The Physio Pulse Podcast

Is three sets per exercise better than one set for women with patellofemoral pain? We look at a randomised controlled trial that asks just that! Please note, this episode is not intended to be medical advice.

James is left to run the Pod Jeff has some... very unusual answers to a listener question What happens when you scan over a 1000 shoulders in a health adult population? Does this redefine what a normal shoulder is? And how normal is a rotator cuff tear? Incidental Rotator Cuff Abnormalities on MRI Ibounig et al 2026

Could we be in the middle of the biggest breakthrough in MSK medicine? James and Jeff check out the 2026 paper - Neuroimmune interactions in musculoskeletal conditions: An introduction for clinicians https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103469

We dive into a paper looking at a relatively novel measurement of quadriceps tendon alignment which has been associated with lateral patella tracking and lateral facet patellofemoral osteoarthritic changes. Is it just the tendon or the whole muscle? Does VMO volume differ with tendon position? We then go on to discuss investigating recalcitrant anterior knee pain and the reasoning for this. James...

Unfortunately, James is still getting shown who is boss by bacteria so we were unable to release a new episode this week. Therefore we have seized the opportunity to re-release our episode all about exercise intensity and knee osteoarthritis, the results of which might surprise you if you haven't listened before. Please note, this episode is not intended to be medical advice.

James was bunking off so Jeff seized the opportunity to talk about the 10 year results of the FIDELITY study comparing meniscal debridement for degenerative tears, to sham surgery! Please note, this is episode is not intended to act as medical advice.

We cover two HUGE randomised controlled trials that look at the clinical effectiveness of hip arthroscopy versus rehabilitation for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. Often, these get summarised as surgery simply outperforming rehabilitation. Whilst true, there is so much more to unpack! UK Fashion (Griffin et al, 2018) FAIT (Palmer et al, 2019) Please note, this podcast is not intended to act...

It's 2026 and we are only getting the first RCT comparing Physio treatments for FAI?? Hot off the press Kemp et al 2026Physiotherapist-led treatment for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (the PhysioFIRST study): https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2026/05/03/bjsports-2025-110986

A little bit of a different format this week. We discuss the articles we have each recently written for MSK Mag (by Physio Matters). The argument for an MSK only degree, and why being nice is detrimental for us as a profession. This was great to revisit and explore in a little more free-flowing detail. We highly recommend checking out MSK Mag , not for us, but for the tonnes of high quality author...

This week, Jeff and James talk internal / external focus of attention in ACL testing, ramble unnecessarily about isokinetic dynamometry and testing philosophy.

This week.... We discuss the Bender et al paper from 2023 Does Your Bedside Neurological Examination for Suspected Peripheral Neuropathies Measure https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2022.11281 and... Jeff debriefs about his recent BASK conference James has some nerdy nerve facts

This week we discuss similar cases we have experienced regarding Achilles tendinopathies and ruptures associated with certain types of antibiotics. Please note, this episode is not intended to be medical advice.

This week - Jeff opens a beer - James has a case study - We get into the weird world of scapula's Does scapula movement matter? and if so, when? We look at the 2026 Villa-Dieguez et al paper Clinicians who think scapular dyskinesis is important are more likely to identify it in healthy individuals https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12929090/

A little bit of a different approach this week, we look to a clinical commentary on rehabilitation following a CAM resection in people who also have 'borderline' hip dysplasia. We spend the first half hour going over some basic principles which are fundamental to our critiques, before going over the protocol itself. Please note, nothing in this episode is intended to be medical advice. Fin...

This week we look at a large 2026 Meta Analysis comparing arthritis rates in ACL reconstruction vs conservatively management! - Is there a long term difference in OA rates? - What predicts higher levels of OA? Shah et al 2026 - The Long-term Radiographic Fate of theChronically ACL-Deficient Knee: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Matched Cohort StudiesDOI: 10.1177/03635465251405438

In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of Masters level education, particularly as it applies to job progression within the NHS before moving on to a case study of James' that is all about medial foot pain! Please note, this episode is not intended to give any medical advice.

Today on Physio pulse we discuss the 2026 "PROP OA" study The largest study looking at bracing for knee OA https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-086005

Arthroscopic subacromial decompression has cost healthcare systems billions over the decades. No trial to date has demonstrated superiority of this surgery over placebo surgery or an exercise based approach. We run through 10 year results of the FIMPACT trial and discuss... should this surgery still be offered? Please note, this episode is not intended to act as medical advice.

We've had loads of new followers and we thought this week it would be great to revisit one of our first ever episodes looking at the RESTORE trial. CFT treatment for chronic lower back pain We hope you enjoy!

Today we discuss an interesting 2026 paper looking at long term outcomes for Cross Bracing ACL ruptures. DOI:  10.1097/JSM.0000000000001416 What is cross bracing? Where did it come from? How does it compare to surgery in an athletic population?

Jeff has been waiting a while to discuss this paper that has been widely shared by a high impact journal (BJSM) and appears to have gained a lot of attention since its publication. Are we justified in heavily critiquing this paper? Are we taking crazy pills?! Is the spin in the abstract a cause for concern and something we should rightly be angry about? Have a read for yourself and let us know you...

In this episode, we speak with Jack Chew. A huge figure in the world of Physiotherapy Jack reflects on his rapid early career, including becoming the youngest Band 8a Physiotherapist. We then explore the origins of the MSK Reform Movement. Why it emerged, what it set out to challenge, and the resistance it encountered, before discussing Jack’s subsequent move into the CSP, and what he learned tryi...

This week we host the amazing S+C professor, author and coach Dan Cleather to discuss concepts from his lesser talked about books 'The Little Black Book of Training Wisdom' and 'Subvert' (Jeff and James' favourite). Topics include philosophy of science through an anarchist lens, fundamental concepts in coaching people and why Dan is cautious when it comes to adopting language associated with Dynam...

This week.... Jeff causes a PR nightmare for Physio Pulse on social media... How should Physio courses better prepare students for MSK work? We discuss ACL limb symmetry index, is there a better way we can be testing this? or WHEN we test this - https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2017.7285

This week we have an honest discussion about the importance of NOT using some words when chatting with patients, alongside some discussion on how to balance empathy and understanding without losing the clarity of our messages. Please note, this episode is not intended to provide medical advice.