopathy and compression of Plantaris on the Achilles has been shown to play a role in some cases of Achilles Tendinopathy, slowing down their rate of rehabilitation progress.

Dr Christoph Spang is a Biologist and Sports Scientist, and completed a PhD on “The plantaris tendon in relation to the Achilles tendon in midportion Achilles tendinopathy”. In this podcast we discuss the interaction of Plantaris in patients with midportion Achilles Tendinopathy, including:

• Why consider Plantaris in Achilles Tendinopathy patients?
• How can Plantaris cause or be involved in Achilles pain?
• Anatomy, function and role of Plantaris
• What interaction does Plantaris have with the Achilles and calf?
• Do patients with Plantaris involvement respond to a loading program?
• What is the clinical presentation of a patient with Plantaris involvement?
• How can Ultrasound or Ultrasound Tissue Characterisation (UTC) be utilised to identify Plantaris?
• The role of injection therapy
• Surgical treatment

Links of Interest

Get your free access to videos on Lower Limb Tendinopathy

Dr Christoph Spang at UMU

Dr Christoph Spang’s PhD Thesis

Dr Christoph Spang on Research Gate

David Pope on Twitter

Out very soon…. Conservative management of Plantaris involvement in Achilles Tendinopathy with Seth O’Neill

Patellofemoral joint pain (PFJP) is very common in adolescents, and in the Physio Edge podcast episode 39, I discuss causes, assessment and treatment with the author of numerous studies on PFJP in Adolescents, Dr Michael Rathleff.

You will explore: 

• Different types/groups of Adolescents that suffer with PFJP
• Common reasons for failure of Physiotherapy
• Diagnosis and DDx of PFJP
• Examination of the knee
• Treatment of PFJP
• How to tailor and progress your exercise programs
• The use of orthotics
• Taping
• The usefulness of stretching
• Prognosis & predictors of recovery
• Biomechanics
• and more.

I have also created a free handout to supplement and help you get the most from this podcast, which you can download here

Dr Michael Rathleff also provided great insights into Loading Programs for Plantar Fasciopathy on the Physio Edge podcast episode 38, also well worth a listen if you haven’t already. 

Plantar Fasciopathy (Plantar heel pain) can be a stubborn condition to treat, or you can learn to love treating it like Dr Michael Rathleff, incorporate the right loading program and activity modification and get some great results.

In episode 38 of the Physio Edge podcast, I talk to Dr Michael Rathleff, author of the RCT “High-load strength training improves outcome in patients with plantar fasciitis: A randomized controlled trial with 12-month follow-up: HL strength training and plantar fasciitis”.

We discuss:

• Common mistakes in the treatment of plantar fasciopathy (PF)
• How we can improve our treatment of PF
• Why call it plantar fasciopathy instead of plantar fasciitis?
• Research on PF
• Loading programs for PF
• Patient advice
• Activity modification
• Running load modification
• Short and long term results from loading the plantar fascia
• Considerations when treating PF
• Who is not suitable for a loading program
• Who respond the best to this program, and who responds the least
• How to modify the loading program
• Development of PF
• Running technique
• Treatment or strengthening of other areas
• Stretching
• Orthotics
• Cortisone
• Plantar fascia tears

Links of interest

• Subscribe to the Physio Edge podcast in iTunes
• Dr Michael Rathleff on ResearchGate
• Dr Michael Rathleff on Twitter
• “High-load strength training improves outcome in patients with plantar fasciitis: A randomized controlled trial with 12-month follow-up: HL strength training and plantar fasciitis”
• BJSM Blogpost by Michael Rathleff on Plantar Fasciopathy
• Clinical Edge Online Education
• Virtual conferences with Physio Edge and Clinical Edge
• Physioedge on Facebook
• David on Twitter

Persistent pain can be a challenge, but also enjoyable to treat. In this episode of the Physio Edge podcast, Mike Stewart and I focus on specific examples and case studies of patients with complex or persistent pain, how you may approach persistent pain patients, explain their pain, use metaphors and explanations so they understand it, and help guide them through the recovery process.

