The Back Pain Podcast

Lots more questions from the community and more great answers in this episode from - ‘Everyone keeps telling me to move but it just causes me more pain?’ through to how to achieve more resilience and an explanation of the difference between chronic and acute pain This is a chance to hear the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions and move forward in your recovery   KEY TAKEAWAYS If...

In this Q and A episode, Rob and Dave look at a question from their Facebook community about when you should return to work if you have back pain They have great information about graded exposure to practise movement and help the back to adapt before you return to the workplace and they also share great tips on how to balance and vary your movement activities when you are at work so that your body...

Rob looks at disc bulges and explains why for some there is little or no pain whilst others experience pain that impacts every aspect of their daily lives. He discusses the key questions that can help in understanding an individual’s experience of pain and explains how slow and subtle changes to the body are perceived very differently from sudden changes, which can be interpreted as a threat and e...

This is a patient story with a twist because the patient is practitioner Dr Jacob Harden, a chiropractor based in Florida He shares a unique insight into his journey living with and recovering from sciatica and discusses managing pain and the impact on his mental health. There are lots  of great takeaways from this episode with great advice on how to track your progress and get back to daily routi...

In this episode, Jared Powell host of ‘On the Shoulders of Giants’ YouTube channel oversees a fascinating discussion with Greg Lehman and Andrew Lock who are debating  lifting techniques and lower back pain Both hold strong opinions and share great insights into their personal position and why they hold the opinions they do in this insightful and absorbing discussion Whether you are lifting a box...

Rob and Dave are joined by Dr Ollie Thomson and one of his patients, Paul, who shares his experience of complex back pain and his journey to recovery. Following back surgery, Paul experienced chronic pain resulting in him seeing a number of different practitioners in his quest to successfully recover but as he explains in this fascinating episode it was working with, Dr Ollie Thomson, a profession...

Rob and Dave are talking with Rebecca host of the ‘Better Doctor Project’ podcast about misinformation and how getting the right information can be life-changing They discuss some of the misinformation they encounter most frequently and how to move forward from it Pain equals damage and the human body being fragile are common misconceptions that can result in people stopping activities and movemen...

Dave Skolnik, Doctor of Physical Therapy and co-host of ‘The Essential Strength’ podcast discusses if  lifting could actually be good for our backs and how to build resilience As Dave says in reality  “lifting is a non-optional part of the human experience so you might as well get good at it” and in this episode, he shares how you can use exercise to prepare your body for life both physically and...

Dave and Rob answer questions from their communities and in this episode look at what it means when your practitioner says, ‘It’s all in your head’ and share great advice on how pain works and the individual response to it If you are concerned about your posture and think it’s contributing to your back pain will a posture correction device help? Dave has great advice and a clear explanation of wha...

This is the third instalment of the mini-series covering everything Rob and Dave think everyone should know about back pain and looks at what you should expect from a good consultation. Adam Dobson, specialist physiotherapist  discusses the  five things you should expect from any good consultation from being listened to through to a comprehensive recap. There is lots of great advice to take away a...

Rob is joined by Jack March as they discuss Osteoporosis and its impact on back pain. https://rheumatology.physio/ THE BACK PAIN PODCAST PROVIDER MAP - FINDING SOMEONE TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR BACK PAIN https://thebackpainpodcast.com/index.php/members-map/ VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain Podcast The Back Pain Podcast website The Back Pain Podcast recommended products affiliate link Our Rode Mixer ht...

People are now thinking about holidays and you might be worried that your back is going to slow you down before you even get there so Dave shares great tips and advice for those with back pain who are travelling If you plan ahead and use Dave’s super simple tips for pain-free travel you can reach your destination in better shape and with less pain  KEY TAKEAWAYS Plan ahead -  if you know that sitt...

Rob goes solo in this episode and is talking about fear avoidance behaviour – when you avoid certain movements due to pain and how it can be overcome. He discusses how it’s possible for fear-avoidance behaviours over an extended period of time can ultimately lead to increased sensitivity and pain and how to break the cycle Fear-avoidance behaviours are often seen with lower back pain so this is an...

Rob and Dave talk about all things MRIs in this episode and share great information on the role and importance of MRIs as part of the medical diagnostic toolkit for back pain They also discuss why it’s the reporting and lack of presentation that can be the problem and how this information must be used in correlation with other symptoms for a working diagnosis. If you have ever wondered why, you we...

In the first episode of this mini-series, Rob and Dave begin the discussion about what everyone should know about back pain by looking at pain. Pain is real for anyone who is suffering with it but Dave and Rob explain why it doesn’t always mean damage and how the brain can both up-regulate and down-regulate the experience of pain. Listen in and learn how your experience of pain is impacted by your...

Any treatment plan needs to be one that works and in this episode, Dave and Rob share a great overview of what to look for to get the best therapist for you as an individual. Because we are all completely unique and individual every good therapist will create a personalised treatment plan, designed to achieve the goals and outcomes you have discussed together. Listen in and hear about the key thin...

Anti-fragility is the next level in resilience and creating robustness, it’s about not only bouncing back but bouncing back better and stronger. Rob and Dave explain the concept of anti-fragility and why it can make the difference for back pain with graded exposure to stressors helping you to develop better adaptation to the unknown stressors we all face each day and brings growth on the other sid...

Physiotherapist Adam Meakins gets into the detail about what good exercise is and how the right exercise can help individuals to build strength In today’s society, humans move less but it’s really important to move more - that’s what humans are designed to do and Adam explains how exercise exposes you to effort, challenge and difficulty and means you are more robust and resilient to all challenges...

Zoe Clark, osteopath and educator with a special interest in Axial SpA talks about the condition and how although it affects around 1 in 200 people in the UK currently the average time frame from getting symptoms to diagnosis is eight and half years. As a professional treating patients Zoe is also someone with Axial SpA and in this episode offers great advice and information on this condition, a c...

Rob is a guest on the ‘Sports Therapy Association podcast’ and discusses the five most common misconceptions connected with lower back pain. Rob discusses posture, manual therapy, MRI’s and whether pain always equals damage along with the language used in the consulting room and the importance of building the right narrative. He also shares great content and information about the range of tools av...

If you have been told you have failed physiotherapy what does it mean and what can you do about it? Dave and Rob share great content about the many different tools that help with recovery and why everyone needs an individualised approach to support effective recovery. It can take repetition, trial and error to find the right combination and your therapist should be talking to you to understand wha...

Clare joins Rob and Dave and discusses her own journey of treatment and learning  around sciatica She explains how trial and error is a vital part of recovery and why mindset and belief play an important role in getting well. This is a journey that many will resonant with and Clare shares some key points that altered her thinking, impacted positively on her recovery and have led to success.   KEY...

Rob and Dave talk with Chad about aspects of manual therapy techniques covering everything from massage through to joint based techniques. They discuss how manual therapies work as tools for the clinician with the mechanisms impacting both directly on the site and influencing the spinal cord and brain. If you believe it and want it bringing this together with the mechanisms of manual therapies can...

Dave goes solo in this episode and discusses the long-held and widely shared idea that your back pain, neck pain, headaches, hip pain whatever it is have been caused by your posture. He delves into the question around what is and isn’t ‘good’ posture and looks at when posture plays a role and when it doesn’t. Listen in to find out exactly how your posture affects your pain and what you can effecti...

This is the first of the ‘Ask Me Anything’ episodes and includes great questions from listeners covering diverse aspects around the subject of back pain. Hear about red flags and how your clinician is trained to consider what the signs may be indicating whether you should be requesting a scan or surgical referral and what to do if your exercise is causing pain. This is an episode packed with actio...