The Back Pain Podcast

Rob and Dave are both seeing patients every day in their clinics and in this episode they take a look at how things have changed over the last 10 years They share the learning that has changed how they work with their patients and discuss the vital importance of movement and how evolving to work with patients as someone who is supporting that individual’s journey to recovery, not the hero clinicia...

Rob and Dave are looking at some of the most frequently asked questions from the communities they work with and in this episode share great content in answer to a question on the difference between chronic and acute They also discuss what Kinesio tape and foam rolling actually do and what part of the routine where  Kinesio tape and foam rollers  are used is really important, listen in and hear the...

Rob and Dave talk with Martin Christensen, a physiotherapist who joins them from Norway Martin has gained a huge following for his Friday Physio Confessions and in this episode talks about the importance of building relationships and discusses why it’s vital that patients understand that physios are human and like all humans will make mistakes. If you want to know what a good clinician and patient...

Dave and Rob are joined by Adam Dobson regular on the podcast and Annina Schmid, physiotherapist and neuroscience researcher who leads the Neuromusculoskeletal Health and Science Lab at the University of Oxford. They discuss in detail radiculopathy, what it is and how it is diagnosed. With the neurological examination a key clinical diagnosis this is a great opportunity to hear about how Annina ef...

Dave is going solo and shares the advice and reminders that everyone venturing back out into the garden really needs to hear because it’s this time of the year that many clinicians are seeing a very specific patient – the gardener There's lots you can do from strength work throughout the year through to changing it up with different tasks and knowing when to stop As the sun starts  to shine listen...

Rob is a guest on the Knowledge Exchange podcast talking about misconnections and what good quality care looks like He discusses the power of the words and language used by practitioners and explains why he is an advocate for clear and simple communication with patients. Practitioners need to understand where patients are coming from and acknowledge their beliefs working with them to support them...

As they reach the milestone hundredth episode of The Back Pain Podcast, hosts Dave and Rob reflect on their guests and how the knowledge they have shared has impacted their own learning and professional practice They look back at some of their favourite and most significant episodes and share some great moments of advice and learning that will help anyone to understand more about mindset, the brai...

Dave explains why it’s important that your recovery is not just measured by an improvement in your pain levels but also by progress in the function and movement you want to achieve from being able to run a marathon through to being able to pick up your child Pain maybe the tipping point that led to you seeking intervention but your ‘why’ the motivation and goals you have are crucial in your journe...

Elizabeth Huzzey who has over 30 years of clinical experience specialises in headache disorders and in this episode discusses the development and increasing knowledge about different types of headaches that can be experienced Understanding your headache is vital so that you can choose how to manage your headaches and seek help from the right professional Elizabeth shares informative content on the...

In this episode, Dr Louis Howe researcher and strength and conditioning coach discusses lumbar spine flexion and getting out of neutral He explains the current research and how in real life spinal flexion can’t be stopped but can be managed with the right strategies to avoid end range motion This is a fascinating episode for both professional practitioners and individuals who want to understand mo...

Rob is going solo this week with a great episode about exercise, when to do and what it can help you to achieve He explains the vital role exercise plays and how he works with his patients to build movement that can improve experiences of pain Exercise is a positive way to self-manage back pain and there are a multitude of ways to exercise, listen in and get started   KEY TAKEAWAYS Exercises are u...

Dave talks with Tracey ‘The Sleep Coach’ about what leads to poor sleep and insomnia along with how you can change things to achieve good sleep A good night’s sleep is the foundation for feeling good and being able to do what you want to do during the day so good sleep is always important Tracey shares practical tips on what you can do to optimise your sleep so that the sleep you get during the ni...

Rob and Dave are sharing invaluable content today as they explain some common imaging findings and how they would discuss them with their own patients Having someone explain your scan to you is really important because, as Rob and Dave explain any diagnosis is made from a combining of  the information from your medical history, your physical examination alongside any imaging There are normal age-r...

Should I stop bending over? We are taught early on about how bending or lifting must be done in a particular way to protect our backs but is there a right way to do it and is bending a trigger for back pain? In this episode, Rob shares great content and the answers to the questions people are always asking about bending and its connection to stress and pain. He also explains how to build and prepa...

Dave and Rob discuss a topic that reoccurs often in their Facebook community – MRI scans when to have them when they are not needed and using the right language to discuss them This episode is a great reminder about the importance of explanation and the right language around MRI’s and how they are an amazing tool but only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to the diagnosis of back pain. Listen...

In this ‘ask us anything’ episode hear about pelvic tilt, asymmetry, and the answers to whether massage guns help and if core bracing is beneficial Rob shares great content and clear explanations about what actions will make a difference and discusses the importance of movement in this informative episode    KEY TAKEAWAYS Pelvic tilt is commonly blamed by people for their pain Asymmetry is perfect...

Rob Beaven goes solo this week and shares more great tips about changes you can make that will have a cumulative positive impact on your pain He discusses why building resilience and becoming more anti-fragile really can make the difference and how making changes to your sleep environment and recognising the role stress plays in your pain can change your journey to recovery   KEY TAKEAWAYS A lack...

Communication isn’t just words, it affects the way we think and feel and in this, not to be missed, episode Jarod Hall, physical therapist, and co-author of ‘Making Sense of Pain’ talks with Dave and Rob about the importance of communication and the way it impacts on us all differently according to our personal history, experiences and beliefs He shares great content for clinicians about the ways...

In this special New Year’s episode, Rob and Dave say a huge thank you and reflect on some of their favourite bits from the last 12 months discussing back pain with the world’s foremost experts. It’s been a successful year for the podcast because of the people who have reached out and asked the questions that have formed the basis for the episodes so if there is something you want to hear about bac...

Rob and Dave take a look at the question of the best sleep position to avoid back pain and explain what everyone can do to get the best quality of sleep Ultimately good quality sleep plays an important role in any recovery so this should be the focus, getting the sleep is always more important than how you sleep, listen in and hear more   KEY TAKEAWAYS The best position to sleep in is the one that...

Rob and Dave continue their discussion around what they talk most about with patients on a daily basis. In this episode, they bust the myths and misconceptions about whether your back is fragile and weak and look at the narrative around ‘putting your back out’ They share great information and content in a way that is easy to understand and explain how they work with their clients towards successfu...

Join your host Rob and Laura Rathbone, a pain specialist and clinician who in this episode talks about what it’s like to have chronic pain and how Acceptance and Commitment therapy can play an important role in being able to move forward. There isn’t universal biology for pain, it’s a nuanced experience created in the individual. Pain has psychological experiences within it along with biological p...

Dave and Rob are joined again by specialist back pain physiotherapist, Adam Dobson and are discussing spinal stenosis They talk about what lumber spinal stenosis is and why for some it creates no problems and for others, it will mean treatment to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life Adam shares great information and advice on what to do if it does cause you problems and explains how exer...

Rob talks with Diarmuid Denneny a lead physiotherapist, Chair of the Physiotherapist  Pain Association, and member of the guideline development committee for the NICE chronic pain guidelines in an episode that shares great informative content about the topic that is currently very high profile – the recommendations around prescribing opioids for back pain. Diarmuid explains what the recommendation...

Dr Mark Laslett is a specialist Musculoskeletal physiotherapist based in New Zealand with a particular interest in predicting the structure that is the source of pain. Adam Meakins is a physiotherapist and co-founder of the educational company ‘The Better Clinician Project’ In this much-anticipated discussion they talk at length about low back pain, Adam’s back injury, his recovery, deadlifting an...