Mike and I get into the details on:

• Why Physios need a deep understanding of pain science
• How does the “bio” part come into bio-pscyho-social
• How can we identify if the patient needs pain education, further investigations, a biological approach eg specific exercise
• How can you incorporate pain science into the treatment of patients with acute pain
• Mike’s top tips when working with persistent pain
• Specific case studies of patients with persistent and complex back pain, and how Mike has worked with these patients, including their presentation, beliefs, Mike’s language used in their session, activity modification and results achieved with these patients
• How to develop our teaching skills to achieve the best results with our patients

Links of Interest

• Mike Stewart
• Know Pain
• Courses with Mike Stewart
• Mike Stewart on Twitter
• Facebook
• David on Twitter

Clinical Edge discounts for Undergraduate Physio students available by emailing verification of your student status to info@clinicaledge.co

The advanced stages of ACL rehabilitation are enjoyable to progress your patients through, and at the same time challenging to find the right exercises, and optimise the rate of progression through to return to training (RTT) and return to play (RTP). In this episode, Enda King from the Sports Surgery Clinic Dublin and David Pope discuss these later stages of rehabilitating your patients following an ACL Reconstruction.

We discussed the prehabilitation and early stage ACL Rehab in the Physio Edge podcast episode 32, and episode 34 Enda and I cover in detail:

• Return to straight line running and change of direction
• Advanced Exercise Programming
• What exercises to choose
• Proprioception and motor control training
• Strength and power programming
• Periodisation
• Sports specific conditioning
• Plyometrics – readiness, what to use and timing of these in the training schedule
• Multi-directional performance
• Strength testing – what Enda uses, indicators of strength
• Decisions on return to training
• Return to contact
• Decision making on Return to play
• Bridging the gap between the gym and the field
• Advice for Physios rehabilitating athletes recovering from an ACL reconstruction
• When to discharge an ACL athlete and much more

Links of interest

• Physio Edge podcast episode 32 – How to rehabilitate ACL Injuries with Enda King
• Enda King
• Enda on Twitter @enda_king
• Sports Surgery Clinic, Dublin
• SSC Research Foundation
• David Pope on Twitter
• Clinical Edge
• Review the podcast in iTunes

Anterior knee pain can occur in your elite sports patients right through to office workers and weekend warriors. In this podcast with Kurt Lisle, we discuss anterior knee pain, the causes, how to diagnose the source of the pain, and the best ways to treat and rehabilitate these patients.

Kurt Lisle is the Australian Socceroos Physio and co-owner of The Knee Joint Physio in Queensland. Kurt and I discussed acute knee injuries on the Physio Edge podcast in episode 29, and I really wanted to get Kurt back on the podcast to discuss the anterior knee.

In this fantastic, detailed episode of the Physio Edge podcast, Kurt and I explore:

• Subjective clues that give you ideas about differential diagnosis
• Fat pad - location of pain, activities that irritate
• Patellofemoral joint - aggravating activities and DDx
• Patellar tendon - subjective clues, location of pain
• Objective examination of the anterior knee
• Tests for PFJ
• Functional tests first or examination on the treatment table?
• Palpation of the anterior knee
• Fat pad palpation and tests
• Is the fat pad tender medial and laterally, or can it be tender only on one aspect
• Neuromuscular patterning
• Squat and one leg squat examination
• What causes “catching” pain on movement
• Chondral defects - identifying
• Is there value in the grind test
• When to refer for MRI and other imaging
• Important factors that may contribute to AKP
• Gait contributors to AKP
• Treatment of PFJ pain
• Modifying PFJ aggravating activities
• Using EMG
• Quadricep rehabilitation and strengthening
• When to incorporate squats into your rehabilitation program
• The role of taping for PFJ or fat pad irritation
• Red flags causing knee pain

Links of Interest

• Kurt Lisle
• The Knee Joint Physiotherapy, Bokarina, QLD
• Socceroos
• Review the Physio Edge podcast in iTunes
• Clinical Edge